Single-molecule Fluorescence Measurements Research Articles

Method for High Frequency Tracking and Sub-Nm Sample Stabilization in Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

While fluorescence microscopes and atomic force microscopes are widely used to visualize, track, and manipulate single biomolecules, the resolution of these methods is limited by sample drift. To minimize drift, active feedback methods have recently been used to stabilize single molecule microscopes on the sub-nanometer scale. However, these methods require high intensity lasers which limits their application in single molecule fluorescence measurements. Furthermore, these feedback methods do not track user-defined regions of the sample, but rather monitor the relative displacement of an unknown point on a fiducial marker, which limits their use in biological force measurements. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a novel method to image, track and stabilize a sample using low laser intensities. We demonstrate the capabilities of our approach by tracking a user-chosen point on a fiducial marker at 8.6 kHz and stabilizing it with sub-nanometer resolution. We further showcase the application of our method in single molecule fluorescence microscopy by imaging and stabilizing individual fluorescently-tagged streptavidin proteins under biologically relevant conditions. We anticipate that our method can be easily used to improve the resolution of a wide range of single molecule fluorescence microscopy and integrated force-fluorescence applications.

Array of Freestanding Planar Lipid Bilayers for Parallel Optical and Electrical Recordings

Here we report on the design and validation of an array platform for parallel high-resolution electrophysiological and optical recordings. The recording chip is based on a SU-8 coated glass slide (ca. 200 μm thickness) containing 4 cavities with individual ring-shaped Ag/AgCl-microelectrodes as well as a common ground electrode. Four suspended lipid bilayers can be self-assembled on the chip surface over the cavities. The electrodes are connected to a multichannel amplifier capable of simultaneous electrical recording with high-bandwidth and low noise (<1pA [email protected]). The ring shape of the electrodes creates an optical window allowing access with a high-NA oil or water-immersion objective on an inverted microscope. This allows for e.g. single-molecule fluorescence measurements from one of the four bilayers using time-correlated-single-photon-counting (TCSPC). Fluorescently labeled alpha-hemolysin for optical and electrical measurements was expressed in-vitro and purified. BODIPY at position 131 was incorporated during the translation in a site-directed manner via stop or four-base codon suppression using pre-charged tRNAs. A series of characterization and validation experiments performed with the system include: (1)Studies of diffusion rates of fluorescently labelled Hemolysin and lipid molecules in the bilayer using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS); (2)Monitoring of alpha-hemolysin membrane insertion using fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and (3)Visualization of fusion of labeled proteoliposomes resulting in membrane channel insertion. In the two latter cases, changes in fluorescence intensity were monitored simultaneously with alterations in membrane conductance. This system allows for rapid membrane array formation and by providing ready combination of fluorescence microscopy with high-resolution electrophysiology, enables correlated optical and electrical characterization and monitoring of the interactions of channel forming proteins in artificial lipid bilayers on a single-molecule level. The technology can be further implemented for studies of membrane protein folding and mobility as well as of membrane transport.

Single-Molecule Studies of ATP Binding to the Sodium Pump

The sodium pump uses energy from the hydrolysis of 1 ATP to move 3Na+ out of and 2K+ into the cell via transitions between phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of two major conformations (E1 and E2). In earlier experiments, we had found that ATP binds with low and high affinity to the E1 conformation of pump isolated from nasal glands of juvenile ducks. We attributed this heterogeneity to interactions between ATP binding sites on different protomers within multiprotomeric aggregates. We report here on experiments designed to examine ATP binding to pump protomers using single-molecule fluorescence measurements. Pump labeled with Cy3-maleimide was solubilized with C12E8. Protomers were separated from aggregates using FPLC and reconstituted into lipid vesicles at an average concentration of 1 protomer/vesicle. The fluorescence of vesicles tethered to a glass cover slip using a biotin-streptavidin linkage was measured as a function of time using single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy under conditions where the pump was in the E1 conformation. Vesicles where fluorescence photobleached in a single-step were identified as containing single protomers. These traces were either dynamic (fluorescence fluctuated between two states) or nondynamic (no fluctuations). The fraction of protomers that showed dynamic behavior increased saturably with ATP from ∼40% at 0 ATP to ∼70% at 1 mM (saturating) ATP. This titration curve could not be fitted with a single binding isotherm. A fit to a model that assumed a heterogeneous mixture of pump molecules with high- and low-affinity ATP binding showed: (a) high- and low-affinity apparent dissociation constants of 0.1 and 40 μM; and (b) that the preparation had equal amounts of high- and low-affinity forms of the pump. Our data suggest that binding heterogeneity is an intrinsic property of the protomer and is not attributable to aggregation.

