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Hauth J, Chodorski J, Wirsen A, Ulber R. Improved FRAP Measurements on Biofilms. Biophys J 2020; 118:2354-2365. [PMID: 32304636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We expand the standard fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) model introduced by Axelrod et al. in 1976. Our goal is to capture some of the following common artifacts observed in the fluorescence measurements obtained with a confocal laser scanning microscope in biofilms: 1) linear drift, 2) exponential decrease (due to bleaching during the measurements), 3) stochastic Gaussian noise, and 4) uncertainty in the exact time point of the onset of fluorescence recovery. To fit the resulting stochastic model to data from FRAP measurements and to estimate all unknown model parameters, we apply a suitably adapted Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. In this way, a more accurate estimation of the diffusion coefficient of the fluorophore is achieved. The method was tested on data obtained from FRAP measurements on a cultivated biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hauth
- Fraunhofer ITWM, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
| | - Jonas Chodorski
- Lehrgebiet Bioverfahrenstechnik, TU Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | | | - Roland Ulber
- Lehrgebiet Bioverfahrenstechnik, TU Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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2
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Femia MR, Evans RM, Zhang J, Sun X, Lebegue CJ, Roggero VR, Allison LA. Mediator subunit MED1 modulates intranuclear dynamics of the thyroid hormone receptor. J Cell Biochem 2019; 121:2909-2926. [PMID: 31692077 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.29532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) mediate thyroid hormone (T3 )-dependent gene expression. The nuclear import and export signals that direct TR shuttling are well characterized, but little is known about factors modulating nuclear retention. We used fluorescence-based nucleocytoplasmic scoring and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching in transfected cells to investigate whether Mediator subunits MED1 and MED13 play a role in nuclear retention of TR. When MED1 was overexpressed, there was a striking shift towards a greater nuclear localization of TRβ1 and the oncoprotein v-ErbA, subtypes with cytosolic populations at steady-state, and TRβ1 intranuclear mobility was reduced. For TRα1, there was no observable change in its predominantly nuclear distribution pattern or mobility. Consistent with a role for MED1 in nuclear retention, the cytosolic TRα1 and TRβ1 population were significantly greater in MED1-/- cells, compared with MED1+/+ cells. Exposure to T3 and epidermal growth factor, which induces MED1 phosphorylation, also altered TR intranuclear dynamics. Overexpression of miR-208a, which downregulates MED13, led to a more cytosolic distribution of nuclear-localized TRα1; however, overexpression of MED13 had no effect on TRβ1 localization. The known binding site of MED1 overlaps with a transactivation domain and nuclear export signal in helix 12 of TR's ligand-binding domain (LBD). Coimmunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that TR's LBD interacts directly with exportins 5 and 7, suggesting that binding of exportins and MED1 to TR may be mutually exclusive. Collectively, our data provide evidence that MED1 promotes nuclear retention of TR, and highlight the dual functionality of helix 12 in TR transactivation and nuclear export.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Femia
- Department of Biology, William and Mary, Williamsburg, Viginia
| | | | - Jibo Zhang
- Department of Biology, William and Mary, Williamsburg, Viginia
| | - Xiaopeng Sun
- Department of Biology, William and Mary, Williamsburg, Viginia
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Anyetei-Anum CS, Evans RM, Back AM, Roggero VR, Allison LA. Acetylation modulates thyroid hormone receptor intracellular localization and intranuclear mobility. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2019; 495:110509. [PMID: 31319097 PMCID: PMC6708479 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2019.110509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The thyroid hormone receptor (TR) undergoes nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, but is primarily nuclear-localized and mediates expression of genes involved in development and homeostasis. Given the proximity of TR acetylation and sumoylation sites to nuclear localization (NLS) and nuclear export signals, we investigated their role in regulating intracellular localization. The nuclear/cytosolic fluorescence ratio (N/C) of fluorescent protein-tagged acetylation mimic, nonacetylation mimic, and sumoylation-deficient TR was quantified in transfected mammalian cells. While nonacetylation mimic and sumoylation-deficient TRs displayed wild-type N/C, the acetylation mimic's N/C was significantly lower. Importins that interact with wild-type TR also interact with acetylation and nonacetylation mimics, suggesting factors other than reduced importin binding alter nuclear localization. FRAP analysis showed wild-type intranuclear dynamics of acetylation mimic and sumoylation-deficient TRs, whereas the nonacetylation mimic had significantly reduced mobility and transcriptional activity. Acetyltransferase CBP/p300 inhibition enhanced TR's nuclear localization, further suggesting that nonacetylation correlates with nuclear retention, while acetylation promotes cytosolic localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril S Anyetei-Anum
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Drive, Integrated Science Center 3030, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Rochelle M Evans
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Drive, Integrated Science Center 3030, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Amanda M Back
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Drive, Integrated Science Center 3030, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Vincent R Roggero
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Drive, Integrated Science Center 3030, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Lizabeth A Allison
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, 540 Landrum Drive, Integrated Science Center 3030, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA.
