1
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Chua GNL, Liu S. When Force Met Fluorescence: Single-Molecule Manipulation and Visualization of Protein-DNA Interactions. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:169-191. [PMID: 38237015 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030822-032904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Myriad DNA-binding proteins undergo dynamic assembly, translocation, and conformational changes while on DNA or alter the physical configuration of the DNA substrate to control its metabolism. It is now possible to directly observe these activities-often central to the protein function-thanks to the advent of single-molecule fluorescence- and force-based techniques. In particular, the integration of fluorescence detection and force manipulation has unlocked multidimensional measurements of protein-DNA interactions and yielded unprecedented mechanistic insights into the biomolecular processes that orchestrate cellular life. In this review, we first introduce the different experimental geometries developed for single-molecule correlative force and fluorescence microscopy, with a focus on optical tweezers as the manipulation technique. We then describe the utility of these integrative platforms for imaging protein dynamics on DNA and chromatin, as well as their unique capabilities in generating complex DNA configurations and uncovering force-dependent protein behaviors. Finally, we give a perspective on the future directions of this emerging research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella N L Chua
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA;
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Shixin Liu
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA;
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2
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Lu S, Chemla YR. Optical traps induce fluorophore photobleaching by two-photon excitation. Biophys J 2023; 122:4316-4325. [PMID: 37828742 PMCID: PMC10698272 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Techniques combining optical tweezers with fluorescence microscopy have become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, the high-power, infrared lasers used to create optical traps can have a deleterious effect on dye stability. Previous studies have shown that dye photobleaching is enhanced by absorption of visible fluorescence excitation plus infrared trap photons, a process that can be significantly reduced by minimizing simultaneous exposure to both light sources. Here, we report another photobleaching pathway that results from direct excitation by the trapping laser alone. Our results show that this trap-induced fluorescence loss is a two-photon absorption process, as demonstrated by a quadratic dependence on the intensity of the trapping laser. We further show that, under conditions typical of many trap-based experiments, fluorescence emission of certain fluorophores near the trap focus can drop by 90% within 1 min. We investigate how photostability is affected by the choice of dye molecule, excitation and emission wavelength, and labeled molecule. Finally, we discuss the different photobleaching pathways in combined trap-fluorescence measurements, which guide the selection of optimal dyes and conditions for more robust experimental protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suoang Lu
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Yann R Chemla
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center of the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
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3
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Haghizadeh A, Iftikhar M, Dandpat SS, Simpson T. Looking at Biomolecular Interactions through the Lens of Correlated Fluorescence Microscopy and Optical Tweezers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2668. [PMID: 36768987 PMCID: PMC9916863 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding complex biological events at the molecular level paves the path to determine mechanistic processes across the timescale necessary for breakthrough discoveries. While various conventional biophysical methods provide some information for understanding biological systems, they often lack a complete picture of the molecular-level details of such dynamic processes. Studies at the single-molecule level have emerged to provide crucial missing links to understanding complex and dynamic pathways in biological systems, which are often superseded by bulk biophysical and biochemical studies. Latest developments in techniques combining single-molecule manipulation tools such as optical tweezers and visualization tools such as fluorescence or label-free microscopy have enabled the investigation of complex and dynamic biomolecular interactions at the single-molecule level. In this review, we present recent advances using correlated single-molecule manipulation and visualization-based approaches to obtain a more advanced understanding of the pathways for fundamental biological processes, and how this combination technique is facilitating research in the dynamic single-molecule (DSM), cell biology, and nanomaterials fields.
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4
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Stephens HM, Kirkpatrick E, Mallis RJ, Reinherz EL, Lang MJ. Characterizing Biophysical Parameters of Single TCR-pMHC Interactions Using Optical Tweezers. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2654:375-392. [PMID: 37106195 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3135-5_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
αβ T cells are mechanosensors that leverage bioforces during immune surveillance for highly sensitive and specific antigen discrimination. Single-molecule studies are used to profile the initial TCRαβ-pMHC binding event, and various biophysical parameters can be identified. Isolating purified TCRαβ and pMHC molecules on a coverslip allows for direct measurements of the kinetics and conformational changes in the system and removes cellular components along the load pathway that may interfere with or mask subtle changes. Optical tweezers provide high resolution position and force information that map the bonding profile, including catch bond, and the ability to measure distinct conformational changes driven by forces. The present method describes the single-molecule optical tweezers assay setup, considerations, and execution. This model can be used for various TCR-pMHC pairs or expanded to measure a wide variety of receptor-ligand interactions operative in multiple biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Stephens
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Evan Kirkpatrick
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Robert J Mallis
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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5
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Zhang S, Wei B, Wei Q, Li R, Chen S, Song N. Optical Force of Bessel Pincer Light-Sheets Beam on a Dielectric Sphere of Arbitrary Size. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:3723. [PMID: 36364500 PMCID: PMC9655528 DOI: 10.3390/nano12213723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the framework of Generalized Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT), based on the expansion results of electromagnetic field radiation components of Bessel pincer light sheets beam acting on dielectric particles of arbitrary size, the expression of radiation force components in a Cartesian coordinate system is obtained by using the Maxwell stress tensor method. On the one hand, the effects of the refractive index and the equivalent radius of spherical particles on the distribution of radiation force are discussed; On the other hand, the influence of beam scaling parameter and beam order of Bessel pincer light sheets beam on the distribution of radiation force are investigated. The results indicate that the changes of particle's refractive index and effective radius only affect the distribution of radiation force. However, the beam scaling parameter and beam order of Bessel pincer light sheets beam have a very sharp impact on the convergence position, distribution range and bending degree far away from the wave source of the radiation force. Single-beam optical tweezers using the self-focusing and self-bending Bessel pincer light-sheets beam are crucial for applications such as single molecule biophysics, optical manipulation and particle separation/clearing.
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6
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Optical trapping and fluorescence control with vectorial structured light. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17690. [PMID: 36271234 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21224-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we functionalized micro-scaled polymer beads with nano-scaled quantum dots and demonstrate optical trapping and tweezing, with in-situ fluorescence measurement, in an all-digital all-optical configuration. We outline the chemistry required to facilitate this, from deactivating the optical trapping environment to size, adhesion and agglomeration control. We introduce a novel holographic optical trapping set-up that leverages on vectorially structured light, allowing for the delivery of tuneable forms of light from purely scalar to purely vector, including propagation invariant flat-top beams for uniform illumination and tailored intensity gradient landscapes. Finally, we show how this has the potential to quench bleaching in a single wavelength trap by linear (spatial mode) rather than non-linear effects, advancing the nascent field of optics for chemistry.