Method for high frequency tracking and sub-nm sample stabilization in single molecule fluorescence microscopy

While fluorescence microscopes and atomic force microscopes are widely used to visualize, track, and manipulate single biomolecules, the resolution of these methods is limited by sample drift. To minimize drift, active feedback methods have recently been used to stabilize single molecule microscopes on the sub-nanometer scale. However, these methods require high intensity lasers which limits their application in single molecule fluorescence measurements. Furthermore, these feedback methods do not track user-defined regions of the sample, but rather monitor the relative displacement of an unknown point on a fiducial marker, which limits their use in biological force measurements. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a novel method to image, track and stabilize a sample using low laser intensities. We demonstrate the capabilities of our approach by tracking a user-chosen point on a fiducial marker at 8.6 kHz and stabilizing it with sub-nanometer resolution. We further showcase the application of our method in single molecule fluorescence microscopy by imaging and stabilizing individual fluorescently-tagged streptavidin proteins under biologically relevant conditions. We anticipate that our method can be easily used to improve the resolution of a wide range of single molecule fluorescence microscopy and integrated force-fluorescence applications.

Search and Subvert: Minimalist Bacterial Phosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase C Enzymes.

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) enzymes from Gram-positive bacteria are secreted virulence factors that aid in downregulating host immunity. These PI-PLCs are minimalist peripheral membrane enzymes with a distorted (βα)8 TIM barrel fold offering a conserved and stable scaffold for the conserved catalytic amino acids while membrane recognition is achieved mostly through variable loops. Decades of experimental and computational research on these enzymes have revealed the subtle interplay between molecular mechanisms of catalysis and membrane binding, leading to a semiquantitative model for how they find, bind, and cleave their respective substrates on host cell membranes. Variations in sequence and structure of their membrane binding sites may correlate with how enzymes from different Gram-positive bacteria search for their particular targets on the membrane. Detailed molecular characterization of protein-lipid interactions have been aided by cutting-edge methods ranging from 31P field-cycling NMR relaxometry to monitor protein-induced changes in phospholipid dynamics to molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the roles of electrostatic and cation-π interactions in lipid binding to single molecule fluorescence measurements of dynamic interactions between PI-PLCs and vesicles. This toolkit is readily applicable to other peripheral membrane proteins including orthologues in Gram-negative bacteria and more recently discovered eukaryotic minimalist PI-PLCs.

Intrinsically disordered domain of tumor suppressor p53 facilitates target search by ultrafast transfer between different DNA strands.

Intersegmental transfer (IST) is an important strategy in the target search used by sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins (DBPs), enabling DBPs to search for targets between multiple DNA strands without dissociation. We examined the IST of the tumor suppressor p53 using ensemble stopped-flow and single-molecule fluorescence measurements. The ensemble measurements demonstrated that p53 exhibits very fast IST, whose rate constant was ∼108 M−1 s−1. To determine the domains of p53 responsible for IST, two mutants with deletions of one of its two DNA binding domains were generated. The mutant lacking the disordered C-terminal (CT) domain (the CoreTet mutant) abolished IST, whereas the mutant lacking the structured core domain (the TetCT mutant) maintained IST, clearly demonstrating the importance of the CT domain. Single-molecule fluorescence measurements further demonstrated the transfer of p53 between two tethered DNA strands. The pseudo-wild-type p53 and the TetCT mutant showed significant transfer efficiencies, whereas the transfer efficiency for the CoreTet mutant was zero. These results suggest that ultrafast IST might be promoted by four copies of the CT domain, by binding to two DNA strands simultaneously. Such ultrafast IST might be important to avoid nearby-bound DBPs during the target search process of p53 in nucleus.

Fluorescence Redox Blinking Adaptable to Structural Analysis of Nucleic Acids.

The phenomenon of blinking is unique to single-molecule fluorescence measurements. By designing a fluorophore with an appropriate dark-state lifetime τoff , a kinetic analysis based on the control of fluorescence blinking (KACB) was devised to investigate the dynamics of biomolecules. By controlling the redox-reaction-based blinking (rKACB), conformational dynamics of RNA at the single-molecule level was previously investigated. However, there is little knowledge about suitable fluorescent molecules for rKACB, and the application of rKACB has been limited to the analysis of hairpins and duplex structures of nucleic acids. In this work, various fluorescent molecules, including Alexa 488, R6G, TAMRA, ATTO 647N and ATTO 655, were evaluated for rKACB. Moreover, rKACB was adapted to the discrimination of DNA/DNA and DNA/RNA nucleic acid duplexes and investigation of antigen-antibody interactions. By changing the size of the oxidant, it was possible to determine the solvent accessibility of the target domain of the analyzed biomolecules.