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Janáček J, Brejchová J, Svoboda P. Determination of δ-opioid receptor molecules mobility in living cells plasma membrane by novel method of FRAP analysis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:1346-1354. [PMID: 31071299 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is the preferred method for analyzing the lateral mobility of fluorescently-tagged proteins in the plasma membranes (PMs) of live cells. FRAP experiments are described as being easy to perform; however, the analysis of the acquired data can be difficult. The evaluation procedure must be properly combined with the imaging setup of the confocal microscope to provide unbiased results. With the aim of increasing the accuracy of determining the diffusion coefficient (D) and mobile fraction (Mf) of PM proteins, we developed a novel method for FRAP analysis in the equatorial plane of the cell. This method is based on the calculation of photobleaching characteristics, derived from the light intensity profile and optical parameters of the confocal microscope, and on the model of fluorescent molecule diffusion in PM regions outside of the focal plane. Furthermore, cell movement artifacts in the FRAP data are ameliorated by using a region of interest, which is not fixed but instead moves adaptively in coordination with the movement of cells. When this method was used to determine the mobility of the δ-opioid receptor-eYFP in HEK293 cells, a highly significant decrease in receptor mobility was detected in cholesterol-depleted cells. This decrease was fully reversible by the replenishment of cholesterol levels. Our results demonstrate the crucial role played by cholesterol in the dynamic organization of δ-opioid receptors in the PM under in vivo conditions. Our method may be applied for the determination of the D and Mf values of other PM proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Janáček
- Department of Biomathematics, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague 4, Czech Republic.
| | - Jana Brejchová
- Department of Biomathematics, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Svoboda
- Department of Biomathematics, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague 4, Czech Republic
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Abstract
Cardiac transverse (t-) tubules carry both electrical excitation and solutes toward the cell center but their ability to transport small molecules is unclear. While fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) can provide an approach to measure local solute movement, extraction of diffusion coefficients is confounded by cell and illumination beam geometries. In this study, we use measured cellular geometry and detailed computer modeling to derive the apparent diffusion coefficient of a 1-kDa solute inside the t-tubular system of rabbit and mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes. This approach shows that diffusion within individual t-tubules is more rapid than previously reported. T-tubule tortuosity, varicosities, and the presence of longitudinal elements combine to substantially reduce the apparent rate of solute movement. In steady state, large (>4 kDa) solutes did not freely fill the t-tubule lumen of both species and <50% of the t-tubule volume was available to solutes >70 kDa. Detailed model fitting of FRAP data suggests that solute diffusion is additionally restricted at the t-tubular entrance and this effect was larger in mouse than in rabbit. The possible structural basis of this effect was investigated using electron microscopy and tomography. Near the cell surface, mouse t-tubules are more tortuous and filled with an electron-dense ground substance, previously identified as glycocalyx and a polyanionic mesh. Solute movement in the t-tubule network of rabbit and mouse appears to be explained by their different geometric properties, which impacts the use of these species for understanding t-tubule function and the consequences of changes associated with t-tubule disease.
