Yeast AMP-activated protein kinase monitors glucose concentration changes and absolute glucose levels

Analysis of the time-dependent behavior of a signaling system can provide insight into its dynamic properties. We employed the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of the transcriptional repressor Mig1 as readout to characterize Snf1-Mig1 dynamics in single yeast cells. Mig1 binds to promoters of target genes and mediates glucose repression. Mig1 is predominantly located in the nucleus when glucose is abundant. Upon glucose depletion, Mig1 is phosphorylated by the yeast AMP-activated kinase Snf1 and exported into the cytoplasm. We used a three-channel microfluidic device to establish a high degree of control over the glucose concentration exposed to cells. Following regimes of glucose up- and downshifts, we observed a very rapid response reaching a new steady state within less than 1 min, different glucose threshold concentrations depending on glucose up- or downshifts, a graded profile with increased cell-to-cell variation at threshold glucose concentrations, and biphasic behavior with a transient translocation of Mig1 upon the shift from high to intermediate glucose concentrations. Fluorescence loss in photobleaching and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching data demonstrate that Mig1 shuttles constantly between the nucleus and cytoplasm, although with different rates, depending on the presence of glucose. Taken together, our data suggest that the Snf1-Mig1 system has the ability to monitor glucose concentration changes as well as absolute glucose levels. The sensitivity over a wide range of glucose levels and different glucose concentration-dependent response profiles are likely determined by the close integration of signaling with the metabolism and may provide for a highly flexible and fast adaptation to an altered nutritional status.

Osmostress-induced cell volume loss delays yeast Hog1 signaling by limiting diffusion processes and by Hog1-specific effects

Signal transmission progresses via a series of transient protein-protein interactions and protein movements, which require diffusion within a cell packed with different molecules. Yeast Hog1, the effector protein kinase of the High Osmolarity Glycerol pathway, translocates transiently from the cytosol to the nucleus during adaptation to high external osmolarity. We followed the dynamics of osmostress-induced cell volume loss and Hog1 nuclear accumulation upon exposure of cells to different NaCl concentrations. While Hog1 nuclear accumulation peaked within five minutes following mild osmotic shock it was delayed up to six-fold under severe stress. The timing of Hog1 nuclear accumulation correlated with the degree of cell volume loss and the cells capacity to recover. Also the nuclear translocation of Msn2, the transcription factor of the general stress response pathway, is delayed upon severe osmotic stress suggesting a general phenomenon. We show by direct measurements that the general diffusion rate of Hog1 in the cytoplasm as well as its rate of nuclear transport are dramatically reduced following severe volume reduction. However, neither Hog1 phosphorylation nor Msn2 nuclear translocation were as much delayed as Hog1 nuclear translocation. Our data provide direct evidence that signaling slows down during cell volume compression, probably as a consequence of molecular crowding. Hence one purpose of osmotic adaptation is to restore optimal diffusion rates for biochemical and cell biological processes. In addition, there may be mechanisms slowing down especially Hog1 nuclear translocation under severe stress in order to prioritize Hog1 cytosolic targets.

Initiation of the transcriptional response to hyperosmotic shock correlates with the potential for volume recovery

The control of activity and localization of transcription factors is critical for appropriate transcriptional responses. In eukaryotes, signal transduction components such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) shuttle into the nucleus to activate transcription. It is not known in detail how different amounts of nuclear MAPK over time affect the transcriptional response. In the present study, we aimed to address this issue by studying the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We employed a conditional osmotic system, which changes the period of the MAPK Hog1 signal independent of the initial stress level. We determined the dynamics of the Hog1 nuclear localization and cell volume by single-cell analysis in well-controlled microfluidics systems and compared the responses with the global transcriptional output of cell populations. We discovered that the onset of the initial transcriptional response correlates with the potential of cells for rapid adaptation; cells that are capable of recovering quickly initiate the transcriptional responses immediately, whereas cells that require longer time to adapt also respond later. This is reflected by Hog1 nuclear localization, Hog1 promoter association and the transcriptional response, but not Hog1 phosphorylation, suggesting that a presently uncharacterized rapid adaptive mechanism precedes the Hog1 nuclear response. Furthermore, we found that the period of Hog1 nuclear residence affects the amplitude of the transcriptional response rather than the spectrum of responsive genes.

Anti-Stokes fluorescence from endogenously formed protoporphyrin IX--implications for clinical multiphoton diagnostics

Multiphoton imaging based on two-photon excitation is making its way into the clinics, particularly for skin cancer diagnostics. It has been suggested that endogenously formed protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) induced by aminolevulinic acid or methylaminolevulinate can be applied to improve tumor contrast, in connection to imaging of tissue autofluorescence. However, previous reports are limited to cell studies and data from tissue are scarce. No report shows conclusive evidence that endogenously formed PpIX increases tumor contrast when performing multiphoton imaging in the clinical situation. We here demonstrate by spectral analysis that two-photon excitation of endogenously formed PpIX does not provide additional contrast in superficial basal cell carcinomas. In fact, the PpIX signal is overshadowed by the autofluorescent background. The results show that PpIX should be excited at a wavelength giving rise to one-photon anti-Stokes fluorescence, to overcome the autofluorescent background. Thus, this study reports on a plausible method, which can be implemented for clinical investigations on endogenously formed PpIX using multiphoton microscopy.

