Markers In Living Cells Research Articles

Gag Induces the Coalescence of Clustered Lipid Rafts and Tetraspanin-Enriched Microdomains at HIV-1 Assembly Sites on the Plasma Membrane

The HIV-1 structural protein Gag associates with two types of plasma membrane microdomains, lipid rafts and tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs), both of which have been proposed to be platforms for HIV-1 assembly. However, a variety of studies have demonstrated that lipid rafts and TEMs are distinct microdomains in the absence of HIV-1 infection. To measure the impact of Gag on microdomain behaviors, we took advantage of two assays: an antibody-mediated copatching assay and a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay that measures the clustering of microdomain markers in live cells without antibody-mediated patching. We found that lipid rafts and TEMs copatched and clustered to a greater extent in the presence of membrane-bound Gag in both assays, suggesting that Gag induces the coalescence of lipid rafts and TEMs. Substitutions in membrane binding motifs of Gag revealed that, while Gag membrane binding is necessary to induce coalescence of lipid rafts and TEMs, either acylation of Gag or binding of phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate is sufficient. Finally, a Gag derivative that is defective in inducing membrane curvature appeared less able to induce lipid raft and TEM coalescence. A higher-resolution analysis of assembly sites by correlative fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy showed that coalescence of clustered lipid rafts and TEMs occurs predominantly at completed cell surface virus-like particles, whereas a transmembrane raft marker protein appeared to associate with punctate Gag fluorescence even in the absence of cell surface particles. Together, these results suggest that different membrane microdomain components are recruited in a stepwise manner during assembly.

Visualization of F-actin localization and dynamics with live cell markers in Neurospora crassa

Filamentous actin (F-actin) plays essential roles in filamentous fungi, as in all other eukaryotes, in a wide variety of cellular processes including cell growth, intracellular motility, and cytokinesis. We visualized F-actin organization and dynamics in living Neurospora crassa cells via confocal microscopy of growing hyphae expressing GFP fusions with homologues of the actin-binding proteins fimbrin (FIM) and tropomyosin (TPM-1), a subunit of the Arp2/3 complex (ARP-3) and a recently developed live cell F-actin marker, Lifeact (ABP140 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae). FIM-GFP, ARP-3-GFP, and Lifeact-GFP associated with small patches in the cortical cytoplasm that were concentrated in a subapical ring, which appeared similar for all three markers but was broadest in hyphae expressing Lifeact-GFP. These cortical patches were short-lived, and a subset was mobile throughout the hypha, exhibiting both anterograde and retrograde motility. TPM-1-GFP and Lifeact-GFP co-localized within the Spitzenkörper (Spk) core at the hyphal apex, and were also observed in actin cables throughout the hypha. All GFP fusion proteins studied were also transiently localized at septa: Lifeact-GFP first appeared as a broad ring during early stages of contractile ring formation and later coalesced into a sharper ring, TPM-1-GFP was observed in maturing septa, and FIM-GFP/ARP3-GFP-labeled cortical patches formed a double ring flanking the septa. Our observations suggest that each of the N. crassa F-actin-binding proteins analyzed associates with a different subset of F-actin structures, presumably reflecting distinct roles in F-actin organization and dynamics. Moreover, Lifeact-GFP marked the broadest spectrum of F-actin structures; it may serve as a global live cell marker for F-actin in filamentous fungi.

The yeast dynamin-like protein Vps1: vps1 mutations perturb the internalization and the motility of endocytic vesicles and endosomes via disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton