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Mazzuca C, Poggi G, Bonelli N, Micheli L, Baglioni P, Palleschi A. Innovative chemical gels meet enzymes: A smart combination for cleaning paper artworks. J Colloid Interface Sci 2017; 502:153-164. [PMID: 28478222 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.04.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Due to their highly retentive properties, innovative recently developed, semi-interpenetrated hydrogels made up of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) chains embedded in a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (p(HEMA)) network should be efficiently used as cleaning material for fragile and degraded paper artworks. In restoration practice, indeed the wet cleaning of these artworks is usually performed by immersion of paper in water, a procedure which may lead to several drawbacks, including paper fibers swelling and dissolution of water-soluble original components. EXPERIMENTS This class of gels were yet presented in literature, but their interactions with paper materials and ability to be spiked with active enzymes (as cleaning agents), have not been analyzed. To establish the suitability of these hydrogels as paper cleaning materials, first, a rheological and microstructural characterization of the gels was performed. Moreover, diffusion of macromolecules inside gels was studied using fluorescence microscopy, to check if these innovative hydrogels can be used as carriers for hydrolytic enzymes. Indeed, pastes and glues are usually found in old paper artworks, and their removal is a very delicate operation that requires a selective action, which is granted by specific hydrolytic enzymes. At the same time, spectroscopic analyses on paper samples under investigation before and after cleaning treatment has been performed, thus assessing the capabilty of these gels as cleaning materials. FINDINGS With the aim of demonstrating the versatility of these hydrogels, several case studies, i.e., the removal of grime and water-soluble cellulose degradation byproducts, the removal of animal glue and the removal of starch paste from real samples, are presented. Results obtained with these gels have been compared to those obtained by using another gel used for paper artworks cleaning, i.e., Gellan gel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mazzuca
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies & CSGI, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Poggi
- Department of Chemistry & CSGI, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Nicole Bonelli
- Department of Chemistry & CSGI, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Micheli
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies & CSGI, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Baglioni
- Department of Chemistry & CSGI, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3 - Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Palleschi
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies & CSGI, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
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Bicknell BA, Dayan P, Goodhill GJ. The limits of chemosensation vary across dimensions. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7468. [PMID: 26088726 PMCID: PMC4557358 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Many biological processes rely on the ability of cells to measure local ligand concentration. However, such measurements are constrained by noise arising from diffusion and the stochastic nature of receptor–ligand interactions. It is thus critical to understand how accurately, in principle, concentration measurements can be made. Previous theoretical work has mostly investigated this in 3D under the simplifying assumption of an unbounded domain of diffusion, but many biological problems involve 2D concentration measurement in bounded domains, for which diffusion behaves quite differently. Here we present a theory of the precision of chemosensation that covers bounded domains of any dimensionality. We find that the quality of chemosensation in lower dimensions is controlled by domain size, suggesting a general principle applicable to many biological systems. Applying the theory to biological problems in 2D shows that diffusion-limited signalling is an efficient mechanism on time scales consistent with behaviour. Theoretical studies on chemosensation often invoke a model of three dimensional unbounded diffusion, but many biological problems involve two-dimensional diffusion in a bounded domain. Here Bicknell et al. present a model for chemosensation that covers bounded domains of any dimension, and apply it to biological problems in two dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan A Bicknell
- 1] Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia [2] School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Peter Dayan
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Geoffrey J Goodhill
- 1] Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia [2] School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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Pageon SV, Aquino G, Lagrue K, Köhler K, Endres RG, Davis DM. Dynamics of natural killer cell receptor revealed by quantitative analysis of photoswitchable protein. Biophys J 2014; 105:1987-96. [PMID: 24209843 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Revised: 08/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cell activation is dynamically regulated by numerous activating and inhibitory surface receptors that accumulate at the immune synapse. Quantitative analysis of receptor dynamics has been limited by methodologies that rely on indirect measurements such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Here, we report an apparently novel approach to study how proteins traffic to and from the immune synapse using NK cell receptors tagged with the photoswitchable fluorescent protein tdEosFP, which can be irreversibly photoswitched from a green to red fluorescent state by ultraviolet light. Thus, after a localized switching event, the movement of the photoswitched molecules can be temporally and spatially resolved by monitoring fluorescence in two regions of interest. By comparing images with mathematical models, we evaluated the diffusion coefficient of the receptor KIR2DL1 (0.23 ± 0.06 μm(2) s(-1)) and assessed how synapse formation affects receptor dynamics. Our data conclude that the inhibitory NK cell receptor KIR2DL1 is continually trafficked into the synapse, and remains surprisingly stable there. Unexpectedly, however, in NK cells forming synapses with multiple target cells simultaneously, KIR2DL1 at one synapse can relocate to another synapse. Thus, our results reveal a previously undetected intersynaptic exchange of protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie V Pageon
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, United Kingdom