Two-photon fluorescence correlation spectroscopy as a tool for measuring molecular diffusion within human skin

There is a need for tools enabling quantitative imaging of biological tissue for pharmaceutical applications. In this study, two-photon fluorescence microscopy (TPM) has been combined with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), demonstrating proof-of-principle providing quantitative data of fluorophore concentration and diffusion in human skin. Measurements were performed on excised skin exposed to either rhodamine B (RB) or rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RBITC), chosen based on their similarity in fluorescence yield and molecular weight, but difference in chemical reactivity. The measurements were performed at tissue depths in the range 0 and 20 μm, and the diffusion coefficients at skin depths 5 and 10 μm were found to be significantly different (P<0.05). Overall median values for the diffusion coefficients were found to be 4.0×10(-13) m(2)/s and 2.0×10(-13) m(2)/s for RB and RBITC, respectively. These values correspond to the diffusion of a hard sphere with a volume eight times larger for RBITC compared to RB. This indicates that the RBITC have bound to biomolecules in the skin, and the measured signal is obtained from the RBITC-biomolecule complexes, demonstrating the potential of the TPM-FCS method to track molecular interactions in an intricate biological matrix such as human skin.

Quantification of cell volume changes upon hyperosmotic stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cell volume is a biophysical property, which is of great importance for quantitative characterisations of biological processes, such as osmotic adaptation. It also is a crucial parameter in the most common type of mathematical description of cellular behaviour-ordinary differential equation (ODE) models, e.g. the integrative model of the osmotic stress response in baker's yeast (E. Klipp, B. Nordlander, R. Kruger, P. Gennemark and S. Hohmann, Nat. Biotechnol., 2005, 23, 975-982). Until recently only rough estimates of this value were available. In this study we measured the mean volume of more than 300 individual yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). We quantitatively characterised the dependence between the relative cell volume and the concentration of osmoticum in the cell surrounding. We also followed the recovery of the cellular volume over time, as well as the influence of increased external osmolarity on the nuclear volume. We found that cell shrinkage caused by shifts in the external osmolarity is proportional to the stress intensity only up to 1000 mM NaCl. At this concentration the yeast cells shrink to approximately 55% of their unstressed volume and this volume is maintained even in the case of further osmolarity increase. We observed that returning to the initial, unstressed volume takes more than 45 minutes for stress concentrations exceeding 100 mM NaCl and that only cells treated with the latter concentration are able to fully regain their initial size within the course of the experiment. We postulate that the cytoplasm plays a protective role for the nucleus by buffering the changes in volume caused by external osmolarity shifts. In conclusion, we quantitatively characterised the dynamics of cell volume changes caused by hyperosmotic stress, providing an accurate description of a biophysical cell property, which is crucial for precise mathematical simulations of cellular processes.

A mathematical analysis of nuclear intensity dynamics for Mig1-GFP under consideration of bleaching effects and background noise in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Fluorescence microscopy is an imaging technique that provides insights into signal transduction pathways through the generation of quantitative data, such as the spatiotemporal distribution of GFP-tagged proteins in signaling pathways. The data acquired are, however, usually a composition of both the GFP-tagged proteins of interest and of an autofluorescent background, which both undergo photobleaching during imaging. We here present a mathematical model based on ordinary differential equations that successfully describes the shuttling of intracellular Mig1-GFP under changing environmental conditions regarding glucose concentration. Our analysis separates the different bleaching rates of Mig1-GFP and background, and the background-to-Mig1-GFP ratio. By applying our model to experimental data, we can thus extract the Mig1-GFP signal from the overall acquired signal and investigate the influence of kinase and phosphatase on Mig1. We found a stronger regulation of Mig1 through its kinase than through its phosphatase when controlled by the glucose concentration, with a constant (de)phosphorylation rate independent of the glucose concentration. By replacing the term for decreasing excited Mig1-GFP concentration with a constant, we were able to reconstruct the dynamics of Mig1-GFP, as it would occur without bleaching and background noise. Our model effectively demonstrates how data, acquired with an optical microscope, can be processed and used for a systems biology analysis of signal transduction pathways.