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7
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Chen Z, Cai Z, Liu W, Yan Z. Optical trapping and manipulation for single-particle spectroscopy and microscopy. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:050901. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0086328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical tweezers can control the position and orientation of individual colloidal particles in solution. Such control is often desirable but challenging for single-particle spectroscopy and microscopy, especially at the nanoscale. Functional nanoparticles that are optically trapped and manipulated in a three-dimensional (3D) space can serve as freestanding nanoprobes, which provide unique prospects of sensing and mapping the surrounding environment of the nanoparticles and studying their interactions with biological systems. In this perspective, we will first describe the optical forces underlying the optical trapping and manipulation of microscopic particles, then review the combinations and applications of different spectroscopy and microscopy techniques with optical tweezers. Finally, we will discuss the challenges of performing spectroscopy and microscopy on single nanoparticles with optical tweezers, the possible routes to address these challenges, and the new opportunities that will arise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Chen
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States of America
| | - Zhewei Cai
- Clarkson University, United States of America
| | - Wenbo Liu
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States of America
| | - Zijie Yan
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States of America
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8
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Stephens HM, Brazin KN, Mallis RJ, Feng Y, Banik D, Reinherz EL, Lang MJ. Measuring αβ T-Cell Receptor-Mediated Mechanosensing Using Optical Tweezers Combined with Fluorescence Imaging. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2478:727-753. [PMID: 36063340 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2229-2_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
T-cell antigen receptors (TCRs) are mechanosensors, which initiate a signaling cascade upon ligand recognition resulting in T-cell differentiation, homeostasis, effector and regulatory functions. An optical trap combined with fluorescence permits direct monitoring of T-cell triggering in response to force application at various concentrations of peptide-bound major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHC). The technique mimics physiological shear forces applied as cells crawl across antigen-presenting surfaces during immune surveillance. True single molecule studies performed on single cells profile force-bond lifetime, typically seen as a catch bond, and conformational change at the TCR-pMHC bond on the surface of the cell upon force loading. Together, activation and single molecule single cell studies provide chemical and physical triggering thresholds as well as insight into catch bond formation and quaternary structural changes of single TCRs. The present methods detail assay design, preparation, and execution, as well as data analysis. These methods may be applied to a wide range of pMHC-TCR interactions and have potential for adaptation to other receptor-ligand systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Stephens
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kristine N Brazin
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert J Mallis
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yinnian Feng
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Debasis Banik
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ellis L Reinherz
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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9
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Yadav R, Senanayake KB, Comstock MJ. High-Resolution Optical Tweezers Combined with Multicolor Single-Molecule Microscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2478:141-240. [PMID: 36063322 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2229-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We present an instrument that combines high-resolution optical tweezers and multicolor confocal fluorescence spectroscopy. Biological macromolecules exhibit complex conformation and stoichiometry changes in coordination with their motion and activity. To further our understanding of the complex machinery of life, we need methods that can simultaneously probe more than one degree of freedom of single molecules and complexes. Fluorescence optical tweezers, or "fleezers," combine the capabilities of optical tweezers and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy into a single instrument. Here we present the latest generation of a high-resolution fleezers instrument integrated with multicolor fluorescence spectroscopy. The tweezers portion of the instrument can manipulate biological macromolecules with pN scale forces while measuring subnanometer distances. Simultaneous with tweezers measurements, the multicolor fluorescence capability allows the direct observation of multiple molecules or multiple degrees of freedom which allows, for example, the observation of multiple proteins simultaneously within a complex. The instrument incorporates three fluorescence excitation lasers, all sourced from a single-mode optical fiber allowing a reliable alignment scheme, that allows, for example, three independent fluorescent probes or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements and also increases flexibility in the choice of fluorescent probes. To avoid photobleaching and improve tweezers stability, the instrument implements a timesharing (using a single trap laser to produce a pair of traps via rapid switching between two locations) and interlacing (turning the trapping beam off when the fluorescence excitation beams are on and vice versa) scheme using acousto-optic modulators (AOM) to rapidly and precisely modulate lasers. Our latest "random phase" trap AOM control method obliterates previous residual trap positioning and bead position measurement errors. Here we present the general design principles and detailed construction and testing protocols for the instrument.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev Yadav
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kasun B Senanayake
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Matthew J Comstock
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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10
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Banik D, Hamidinia M, Brzostek J, Wu L, Stephens HM, MacAry PA, Reinherz EL, Gascoigne NRJ, Lang MJ. Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy Reveals Distinctions in Key Biophysical Parameters of αβ T-Cell Receptors Compared with Chimeric Antigen Receptors Directed at the Same Ligand. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7566-7573. [PMID: 34347491 PMCID: PMC9082930 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies exploit facile antibody-mediated targeting to elicit useful immune responses in patients. This work directly compares binding profiles of CAR and αβ T-cell receptors (TCR) with single cell and single molecule optical trap measurements against a shared ligand. DNA-tethered measurements of peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligand interaction in both CAR and TCR exhibit catch bonds with specific peptide agonist peaking at 25 and 14 pN, respectively. While a conformational transition is regularly seen in TCR-pMHC systems, that of CAR-pMHC systems is dissimilar, being infrequent, of lower magnitude, and irreversible. Slip bonds are observed with CD19-specific CAR T-cells and with a monoclonal antibody mapping to the MHC α2 helix but indifferent to the bound peptide. Collectively, these findings suggest that the CAR-pMHC interface underpins the CAR catch bond response to pMHC ligands in contradistinction to slip bonds for CARs targeting canonical ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasis Banik
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Maryam Hamidinia
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Ling Wu
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Hannah M. Stephens
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Paul A. MacAry
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Ellis L. Reinherz
- Laboratory
of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department
of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of
Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Nicholas R. J. Gascoigne
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Matthew J. Lang
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
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11
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Bustamante CJ, Chemla YR, Liu S, Wang MD. Optical tweezers in single-molecule biophysics. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2021; 1:25. [PMID: 34849486 PMCID: PMC8629167 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-021-00021-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Optical tweezers have become the method of choice in single-molecule manipulation studies. In this Primer, we first review the physical principles of optical tweezers and the characteristics that make them a powerful tool to investigate single molecules. We then introduce the modifications of the method to extend the measurement of forces and displacements to torques and angles, and to develop optical tweezers with single-molecule fluorescence detection capabilities. We discuss force and torque calibration of these instruments, their various modes of operation and most common experimental geometries. We describe the type of data obtained in each experimental design and their analyses. This description is followed by a survey of applications of these methods to the studies of protein-nucleic acid interactions, protein/RNA folding and molecular motors. We also discuss data reproducibility, the factors that lead to the data variability among different laboratories and the need to develop field standards. We cover the current limitations of the methods and possible ways to optimize instrument operation, data extraction and analysis, before suggesting likely areas of future growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J. Bustamante
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yann R. Chemla
- Department of Physics, Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Shixin Liu
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biophysics and Biochemistry, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle D. Wang
- Department of Physics, Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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12
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Ma G, Hu C, Li S, Gao X, Li H, Hu X. Simultaneous, hybrid single-molecule method by optical tweezers and fluorescence. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION ENGINEERING 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.npe.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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13
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Multi-parameter measurements of conformational dynamics in nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes. Methods 2019; 169:69-77. [PMID: 31228549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological macromolecules undergo dynamic conformational changes. Single-molecule methods can track such structural rearrangements in real time. However, while the structure of large macromolecules may change along many degrees of freedom, single-molecule techniques only monitor a limited number of these axes of motion. Advanced single-molecule methods are being developed to track multiple degrees of freedom in nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes at high resolution, to enable better manipulation and control of the system under investigation, and to collect measurements in massively parallel fashion. Combining complementary single-molecule methods within the same assay also provides unique measurement opportunities. Implementations of magnetic and optical tweezers combined with fluorescence and FRET have demonstrated results unattainable by either technique alone. Augmenting other advanced single-molecule methods with fluorescence detection will allow us to better capture the multidimensional dynamics of nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes central to biology.