The Effect of Fluorophore Conjugation on Antibody Affinity and the Photophysical Properties of Dyes

Because the degree of labeling (DOL) of cell-bound antibodies, often required in quantitative fluorescence measurements, is largely unknown, we investigated the effect of labeling with two different fluorophores (AlexaFluor546, AlexaFluor647) in a systematic way using antibody stock solutions with different DOLs. Here, we show that the mean DOL of the cell-bound antibody fraction is lower than that of the stock using single molecule fluorescence measurements. The effect is so pronounced that the mean DOL levels off at approximately two fluorophores/IgG for some antibodies. We developed a method for comparing the average DOL of antibody stocks to that of the isolated, cell-bound fraction based on fluorescence anisotropy measurements confirming the aforementioned conclusions. We created a model in which individual antibody species with different DOLs, present in an antibody stock solution, were assumed to have distinct affinities and quantum yields. The model calculations confirmed that a calibration curve constructed from the anisotropy of antibody stocks can be used for determining the DOL of the bound fraction. The fluorescence intensity of the cell-bound antibody fractions and of the antibody stocks exhibited distinctly different dependence on the DOL. The behavior of the two dyes was systematically different in this respect. Fitting of the model to these data revealed that labeling with each dye affects quantum yield and antibody affinity differentially. These measurements also implied that fluorophores in multiply labeled antibodies exhibit self-quenching and lead to decreased antibody affinity, conclusions directly confirmed by steady-state intensity measurements and competitive binding assays. Although the fluorescence lifetime of antibodies labeled with multiple fluorophores decreased, the magnitude of this change was not sufficient to account for self-quenching indicating that both dynamic and static quenching processes occur involving H-aggregate formation. Our results reveal multiple effects of fluorophore conjugation, which must not be overlooked in quantitative cell biological measurements.

Hsp70 Inhibits the Nucleation and Elongation of Tau and Sequesters Tau Aggregates with High Affinity.

As a key player of the protein quality control network of the cell, the molecular chaperone Hsp70 inhibits the aggregation of the amyloid protein tau. To date, the mechanism of this inhibition and the tau species targeted by Hsp70 remain unknown. This is partly due to the inherent difficulty of studying amyloid aggregates because of their heterogeneous and transient nature. Here, we used ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence measurements to dissect how Hsp70 counteracts the self-assembly process of the K18 ΔK280 tau variant. We found that Hsp70 blocks the early stages of tau aggregation by suppressing the formation of tau nuclei. Additionally, Hsp70 sequesters oligomers and mature tau fibrils with nanomolar affinity into a protective complex, efficiently neutralizing their ability to damage membranes and seed further tau aggregation. Our results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms by which the chaperone Hsp70 counteracts the formation, propagation, and toxicity of tau aggregates.

An engineered opsin monomer scrambles phospholipids

The G protein-coupled receptor opsin is a phospholipid scramblase that facilitates rapid transbilayer phospholipid exchange in liposomes. The mechanism by which opsin scrambles lipids is unknown. It has been proposed that lipid translocation may occur at protein-protein interfaces of opsin dimers. To test this possibility, we rationally engineered QUAD opsin by tryptophan substitution of four lipid-facing residues in transmembrane helix 4 (TM4) that is known to be important for dimerization. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of wild type and QUAD opsins combined with continuum modeling revealed that the tryptophan substitutions lower the energetically unfavorable residual hydrophobic mismatch between TM4 and the membrane, reducing the drive of QUAD opsin to dimerize. We purified thermostable wild type and QUAD opsins, with or without a SNAP tag for fluorescence labeling. Single molecule fluorescence measurements of purified SNAP-tagged constructs revealed that both proteins are monomers. Fluorescence-based activity assays indicated that QUAD opsin is a fully functional scramblase. However, unlike wild type opsin which dimerizes en route to insertion into phospholipid vesicles, QUAD opsin reconstitutes as a monomer. We conclude that an engineered opsin monomer can scramble phospholipids, and that the lipid-exposed face of TM4 is unlikely to contribute to transbilayer phospholipid exchange.