Mammalian dynamin is responsible for scission of endocytic vesicles from the plasma membrane. A previous study showed that Vps1, a yeast dynamin-like protein, plays an important role in pheromone receptor internalization ( Yu and Cai, 2004; J. Cell Sci. 117, 3839–3853). However, the details of how Vps1 acts in various phases of endocytosis including early internalization of the endocytic vesicle are poorly understood. To investigate the potential roles of Vps1 in both endocytic vesicle formation/maturation on the plasma membrane and endocytic vesicle internalization, time-lapse fluorescent images of GFP-tagged endocytic markers in live cells were analyzed using a particle tracking software. The loss of Vps1 leads to a robust increase in the lifespan of newly forming cortical endocytic vesicles carrying Las17-GFP, Ede1-GFP, Sla1-GFP, and Abp1-GFP, indicating that Vps1 is required for the proper assembly and maturation of endocytic vesicles. Particle track analysis revealed that Abp1-GFP vesicles in vps1 null cells moved a relatively short distance away from the cell membrane due to their non-directional movement. Furthermore, we found that the GTPase and the GED domains of Vps1 are required for the proper endocytic function of Vps1. Our tracking analysis data also revealed that the post-internalized vesicle motility en route to the vacuole was decreased significantly, perhaps due to severe disruption of the actin cables in Vps1 mutant cells.

Bleomycin-induced over-replication involves sustained inhibition of mitotic entry through the ATM/ATR pathway

Polyploid cells result in aneuploidy through aberrant chromosome segregation, possibly leading to tumorigenesis. Although polyploid cells are induced through over-replication by a variety of agents, including DNA-damaging drugs, the mechanisms that induce polyploidy have been hitherto unknown. Here, we show that treatment with bleomycin, a glycopeptide anticancer drug, induces over-replication at low cytotoxic doses. During bleomycin-induced over-replication, mitotic entry is inhibited through tyrosine phosphorylation of CDK1 along the ATM/ATR pathway in the early phase of treatment. Bleomycin-induced over-replication is inhibited by the inhibitors of the ATM/ATR pathway through abrogation of bleomycin-induced G2 arrest, and the ATM/ATR inhibitors promote cell death instead of over-replication. Following the phosphorylation of CDK1, the level of cyclin B1 is decreased in the late phase of treatment. Time-lapse imaging of clone cells that express a live cell marker of endogenous cyclin B1 revealed that cyclin B1 is degraded in G2-arrested cells upon bleomycin treatment. Our findings lead to a model of how the ATM/ATR pathway acts as a molecular switch for regulating cell fates, flipping between cell death via progress into mitosis, and over-replication via sustained G2 arrest upon DNA damage, where cyclin B1 degradation is an important factor for inducing over-replication.

Simultaneous detection of mRNA and protein stem cell markers in live cells.

BackgroundBiological studies and medical application of stem cells often require the isolation of stem cells from a mixed cell population, including the detection of cancer stem cells in tumor tissue, and isolation of induced pluripotent stem cells after eliciting the expression of specific genes in adult cells. Here we report the detection of Oct-4 mRNA and SSEA-1 protein in live carcinoma stem cells using respectively molecular beacon and dye-labeled antibody, aiming to establish a new method for stem cells detection and isolation.ResultsQuantification of Oct-4 mRNA and protein in P19 mouse carcinoma stem cells using respectively RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry confirmed that their levels drastically decreased after differentiation. To visualize Oct-4 mRNA in live stem cells, molecular beacons were designed, synthesized and validated, and the detection specificity was confirmed using control studies. We found that the fluorescence signal from Oct-4-targeting molecular beacons provides a clear discrimination between undifferentiated and retinoic acid-induced differentiated cells. Using deconvolution fluorescence microscopy, Oct-4 mRNAs were found to reside on one side of the cytosol. We demonstrated that, using a combination of Oct-4 mRNA-targeting molecular beacon with SSEA-1 antibody in flow cytometric analysis, undifferentiated stem cells can be clearly distinguished from differentiated cells. We revealed that Oct-4 targeting molecular beacons do not seem to affect stem cell biology.ConclusionMolecular beacons have the potential to provide a powerful tool for highly specific detection and isolation of stem cells, including cancer stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells without disturbing cell physiology. It is advantageous to perform simultaneous detection of intracellular (mRNA) and cell-surface (protein) stem cell markers in flow cytometric analysis, which may lead to high detection sensitivity and efficiency.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering imaging of HER2 cancer markers overexpressed in single MCF7 cells using antibody conjugated hollow gold nanospheres

Antibody-conjugated hollow gold nanospheres (HGNs) have been used for the SERS imaging of HER2 cancer markers overexpressed in single MCF7 cells. SERS mapping images show that HGNs have much better homogeneous scattering properties than silver nanoparticles. The results demonstrate the potential feasibility of HGNs as highly sensitive and homogeneous sensing probes for biological imaging of cancer markers in live cells.