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14
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Dols-Perez A, Marin V, Amador GJ, Kieffer R, Tam D, Aubin-Tam ME. Artificial Cell Membranes Interfaced with Optical Tweezers: A Versatile Microfluidics Platform for Nanomanipulation and Mechanical Characterization. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:33620-33627. [PMID: 31448892 PMCID: PMC6753654 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b09983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Cell lipid membranes are the site of vital biological processes, such as motility, trafficking, and sensing, many of which involve mechanical forces. Elucidating the interplay between such bioprocesses and mechanical forces requires the use of tools that apply and measure piconewton-level forces, e.g., optical tweezers. Here, we introduce the combination of optical tweezers with free-standing lipid bilayers, which are fully accessible on both sides of the membrane. In the vicinity of the lipid bilayer, optical trapping would normally be impossible due to optical distortions caused by pockets of the solvent trapped within the membrane. We solve this by drastically reducing the size of these pockets via tuning of the solvent and flow cell material. In the resulting flow cells, lipid nanotubes are straightforwardly pushed or pulled and reach lengths above half a millimeter. Moreover, the controlled pushing of a lipid nanotube with an optically trapped bead provides an accurate and direct measurement of important mechanical properties. In particular, we measure the membrane tension of a free-standing membrane composed of a mixture of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) to be 4.6 × 10-6 N/m. We demonstrate the potential of the platform for biophysical studies by inserting the cell-penetrating trans-activator of transcription (TAT) peptide in the lipid membrane. The interactions between the TAT peptide and the membrane are found to decrease the value of the membrane tension to 2.1 × 10-6 N/m. This method is also fully compatible with electrophysiological measurements and presents new possibilities for the study of membrane mechanics and the creation of artificial lipid tube networks of great importance in intra- and intercellular communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurora Dols-Perez
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Victor Marin
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Guillermo J. Amador
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
- Laboratory
for Aero and Hydrodynamics, Delft University
of Technology, Delft 2628 CD, The Netherlands
| | - Roland Kieffer
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Tam
- Laboratory
for Aero and Hydrodynamics, Delft University
of Technology, Delft 2628 CD, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-Eve Aubin-Tam
- Department
of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience,
Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
- E-mail: (M.A.)
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15
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Automated Indirect Transportation of Biological Cells with Optical Tweezers and a 3D Printed Microtool. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9142883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Optical tweezers are widely used for noninvasive and precise micromanipulation of living cells to understand biological processes. By focusing laser beams on cells, direct cell manipulation with optical tweezers can achieve high precision and flexibility. However, direct exposure to the laser beam can lead to negative effects on the cells. These phenomena are also known as photobleaching and photodamage. In this study, we proposed a new indirect cell micromanipulation approach combined with a robot-aided holographic optical tweezer system and 3D nano-printed microtool. The microtool was designed with a V-shaped head and an optical handle part. The V-shaped head can push and trap different sizes of cells as the microtool moves forward by optical trapping of the handle part. In this way, cell exposure to the laser beam can be effectively reduced. The microtool was fabricated with a laser direct writing system by two-photon photopolymerization. A control strategy combined with an imaging processing algorithm was introduced for automated manipulation of the microtool and cells. Experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness of our approach. First, automated microtool transportation and rotation were demonstrated with high precision. Second, indirect optical transportations of cells, with and without an obstacle, were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Third, experiments of fluorescent cell manipulation were performed to confirm that, indicated by the photobleaching effect, indirect manipulation with the microtool could induce less laser exposure compared with direct optical manipulation. The proposed method could be useful in complex biomedical applications where precise cell manipulation and less laser exposure are required.