ARFGAP2 and ARFGAP3 are essential for COPI coat assembly on the Golgi membrane of living cells

Coat protein complex I (COPI) vesicles play a central role in the recycling of proteins in the early secretory pathway and transport of proteins within the Golgi stack. Vesicle formation is initiated by the exchange of GDP for GTP on ARF1 (ADP-ribosylation factor 1), which, in turn, recruits the coat protein coatomer to the membrane for selection of cargo and membrane deformation. ARFGAP1 (ARF1 GTPase-activating protein 1) regulates the dynamic cycling of ARF1 on the membrane that results in both cargo concentration and uncoating for the generation of a fusion-competent vesicle. Two human orthologues of the yeast ARFGAP Glo3p, termed ARFGAP2 and ARFGAP3, have been demonstrated to be present on COPI vesicles generated in vitro in the presence of guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate. Here, we investigate the function of these two proteins in living cells and compare it with that of ARFGAP1. We find that ARFGAP2 and ARFGAP3 follow the dynamic behavior of coatomer upon stimulation of vesicle budding in vivo more closely than does ARFGAP1. Electron microscopy of ARFGAP2 and ARFGAP3 knockdowns indicated Golgi unstacking and cisternal shortening similarly to conditions where vesicle uncoating was blocked. Furthermore, the knockdown of both ARFGAP2 and ARFGAP3 prevents proper assembly of the COPI coat lattice for which ARFGAP1 does not seem to play a major role. This suggests that ARFGAP2 and ARFGAP3 are key components of the COPI coat lattice and are necessary for proper vesicle formation.

Two-photon fluorescence correlation microscopy combined with measurements of point spread function; investigations made in human skin

Two-photon excitation fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (TPFCS) has been applied in connection to measurements of the point spread function (PSF) for quantitative analysis of sulphorhodamine B (SRB) in excised human skin. The PSF was measured using subresolution fluorescent beads embedded in the skin specimen. The PSF, measured as full width at half maximum (FWHM) was found to be 0.41 +/- 0.05 microm in the lateral direction, and 1.2 +/- 0.4 microm in the axial direction. The molecular diffusion of SRB inside the skin ranged between 0.5 and 15.0 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s. The diffusion coefficient is not dependent on depths down to 40 microm. The fluorophores were found to accumulate on the upper layers of the skin. This work is the first TPFCS study in human skin. The results show that TPFCS can be used for quantitative analyses of fluorescent compounds in human skin.

Early stages of Golgi vesicle and tubule formation require diacylglycerol

We have investigated the role for diacylglycerol (DAG) in membrane bud formation in the Golgi apparatus. Addition of propranolol to specifically inhibit phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAP), an enzyme responsible for converting phosphatidic acid into DAG, effectively prevents formation of membrane buds. The effect of PAP inhibition on Golgi membranes is rapid and occurs within 3 min. Removal of the PAP inhibitor then results in a rapid burst of buds, vesicles, and tubules that peaks within 2 min. The inability to form buds in the presence of propranolol does not appear to be correlated with a loss of ARFGAP1 from Golgi membranes, as knockdown of ARFGAP1 by RNA interference has little or no effect on actual bud formation. Rather, knockdown of ARFGAP1 results in an increase in membrane buds and a decrease of vesicles and tubules suggesting it functions in the late stages of scission. How DAG promotes bud formation is discussed.

Two-photon laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy applied for studies of human skin

Two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (TPM) has been shown to be advantageous for imaging optically turbid media such as human skin. The ability of performing three-dimensional imaging without presectioning of the samples makes the technique not only suitable for noninvasive diagnostics but also for studies of topical delivery of xenobiotics. Here, TPM is used as a method to visualize both autofluorescent and exogenous fluorophores in skin. Samples exposed to sulforhodamine B have been scanned from two directions to investigate attenuation effects. It is shown that optical effects play a major role. Thus, TPM is excellent for visualizing the localization and distribution of fluorophores in human skin, although quantification might be difficult. Furthermore, an image-analysis algorithm has been implemented to facilitate interpretation of TPM images of autofluorescent features of nonmelanoma skin cancer obtained ex vivo. The algorithm was designed to detect cell nuclei and currently has a sensitivity and specificity of 82% and 78% to single cell nuclei. However, in order to detect multinucleated cells, the algorithm needs further development.

Multiphoton laser scanning microscopy on non-melanoma skin cancer: morphologic features for future non-invasive diagnostics

This study describes the morphologic features of human non-melanoma skin cancer obtained using multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) on freshly excised specimens from 14 patients. Optical sectioning parallel to the tissue surface was performed, resulting in en face autofluorescence images of the epidermis and upper dermis, reaching tissue depths of 135 microm. The microscopy was carried out ex vivo using a femtosecond pulsed laser at 780 nm and a x 40/0.8 objective. The autofluorescence was detected in the range of 450-530 nm. Traditional histopathological criteria such as bowenoid dysplasia, multinucleated cells, or hyperkeratosis in squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS) (five specimens), and peripheral palisading of tumor cells in superficial basal cell carcinoma (SBCC) (six specimens) were clearly discerned. The morphologic features differed significantly between these lesions and perilesional skin. However, characteristic tumor aggregates were found in only one of the three investigated nodular basal cell carcinomas (NBCCs) due to limited imaging depth. In addition, speckled perinuclear fluorescence was observed in both lesions and normal perilesional skin. In conclusion, MPLSM could potentially be applied for non-invasive diagnostics of SCCIS and SBCC, whereas the ability to characterize NBCC is unclear at this point.