Cell-Based Assays in Practice: Cell Markers from Autofluorescent Proteins of the GFP-Family

The more recently discovered anthozoan fluorescent proteins (FPs) and the classic Aequorea victoria Green Fluorescent Protein (avGFP) as well as their derivatives have become versatile tools as live cell markers in fluorescence microscopy. In this review, we show the use of these FPs in drug discovery assays. Assay examples are given for the application of FPs in multiplexed imaging, as photosensitizers, as fluorescent timers, as pulse-chase labels and for robotically integrated compound testing. The development of fast microscopic imaging devices has enabled the application of automated fluorescence microscopy combined with image analysis to pharmaceutical high throughput drug discovery assays, generally referred to as High Content Screening (HCS).

Biological Imaging of HEK293 Cells Expressing PLCγ1 Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Microscopy

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) imaging has been used for the targeting and imaging of specific cancer markers in live cells. For this purpose, Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles, conjugated with monoclonal antibodies, were prepared. The procedures to label live cells with those bimetallic nanoprobes have been developed and used for highly sensitive SERS imaging of live cells. In the present study, live HEK293 cells expressing PLCgamma1 have been used as the optical imaging target. Our results demonstrate the potential feasibility of SERS imaging technology for the highly sensitive imaging of cancer biomarkers in live cells.

Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule-associated Polysialic Acid Inhibits NR2B-containing N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptors and Prevents Glutamate-induced Cell Death

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and its associated glycan polysialic acid play important roles in the development of the nervous system and N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)receptor-dependent synaptic plasticity in the adult. Here, we investigated the influence of polysialic acid on NMDA receptor activity. We found that glutamate-elicited NMDA receptor currents in cultured hippocampal neurons were reduced by approximately 30% with the application of polysialic acid or polysialylated NCAM but not by the sialic acid monomer, chondroitin sulfate, or non-polysialylated NCAM. Polysialic acid inhibited NMDA receptor currents elicited by 3 microm glutamate but not by 30 microm glutamate, suggesting that polysialic acid acts as a competitive antagonist, possibly at the glutamate binding site. The polysialic acid induced effects were mimicked and fully occluded by the NR2B subunit specific antagonist, ifenprodil. Recordings from single synaptosomal NMDA receptors reconstituted in lipid bilayers revealed that polysialic acid reduced open probability but not the conductance of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in a polysialic acid and glutamate concentration-dependent manner. The activity of single NR2B-lacking synaptosomal NMDA receptors was not affected by polysialic acid. Application of polysialic acid to hippocampal cultures reduced excitotoxic cell death induced by low micromolar concentration of glutamate via activation of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors, whereas enzymatic removal of polysialic acid resulted in increased cell death that occluded glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. These observations indicate that the cell adhesion molecule-associated glycan polysialic acid is able to prevent excitotoxicity via inhibition of NR2B subunit-containing NMDA receptors.

Distribution of lipid raft markers in live cells

GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-anchored proteins are characteristic components of biochemically defined lipid rafts. Rafts may be involved in T-cell stimulation, but it is not clear whether molecules involved in TCR (T-cell receptor) signalling are partitioned to T-cell synapses through raft microdomains or through specific protein-protein interactions. We have used FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) analysis to study the distribution of GPI-anchored fluorescent proteins in the plasma membrane of live cells. Multiple criteria suggested that FRET between different GPI-anchored fluorescent proteins in COS-7 or unstimulated Jurkat T-cells is generated by a random, unclustered distribution. Stimulation of TCR signalling in Jurkat T-cells by beads coated with antibodies against TCR subunits resulted in localized increases in fluorescence of raft markers. However, measurements of FRET and ratio imaging showed that there was no detectable clustering and no overall enrichment of raft markers in these regions.