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16
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Killian JL, Inman JT, Wang MD. High-Performance Image-Based Measurements of Biological Forces and Interactions in a Dual Optical Trap. ACS NANO 2018; 12:11963-11974. [PMID: 30457331 PMCID: PMC6857636 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b03679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Optical traps enable the nanoscale manipulation of individual biomolecules while measuring molecular forces and lengths. This ability relies on the sensitive detection of optically trapped particles, typically accomplished using laser-based interferometric methods. Recently, image-based particle tracking techniques have garnered increased interest as a potential alternative to laser-based detection; however, successful integration of image-based methods into optical trapping instruments for biophysical applications and force measurements has remained elusive. Here, we develop a camera-based detection platform that enables accurate and precise measurements of biological forces and interactions in a dual optical trap. In demonstration, we stretch and unzip DNA molecules while measuring the relative distances of trapped particles from their trapping centers with sub-nanometer accuracy and precision. We then use the DNA unzipping technique to localize bound proteins with sub-base-pair precision, revealing how thermal DNA "breathing" fluctuations allow an unzipping fork to detect and respond to the presence of a protein bound downstream. This work advances the capabilities of image tracking in optical traps, providing a state-of-the-art detection method that is accessible, highly flexible, and broadly compatible with diverse experimental substrates and other nanometric techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Killian
- Physics Department & LASSP, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - James T. Inman
- Physics Department & LASSP, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michelle D. Wang
- Physics Department & LASSP, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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17
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Parobek A, Black JW, Kamenetska M, Ganim Z. Force-detected nanoscale absorption spectroscopy in water at room temperature using an optical trap. J Chem Phys 2018; 148:144201. [PMID: 29655351 DOI: 10.1063/1.5017853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring absorption spectra of single molecules presents a fundamental challenge for standard transmission-based instruments because of the inherently low signal relative to the large background of the excitation source. Here we demonstrate a new approach for performing absorption spectroscopy in solution using a force measurement to read out optical excitation at the nanoscale. The photoinduced force between model chromophores and an optically trapped gold nanoshell has been measured in water at room temperature. This photoinduced force is characterized as a function of wavelength to yield the force spectrum, which is shown to be correlated to the absorption spectrum for four model systems. The instrument constructed for these measurements combines an optical tweezer with frequency domain absorption spectroscopy over the 400-800 nm range. These measurements provide proof-of-principle experiments for force-detected nanoscale spectroscopies that operate under ambient chemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Parobek
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Jacob W Black
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Ziad Ganim
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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18
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Lee SH. Optimal integration of wide field illumination and holographic optical tweezers for multimodal microscopy with ultimate flexibility and versatility. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:8049-8058. [PMID: 29715778 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.008049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
We introduce one-of-a-kind optical microscope that we have developed through optimized integration of wide-field and focused-light microscopies. This new instrument has accomplished operation of the same laser for both wide field illumination and holographic focused beam illumination interchangeably or simultaneously in a way scalable to multiple lasers. We have demonstrated its powerful capability by simultaneously carrying out Epi-fluorescence, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, selective plane illumination microscopy, and holographic optical tweezers with five lasers. Our instrument and the optical design will provide researchers across diverse fields, cell-biology and biophysics in particular, with a practical guidance to build an all-around multimodal microscope that will further inspire the development of novel hybrid microscopy experiments.
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Pollari R, Milstein JN. Accounting for polarization in the calibration of a donut beam axial optical tweezers. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193402. [PMID: 29474494 PMCID: PMC5825067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in light shaping techniques are leading to new tools for optical trapping and micromanipulation. For example, optical tweezers made from Laguerre-Gaussian or donut beams display an increased axial trap strength and can impart angular momentum to rotate a specimen. However, the application of donut beam optical tweezers to precision, biophysical measurements remains limited due to a lack of methods for calibrating such devices sufficiently. For instance, one notable complication, not present when trapping with a Gaussian beam, is that the polarization of the trap light can significantly affect the tweezers’ strength as well as the location of the trap. In this article, we show how to precisely calibrate the axial trap strength as a function of height above the coverslip surface while accounting for focal shifts in the trap position arising from radiation pressure, mismatches in the index of refraction, and polarization induced intensity variations. This provides a foundation for implementing a donut beam optical tweezers capable of applying precise axial forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Pollari
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua N. Milstein
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- * E-mail:
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20
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Abstract
Optical tweezers enable scientists to follow the dynamics of molecular motors at high resolution. The ability to discern a motor’s discrete steps reveals important insights on its operation. Some motors operate at the scale of angstroms, rendering the observation of their steps extremely challenging. In some cases, such small steps have been observed sporadically; however, the full molecular trajectories of steps and intervals between steps remain elusive due to instrumental noise. Here, we eliminate the main source of noise of most high-resolution dual-trap optical tweezers and developed both a single-molecule assay and a self-learning algorithm to uncover the full trajectories of such a motor: RNA polymerase. Using this method, a whole new set of experiments becomes possible. In recent years, highly stable optical tweezers systems have enabled the characterization of the dynamics of molecular motors at very high resolution. However, the motion of many motors with angstrom-scale dynamics cannot be consistently resolved due to poor signal-to-noise ratio. Using an acousto-optic deflector to generate a “time-shared” dual-optical trap, we decreased low-frequency noise by more than one order of magnitude compared with conventional dual-trap optical tweezers. Using this instrument, we implemented a protocol that synthesizes single base-pair trajectories, which are used to test a Large State Space Hidden Markov Model algorithm to recover their individual steps. We then used this algorithm on real transcription data obtained in the same instrument to fully uncover the molecular trajectories of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. We applied this procedure to reveal the effect of pyrophosphate on the distribution of dwell times between consecutive polymerase steps.
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21
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Overstretching partially alkyne functionalized dsDNA using near infrared optical tweezers. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 496:975-980. [PMID: 29339160 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.01.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The force-extension behaviour of synthesized double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) designed to have 2.1% or 6.6% of the thymine bases alkyne functionalized was studied using near infrared (NIR) optical tweezers. Measurements were carried out on substrates with and without flurophores covalently attached to the alkyne moiety over an extended force range (F=0-70 pN) and results were compared to those obtained from an unmodified control. In accordance with earlier work [1] (measured over a force range F=0-5 pN), the force-extension of the dsDNA containing 2.1% modified-bases agreed well with that of the control. By contrast, the force-extension of the dsDNA containing 6.6% modified-bases showed an increasing deviation from that of the control as the dsDNA extension approached the molecule's contour length. These results indicate that incorporating alkyne functionalized bases can modify the mechanical properties of the dsDNA and that degree of functionalization should be carefully considered if a fluorescent mechanical analogue is required. A discrepancy between 1) the control dsDNA force-extension measured in Ref. [1] and that measured here and 2) dsDNA extensions carried out on the same duplex at different laser powers was noted; this was attributed to beam heating by the NIR trapping laser which was estimated to raise the local temperature at the optical traps by ΔT≈10-15°C.
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Chang M, Oh J, Kim Y, Hohng S, Lee JB. Extended depth of field for single biomolecule optical imaging-force spectroscopy. OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 25:32189-32197. [PMID: 29245882 DOI: 10.1364/oe.25.032189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Real-time optical imaging combined with single-molecule manipulation broadens the horizons for acquiring information about the spatiotemporal localization and the mechanical details of target molecules. To obtain an optical signal outside the focal plane without unintended interruption of the force signal in single-molecule optical imaging-force spectroscopy, we developed an optical method to extend the depth of field in a high numerical aperture objective (≥ 1.2), required to visualize a single fluorophore. By axial scanning, using an electrically tunable lens with a fixed sample, we were successfully able to visualize the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) moving along the three-dimensionally elongated filamentous actin bundles connecting cells (intercellular nanotube), while another EGFR on the intercellular nanotube was trapped by optical tweezers in living cells. Our approach is simple, fast and inexpensive, but it is powerful for imaging target molecules axially in single-molecule optical imaging-force spectroscopy.