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Staras K, Mikulincer D, Gitler D. Monitoring and quantifying dynamic physiological processes in live neurons using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. J Neurochem 2013; 126:213-22. [PMID: 23496032 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The direct visualization of subcellular dynamic processes is often hampered by limitations in the resolving power achievable with conventional microscopy techniques. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching has emerged as a highly informative approach to address this challenge, permitting the quantitative measurement of the movement of small organelles and proteins in living functioning cells, and offering detailed insights into fundamental cellular phenomena of physiological importance. In recent years, its implementation has benefited from the increasing availability of confocal microscopy systems and of powerful labeling techniques based on genetically encoded fluorescent proteins or other chemical markers. In this review, we present fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and related techniques in the context of contemporary neurobiological research and discuss quantitative and semi-quantitative approaches to their interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Staras
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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Martinière A, Runions J. Protein diffusion in plant cell plasma membranes: the cell-wall corral. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2013; 4:515. [PMID: 24381579 PMCID: PMC3865442 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2013.00515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Studying protein diffusion informs us about how proteins interact with their environment. Work on protein diffusion over the last several decades has illustrated the complex nature of biological lipid bilayers. The plasma membrane contains an array of membrane-spanning proteins or proteins with peripheral membrane associations. Maintenance of plasma membrane microstructure can be via physical features that provide intrinsic ordering such as lipid microdomains, or from membrane-associated structures such as the cytoskeleton. Recent evidence indicates, that in the case of plant cells, the cell wall seems to be a major player in maintaining plasma membrane microstructure. This interconnection / interaction between cell-wall and plasma membrane proteins most likely plays an important role in signal transduction, cell growth, and cell physiological responses to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Martinière
- Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Montpellier 2Montpellier, France
- *Correspondence: Alexandre Martinière, Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université Montpellier 2, SupAgro. Bat 7, 2 place Viala, 34060 Montpellier Cedex 1, France e-mail: ;
| | - John Runions
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford, UK
- John Runions, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX30BP, UK e-mail:
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Alenghat FJ, Golan DE. Membrane protein dynamics and functional implications in mammalian cells. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2013; 72:89-120. [PMID: 24210428 PMCID: PMC4193470 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-417027-8.00003-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The organization of the plasma membrane is both highly complex and highly dynamic. One manifestation of this dynamic complexity is the lateral mobility of proteins within the plane of the membrane, which is often an important determinant of intermolecular protein-binding interactions, downstream signal transduction, and local membrane mechanics. The mode of membrane protein mobility can range from random Brownian motion to immobility and from confined or restricted motion to actively directed motion. Several methods can be used to distinguish among the various modes of protein mobility, including fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, single-particle tracking, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and variations of these techniques. Here, we present both a brief overview of these methods and examples of their use to elucidate the dynamics of membrane proteins in mammalian cells-first in erythrocytes, then in erythroblasts and other cells in the hematopoietic lineage, and finally in non-hematopoietic cells. This multisystem analysis shows that the cytoskeleton frequently governs modes of membrane protein motion by stably anchoring the proteins through direct-binding interactions, by restricting protein diffusion through steric interactions, or by facilitating directed protein motion. Together, these studies have begun to delineate mechanisms by which membrane protein dynamics influence signaling sequelae and membrane mechanical properties, which, in turn, govern cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis J. Alenghat
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David E. Golan
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Hematology Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Mears M, Tarmey DS, Geoghegan M. Single macromolecule diffusion in confined environments. Macromol Rapid Commun 2011; 32:1411-8. [PMID: 21751276 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201100076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We consider the behaviour of single molecules on surfaces and, more generally, in confined environments. These are loosely split into three sections: single molecules in biology, the physics of single molecules on surfaces and controlled (directed) diffusion. With recent advances in single molecule detection techniques, the importance and mechanisms of single molecule processes such as localised enzyme production and intracellular diffusion across membranes has been highlighted, emphasising the extra information that cannot be obtained with techniques that present average behaviour. Progress has also been made in producing artificial systems that can control the rate and direction of diffusion, and because these are still in their infancy (especially in comparison to complex biological systems), we discuss the new physics revealed by these phenomena.
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González-Pérez V, Schmierer B, Hill CS, Sear RP. Studying Smad2 intranuclear diffusion dynamics by mathematical modelling of FRAP experiments. Integr Biol (Camb) 2011; 3:197-207. [PMID: 21240396 DOI: 10.1039/c0ib00098a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We combine Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) experiments with mathematical modelling to study the dynamics inside the nucleus of both the TGF-β-sensitive transcriptional regulator Smad2, and Green-Fluorescent Protein (GFP). We show how combining modelling with bleaching strips of different areas allows a rigorous test of whether or not a protein is moving via diffusion as a single species. As noted recently by others, it is important to consider diffusion during the bleaching process. Neglecting it can cause serious error. Also, it is possible to use the bleaching process itself to provide an extra consistency test to the models predicting the recovery. With our method we show that the dynamics of GFP are consistent with it diffusing as a single species in a uniform environment in which flow is negligible. In contrast, the dynamics of the intracellular signal transducer Smad2 are never consistent with it moving as a single species via simple diffusion in a homogeneous environment without flow. Adding TGF-β slows down the dynamics of Smad2 but even without TGF-β, the Smad2 dynamics are influenced by one or more of: association, flow, and inhomogeneity in space of the dynamics. We suggest that the dynamics inside cells of many proteins may be poorly described by simple diffusion of a single species, and that our methodology provides a general and powerful way to test this hypothesis.
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