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23
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Black JW, Kamenetska M, Ganim Z. An Optical Tweezers Platform for Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy in Organic Solvents. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:6598-6605. [PMID: 28972764 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b02413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Observation at the single molecule level has been a revolutionary tool for molecular biophysics and materials science, but single molecule studies of solution-phase chemistry are less widespread. In this work we develop an experimental platform for solution-phase single molecule force spectroscopy in organic solvents. This optical-tweezer-based platform was designed for broad chemical applicability and utilizes optically trapped core-shell microspheres, synthetic polymer tethers, and click chemistry linkages formed in situ. We have observed stable optical trapping of the core-shell microspheres in ten different solvents, and single molecule link formation in four different solvents. These experiments demonstrate how to use optical tweezers for single molecule force application in the study of solution-phase chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob W Black
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University , 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Maria Kamenetska
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University , 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Ziad Ganim
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University , 350 Edwards St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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24
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Mechanically switching single-molecule fluorescence of GFP by unfolding and refolding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:11052-11056. [PMID: 29073015 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1704937114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants are widely used as genetically encoded fluorescent fusion tags, and there is an increasing interest in engineering their structure to develop in vivo optical sensors, such as for optogenetics and force transduction. Ensemble experiments have shown that the fluorescence of GFP is quenched upon denaturation. Here we study the dependence of fluorescence on protein structure by driving single molecules of GFP into different conformational states with optical tweezers and simultaneously probing the chromophore with fluorescence. Our results show that fluorescence is lost during the earliest events in unfolding, 3.5 ms before secondary structure is disrupted. No fluorescence is observed from the unfolding intermediates or the ensemble of compact and extended states populated during refolding. We further demonstrate that GFP can be mechanically switched between emissive and dark states. These data definitively establish that complete structural integrity is necessary to observe single-molecule fluorescence of GFP.
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26
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Abstract
T lymphocytes use surface [Formula: see text] T-cell receptors (TCRs) to recognize peptides bound to MHC molecules (pMHCs) on antigen-presenting cells (APCs). How the exquisite specificity of high-avidity T cells is achieved is unknown but essential, given the paucity of foreign pMHC ligands relative to the ubiquitous self-pMHC array on an APC. Using optical traps, we determine physicochemical triggering thresholds based on load and force direction. Strikingly, chemical thresholds in the absence of external load require orders of magnitude higher pMHC numbers than observed physiologically. In contrast, force applied in the shear direction ([Formula: see text]10 pN per TCR molecule) triggers T-cell Ca2+ flux with as few as two pMHC molecules at the interacting surface interface with rapid positional relaxation associated with similarly directed motor-dependent transport via [Formula: see text]8-nm steps, behaviors inconsistent with serial engagement during initial TCR triggering. These synergistic directional forces generated during cell motility are essential for adaptive T-cell immunity against infectious pathogens and cancers.
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27
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Whitley K, Comstock M, Chemla Y. High-Resolution Optical Tweezers Combined With Single-Molecule Confocal Microscopy. Methods Enzymol 2017; 582:137-169. [PMID: 28062033 PMCID: PMC5540136 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2016.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
We describe the design, construction, and application of an instrument combining dual-trap, high-resolution optical tweezers and a confocal microscope. This hybrid instrument allows nanomechanical manipulation and measurement simultaneously with single-molecule fluorescence detection. We present the general design principles that overcome the challenges of maximizing optical trap resolution while maintaining single-molecule fluorescence sensitivity, and provide details on the construction and alignment of the instrument. This powerful new tool is just beginning to be applied to biological problems. We present step-by-step instructions on an application of this technique that highlights the instrument's capabilities, detecting conformational dynamics in a nucleic acid-processing enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- K.D. Whitley
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - M.J. Comstock
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Y.R. Chemla
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States,Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States,Corresponding author:
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High-Resolution "Fleezers": Dual-Trap Optical Tweezers Combined with Single-Molecule Fluorescence Detection. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1486:183-256. [PMID: 27844430 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6421-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in optical tweezers have greatly expanded their measurement capabilities. A new generation of hybrid instrument that combines nanomechanical manipulation with fluorescence detection-fluorescence optical tweezers, or "fleezers"-is providing a powerful approach to study complex macromolecular dynamics. Here, we describe a combined high-resolution optical trap/confocal fluorescence microscope that can simultaneously detect sub-nanometer displacements, sub-piconewton forces, and single-molecule fluorescence signals. The primary technical challenge to these hybrid instruments is how to combine both measurement modalities without sacrificing the sensitivity of either one. We present general design principles to overcome this challenge and provide detailed, step-by-step instructions to implement them in the construction and alignment of the instrument. Lastly, we present a set of protocols to perform a simple, proof-of-principle experiment that highlights the instrument capabilities.
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29
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A programmable DNA origami nanospring that reveals force-induced adjacent binding of myosin VI heads. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13715. [PMID: 27941751 PMCID: PMC5159853 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensitive biological nanomachines such as motor proteins and ion channels regulate diverse cellular behaviour. Combined optical trapping with single-molecule fluorescence imaging provides a powerful methodology to clearly characterize the mechanoresponse, structural dynamics and stability of such nanomachines. However, this system requires complicated experimental geometry, preparation and optics, and is limited by low data-acquisition efficiency. Here we develop a programmable DNA origami nanospring that overcomes these issues. We apply our nanospring to human myosin VI, a mechanosensory motor protein, and demonstrate nanometre-precision single-molecule fluorescence imaging of the individual motor domains (heads) under force. We observe force-induced transitions of myosin VI heads from non-adjacent to adjacent binding, which correspond to adapted roles for low-load and high-load transport, respectively. Our technique extends single-molecule studies under force and clarifies the effect of force on biological processes.
Characterizing the mechanical response of molecular motors involves the use of methods such as optical trapping to apply force. Here the authors develop a DNA origami nanospring to apply progressive force to human myosin VI, and discover that it adopts different stepping modes when subjected to low load or high load.
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30
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Chemla YR. High‐resolution, hybrid optical trapping methods, and their application to nucleic acid processing proteins. Biopolymers 2016; 105:704-14. [DOI: 10.1002/bip.22880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yann R. Chemla
- Department of Physics, Center for the Physics of Living Cells, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative BiologyUniversity of IllinoisUrbana‐Champaign
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31
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Yehoshua S, Pollari R, Milstein JN. Axial Optical Traps: A New Direction for Optical Tweezers. Biophys J 2016; 108:2759-66. [PMID: 26083913 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical tweezers have revolutionized our understanding of the microscopic world. Axial optical tweezers, which apply force to a surface-tethered molecule by directly moving either the trap or the stage along the laser beam axis, offer several potential benefits when studying a range of novel biophysical phenomena. This geometry, although it is conceptually straightforward, suffers from aberrations that result in variation of the trap stiffness when the distance between the microscope coverslip and the trap focus is being changed. Many standard techniques, such as back-focal-plane interferometry, are difficult to employ in this geometry due to back-scattered light between the bead and the coverslip, whereas the noise inherent in a surface-tethered assay can severely limit the resolution of an experiment. Because of these complications, precision force spectroscopy measurements have adapted alternative geometries such as the highly successful dumbbell traps. In recent years, however, most of the difficulties inherent in constructing a precision axial optical tweezers have been solved. This review article aims to inform the reader about recent progress in axial optical trapping, as well as the potential for these devices to perform innovative biophysical measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Yehoshua
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Russell Pollari
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua N Milstein
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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32
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Suei S, Raudsepp A, Kent LM, Keen SAJ, Filichev VV, Williams MAK. DNA visualization in single molecule studies carried out with optical tweezers: Covalent versus non-covalent attachment of fluorophores. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 466:226-31. [PMID: 26362181 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the use of the covalent attachment of fluorescent dyes to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) stretched between particles using optical tweezers (OT) and compared the mechanical properties of the covalently-functionalized chain to that of unmodified DNA and to DNA bound to a previously uncharacterized groove-binder, SYBR-gold. Modified DNA species were obtained by covalently linking azide-functionalized organic fluorophores onto the backbone of DNA chains via the alkyne moieties of modified bases that were incorporated during PCR. These DNA molecules were then constructed into dumbbells by attaching polystyrene particles to the respective chain ends via biotin or digoxigenin handles that had been pre-attached to the PCR primers which formed the ends of the synthesized molecule. Using the optical tweezers, the DNA was stretched by separating the two optically trapped polystyrene particles. Displacements of the particles were measured in 3D using an interpolation-based normalized cross-correlation method and force-extension curves were calculated and fitted to the worm-like chain model to parameterize the mechanical properties of the DNA. Results showed that both the contour and persistence length of the covalently-modified dsDNAs were indistinguishable from that of the unmodified dsDNA, whereas SYBR-gold binding perturbed the contour length of the chain in a force-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Suei
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Allan Raudsepp
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Lisa M Kent
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Stephen A J Keen
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Vyacheslav V Filichev
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Martin A K Williams
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand; Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
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Inman J, Smith BY, Hall MA, Forties R, Jin J, Sethna JP, Wang MD. DNA Y structure: a versatile, multidimensional single molecule assay. NANO LETTERS 2014; 14:6475-80. [PMID: 25291441 PMCID: PMC4245981 DOI: 10.1021/nl503009d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Optical trapping is a powerful single molecule technique used to study dynamic biomolecular events, especially those involving DNA and DNA-binding proteins. Current implementations usually involve only one of stretching, unzipping, or twisting DNA along one dimension. To expand the capabilities of optical trapping for more complex measurements would require a multidimensional technique that combines all of these manipulations in a single experiment. Here, we report the development and utilization of such a novel optical trapping assay based on a three-branch DNA construct, termed a "Y structure". This multidimensional assay allows precise, real-time tracking of multiple configurational changes. When the Y structure template is unzipped under both force and torque, the force and extension of all three branches can be determined simultaneously. Moreover, the assay is readily compatible with fluorescence, as demonstrated by unzipping through a fluorescently labeled, paused transcription complex. This novel assay thus allows for the visualization and precision mapping of complex interactions of biomechanical events.
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Affiliation(s)
- James
T. Inman
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Benjamin Y. Smith
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Michael A. Hall
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Robert
A. Forties
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - James P. Sethna
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Michelle D. Wang
- Department of Physics, LASSP and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- M.D.W. e-mail:
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34
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Cordova JC, Das DK, Manning HW, Lang MJ. Combining single-molecule manipulation and single-molecule detection. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2014; 28:142-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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35
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Robison AD, Finkelstein IJ. High-throughput single-molecule studies of protein-DNA interactions. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:3539-46. [PMID: 24859086 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 05/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence and force-based single-molecule studies of protein-nucleic acid interactions continue to shed critical insights into many aspects of DNA and RNA processing. As single-molecule assays are inherently low-throughput, obtaining statistically relevant datasets remains a major challenge. Additionally, most fluorescence-based single-molecule particle-tracking assays are limited to observing fluorescent proteins that are in the low-nanomolar range, as spurious background signals predominate at higher fluorophore concentrations. These technical limitations have traditionally limited the types of questions that could be addressed via single-molecule methods. In this review, we describe new approaches for high-throughput and high-concentration single-molecule biochemical studies. We conclude with a discussion of outstanding challenges for the single-molecule biologist and how these challenges can be tackled to further approach the biochemical complexity of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D Robison
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Ilya J Finkelstein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas T. Perkins
- JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309;
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309
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37
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Farooq S, Fijen C, Hohlbein J. Studying DNA-protein interactions with single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer. PROTOPLASMA 2014; 251:317-32. [PMID: 24374460 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-013-0596-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) has emerged as a powerful tool for elucidating biological structure and mechanisms on the molecular level. Here, we focus on applications of smFRET to study interactions between DNA and enzymes such as DNA and RNA polymerases. SmFRET, used as a nanoscopic ruler, allows for the detection and precise characterisation of dynamic and rarely occurring events, which are otherwise averaged out in ensemble-based experiments. In this review, we will highlight some recent developments that provide new means of studying complex biological systems either by combining smFRET with force-based techniques or by using data obtained from smFRET experiments as constrains for computer-aided modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shazia Farooq
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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38
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Mears PJ, Koirala S, Rao CV, Golding I, Chemla YR. Escherichia coli swimming is robust against variations in flagellar number. eLife 2014; 3:e01916. [PMID: 24520165 PMCID: PMC3917375 DOI: 10.7554/elife.01916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chemotaxis is a paradigm for how environmental signals modulate cellular behavior. Although the network underlying this process has been studied extensively, we do not yet have an end-to-end understanding of chemotaxis. Specifically, how the rotational states of a cell’s flagella cooperatively determine whether the cell ‘runs’ or ‘tumbles’ remains poorly characterized. Here, we measure the swimming behavior of individual E. coli cells while simultaneously detecting the rotational states of each flagellum. We find that a simple mathematical expression relates the cell’s run/tumble bias to the number and average rotational state of its flagella. However, due to inter-flagellar correlations, an ‘effective number’ of flagella—smaller than the actual number—enters into this relation. Data from a chemotaxis mutant and stochastic modeling suggest that fluctuations of the regulator CheY-P are the source of flagellar correlations. A consequence of inter-flagellar correlations is that run/tumble behavior is only weakly dependent on number of flagella. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01916.001 Escherichia coli is a rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in the lower intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals. While most strains of E. coli are harmless, including most of those found in the human gut, some can cause diseases such as food poisoning. Due to its close association with humans and the fact that it is easy to grow and work with in the laboratory, E. coli has been intensively studied for over 60 years. Many bacteria are capable of ‘swimming’ by using one or more flagella. These rotating whip-like structures are each driven by a reversible motor, and they act a bit like a propeller on a boat. While some bacteria have only a single flagellum, others, such as E. coli, have multiple flagella distributed over the cell surface. Rotating all their flagella in a counterclockwise direction allows the bacterium to swim—and it has been proposed that the clockwise movement of at least one flagellum will cause the bacterium cell to stop swimming and start tumbling. E. coli is able to control the time it spends swimming or tumbling to move towards a nutrient, such as glucose, or away from certain harmful chemicals. However, the details of how the number of flagella and the direction of rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise) influence the motion of the bacterium are not fully understood. Now, Mears et al. have used ‘optical tweezers’ to immobilize individual E. coli cells under a microscope, and then track both their swimming behavior and the movements of their flagella. This revealed that the individual flagella on the same cell tend to move in a coordinated way. Therefore, whilst tumbling could be caused by a single flagellum stopping swimming behavior, it often involved a concerted effort by many of the cell’s flagella. After observing that E. coli cells with more flagella spent less time tumbling than would be predicted if a single flagella always ‘vetoed’ swimming, Mears et al. propose a new mathematical relationship between the number of flagella on the cell, the direction of rotation, and the resulting probability that the cell will tumble. This work shows that swimming behavior in bacteria is less affected by variations in the number of flagella than previously thought—and this phenomenon may provide evolutionary advantages to E. coli. The next step is to explore the mechanism by which bacteria coordinate their flagella. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01916.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Mears
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
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39
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Heller I, Hoekstra TP, King GA, Peterman EJG, Wuite GJL. Optical tweezers analysis of DNA-protein complexes. Chem Rev 2014; 114:3087-119. [PMID: 24443844 DOI: 10.1021/cr4003006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Iddo Heller
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and LaserLaB Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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40
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Brucale M, Schuler B, Samorì B. Single-molecule studies of intrinsically disordered proteins. Chem Rev 2014; 114:3281-317. [PMID: 24432838 DOI: 10.1021/cr400297g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Brucale
- Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials (ISMN), Italian National Council of Research (CNR) , Area della Ricerca Roma1, Via Salaria km 29.3 00015 Monterotondo (Rome), Italy
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41
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Jacobs MJ, Blank K. Joining forces: integrating the mechanical and optical single molecule toolkits. Chem Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c3sc52502c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Combining single molecule force measurements with fluorescence detection opens up exciting new possibilities for the characterization of mechanoresponsive molecules in Biology and Materials Science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique J. Jacobs
- Radboud University Nijmegen
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- Department of Molecular Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kerstin Blank
- Radboud University Nijmegen
- Institute for Molecules and Materials
- Department of Molecular Materials
- 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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42
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Zhang X, Ma L, Zhang Y. High-resolution optical tweezers for single-molecule manipulation. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2013; 86:367-83. [PMID: 24058311 PMCID: PMC3767221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Forces hold everything together and determine its structure and dynamics. In particular, tiny forces of 1-100 piconewtons govern the structures and dynamics of biomacromolecules. These forces enable folding, assembly, conformational fluctuations, or directional movements of biomacromolecules over sub-nanometer to micron distances. Optical tweezers have become a revolutionary tool to probe the forces, structures, and dynamics associated with biomacromolecules at a single-molecule level with unprecedented resolution. In this review, we introduce the basic principles of optical tweezers and their latest applications in studies of protein folding and molecular motors. We describe the folding dynamics of two strong coiled coil proteins, the GCN4-derived protein pIL and the SNARE complex. Both complexes show multiple folding intermediates and pathways. ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes translocate DNA to remodel chromatin structures. The detailed DNA translocation properties of such molecular motors have recently been characterized by optical tweezers, which are reviewed here. Finally, several future developments and applications of optical tweezers are discussed. These past and future applications demonstrate the unique advantages of high-resolution optical tweezers in quantitatively characterizing complex multi-scale dynamics of biomacromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinming Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut
| | - Lu Ma
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut
| | - Yongli Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven,
Connecticut
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43
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Soni GV, Jonsson MP, Dekker C. Periodic modulations of optical tweezers near solid-state membranes. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2013; 9:679-684. [PMID: 23129349 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201201875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Optical tweezers operated near solid-state membranes show unexplained periodic modulations in the optical trap position. An experimental study of the oscillations is presented, as well as optical simulations based on the finite-difference time-domain method, providing insight into the underlying interference phenomenon. This work provides a complete description as well as a solution to the enduring problem of modulations in optical traps near solid-state membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam V Soni
- Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Kavli Institute of NanoScience, Department of Bionanoscience, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
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44
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Optical Methods to Study Protein-DNA Interactions in Vitro and in Living Cells at the Single-Molecule Level. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:3961-92. [PMID: 23429188 PMCID: PMC3588080 DOI: 10.3390/ijms14023961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2012] [Revised: 01/13/2013] [Accepted: 02/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The maintenance of intact genetic information, as well as the deployment of transcription for specific sets of genes, critically rely on a family of proteins interacting with DNA and recognizing specific sequences or features. The mechanisms by which these proteins search for target DNA are the subject of intense investigations employing a variety of methods in biology. A large interest in these processes stems from the faster-than-diffusion association rates, explained in current models by a combination of 3D and 1D diffusion. Here, we present a review of the single-molecule approaches at the forefront of the study of protein-DNA interaction dynamics and target search in vitro and in vivo. Flow stretch, optical and magnetic manipulation, single fluorophore detection and localization as well as combinations of different methods are described and the results obtained with these techniques are discussed in the framework of the current facilitated diffusion model.
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45
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Elting MW, Spudich JA. Future challenges in single-molecule fluorescence and laser trap approaches to studies of molecular motors. Dev Cell 2013; 23:1084-91. [PMID: 23237942 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Single-molecule analysis is a powerful modern form of biochemistry, in which individual kinetic steps of a catalytic cycle of an enzyme can be explored in exquisite detail. Both single-molecule fluorescence and single-molecule force techniques have been widely used to characterize a number of protein systems. We focus here on molecular motors as a paradigm. We describe two areas where we expect to see exciting developments in the near future: first, characterizing the coupling of force production to chemical and mechanical changes in motors, and second, understanding how multiple motors work together in the environment of the cell.
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46
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Long X, Parks JW, Bagshaw CR, Stone MD. Mechanical unfolding of human telomere G-quadruplex DNA probed by integrated fluorescence and magnetic tweezers spectroscopy. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:2746-55. [PMID: 23303789 PMCID: PMC3575832 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks1341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-molecule techniques facilitate analysis of mechanical transitions within nucleic acids and proteins. Here, we describe an integrated fluorescence and magnetic tweezers instrument that permits detection of nanometer-scale DNA structural rearrangements together with the application of a wide range of stretching forces to individual DNA molecules. We have analyzed the force-dependent equilibrium and rate constants for telomere DNA G-quadruplex (GQ) folding and unfolding, and have determined the location of the transition state barrier along the well-defined DNA-stretching reaction coordinate. Our results reveal the mechanical unfolding pathway of the telomere DNA GQ is characterized by a short distance (<1 nm) to the transition state for the unfolding reaction. This mechanical unfolding response reflects a critical contribution of long-range interactions to the global stability of the GQ fold, and suggests that telomere-associated proteins need only disrupt a few base pairs to destabilize GQ structures. Comparison of the GQ unfolded state with a single-stranded polyT DNA revealed the unfolded GQ exhibits a compacted non-native conformation reminiscent of the protein molten globule. We expect the capacity to interrogate macromolecular structural transitions with high spatial resolution under conditions of low forces will have broad application in analyses of nucleic acid and protein folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Long
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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47
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Kim H, Ha T. Single-molecule nanometry for biological physics. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2013; 76:016601. [PMID: 23249673 PMCID: PMC3549428 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/76/1/016601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Precision measurement is a hallmark of physics but the small length scale (∼nanometer) of elementary biological components and thermal fluctuations surrounding them challenge our ability to visualize their action. Here, we highlight the recent developments in single-molecule nanometry where the position of a single fluorescent molecule can be determined with nanometer precision, reaching the limit imposed by the shot noise, and the relative motion between two molecules can be determined with ∼0.3 nm precision at ∼1 ms time resolution, as well as how these new tools are providing fundamental insights into how motor proteins move on cellular highways. We will also discuss how interactions between three and four fluorescent molecules can be used to measure three and six coordinates, respectively, allowing us to correlate the movements of multiple components. Finally, we will discuss recent progress in combining angstrom-precision optical tweezers with single-molecule fluorescent detection, opening new windows for multi-dimensional single-molecule nanometry for biological physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajin Kim
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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48
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Liu Z, Hu W, Su S, Li C, Li C, Xue C, Li Y, Zuo Y, Cheng B, Wang Q. Enhanced photoluminescence and electroluminescence of multilayer GeSi islands on Si001 substrates by phosphorus-doping. OPTICS EXPRESS 2012; 20:22327-22333. [PMID: 23037381 DOI: 10.1364/oe.20.022327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Ge/Si heterojunction light emitting diodes with 20-bilayers undoped or phosphorus in situ doped GeSi islands were fabricated on n(+)(-)Si(001) substrates by ultrahigh vacuum chemical vapor deposition (UHV-CVD). Enhanced room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) around 1.5 μm were observed from the devices with phosphorus-doped GeSi islands. Theoretical calculations indicated that the emission is from the radiative recombination in GeSi islands. The intensity enhancement of PL and EL is attributed to the sufficient supply of electrons in active layer for radiative recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Liu
- State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
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49
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Soltani M, Inman JT, Lipson M, Wang MD. Electro-optofluidics: achieving dynamic control on-chip. OPTICS EXPRESS 2012; 20:22314-26. [PMID: 23037380 PMCID: PMC3601732 DOI: 10.1364/oe.20.022314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2012] [Revised: 08/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A vital element in integrated optofluidics is dynamic tuning and precise control of photonic devices, especially when employing electronic techniques which are challenging to utilize in an aqueous environment. We overcome this challenge by introducing a new platform in which the photonic device is controlled using electro-optical phase tuning. The phase tuning is generated by the thermo-optic effect using an on-chip electric microheater located outside the fluidic channel, and is transmitted to the optofluidic device through optical waveguides. The microheater is compact, high-speed (> 18 kHz), and consumes low power (~mW). We demonstrate dynamic optical trapping control of nanoparticles by an optofluidic resonator. This novel electro-optofluidic platform allows the realization of high throughput optofluidic devices with switching, tuning, and reconfiguration capability, and promises new directions in optofluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Soltani
- Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
| | - James T. Inman
- Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
| | - Michal Lipson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
- Kavli Institute at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
| | - Michelle D. Wang
- Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
USA
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50
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Sirinakis G, Ren Y, Gao Y, Xi Z, Zhang Y. Combined versatile high-resolution optical tweezers and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2012; 83:093708. [PMID: 23020384 PMCID: PMC3465359 DOI: 10.1063/1.4752190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Optical trapping and single-molecule fluorescence are two major single-molecule approaches. Their combination has begun to show greater capability to study more complex systems than either method alone, but met many fundamental and technical challenges. We built an instrument that combines base-pair resolution dual-trap optical tweezers with single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. The instrument has complementary design and functionalities compared with similar microscopes previously described. The optical tweezers can be operated in constant force mode for easy data interpretation or in variable force mode for maximum spatiotemporal resolution. The single-molecule fluorescence detection can be implemented in either wide-field or confocal imaging configuration. To demonstrate the capabilities of the new instrument, we imaged a single stretched λ DNA molecule and investigated the dynamics of a DNA hairpin molecule in the presence of fluorophore-labeled complementary oligonucleotide. We simultaneously observed changes in the fluorescence signal and pauses in fast extension hopping of the hairpin due to association and dissociation of individual oligonucleotides. The combined versatile microscopy allows for greater flexibility to study molecular machines or assemblies at a single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Sirinakis
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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