Organelle-specific single-molecule imaging of α4β2 nicotinic receptors reveals the effect of nicotine on receptor assembly and cell-surface trafficking

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) assemble in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and traffic to the cell surface as pentamers composed of α and β subunits. Many nAChR subtypes can assemble with varying subunit ratios, giving rise to multiple stoichiometries exhibiting different subcellular localization and functional properties. In addition to the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine, nicotine also binds and activates nAChRs and influences their trafficking and expression on the cell surface. Currently, no available technique can specifically elucidate the stoichiometry of nAChRs in the ER versus those in the plasma membrane. Here, we report a method involving single-molecule fluorescence measurements to determine the structural properties of these membrane proteins after isolation in nanoscale vesicles derived from specific organelles. These cell-derived nanovesicles allowed us to separate single membrane receptors while maintaining them in their physiological environment. Sorting the vesicles according to the organelle of origin enabled us to determine localized differences in receptor structural properties, structural influence on transport between organelles, and changes in receptor assembly within intracellular organelles. These organelle-specific nanovesicles revealed that one structural isoform of the α4β2 nAChR was preferentially trafficked to the cell surface. Moreover, nicotine altered nAChR assembly in the ER, resulting in increased production of the receptor isoform that traffics more efficiently to the cell surface. We conclude that the combined effects of the increased assembly of one nAChR stoichiometry and its preferential trafficking likely drive the up-regulation of nAChRs on the cell surface upon nicotine exposure.

Breaking the Concentration Barrier for Single-Molecule Fluorescence Measurements.

Fluorescence-based single-molecule techniques have become widely used tools to reveal dynamic processes of biomolecules and elucidate their molecular mechanisms. However, the concentration upper limit of labeled species that can be used in single-molecule fluorescence measurements is at the low nm range, which is below the Michaelis constants of many enzymatic reactions and physiological concentrations of many biomolecules. Such discrepancy limits the application of single-molecule fluorescence tools. Several techniques have been developed to break the concentration barrier. In this Concept, we focus on reviewing fundamental principles of these techniques and wish to inspire development of new and better tools to achieve this goal.

Labelling Proteins with Carbon Nanodots.

We present efficient labelling of several proteins with orange-emissive carbon dots. N-Hydroxysuccinimide was used to activate the carboxyl groups of carbon dots, which subsequently reacted with the lysine groups present on the protein. Labelling was confirmed by UV absorption spectroscopy, PAGE and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Protein-conjugated carbon dots showed an enhancement in fluorescence lifetime and intensity owing to reduced intramolecular dynamic fluctuations. Single-molecule fluorescence measurements showed reduced fluorescence fluctuations and higher photon budget after protein tagging. Our study opens up opportunities to use carbon dots as highly precise biolabelling probes.

Tail-Anchored Protein Insertion by a Single Get1/2 Heterodimer

The Get1/2 transmembrane complex drives the insertion of tail-anchored (TA) proteins from the cytosolic chaperone Get3 into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Mechanistic insight into how Get1/2 coordinates this process is confounded by a lack of understanding of the basic architecture of the complex. Here, we define the oligomeric state of full-length Get1/2 in reconstituted lipid bilayers by combining single-molecule and bulk fluorescence measurements with quantitative invitro insertion analysis. We show that a single Get1/2 heterodimer is sufficient for insertion and demonstrate that the conserved cytosolic regions of Get1 and Get2 bind asymmetrically to opposing subunits of the Get3 homodimer. Altogether, our results define a simplified model for how Get1/2 and Get3 coordinate TA protein insertion.

The Disordered Linker in p53 Participates in Nonspecific Binding to and One-Dimensional Sliding along DNA Revealed by Single-Molecule Fluorescence Measurements.

The tumor suppressor p53 is a multidomain transcription factor that can quickly bind to its target DNA by sliding along the DNA strand. We hypothesized that the intrinsically disordered and positively charged linker of p53 regulates its search dynamics first by directly interacting with DNA and second by modulating hopping of the core domain. To test the two hypotheses, we prepared five variants of p53 in which the length and charge of the linker were modulated. The affinity for and sliding along nonspecific DNA of p53 were altered by the charge of the linker, but not by the linker length. In particular, charge neutralization significantly reduced the affinity, suggesting that the linker directly contacts the DNA. Charge neutralization eliminated the slow mode of sliding, in which the core domain was assumed to contact nonspecific DNA. In contrast, the affinity of p53 for the target DNA was not affected by linker mutations. These results demonstrate that the linker participates in a target search of p53 by contacting nonspecific DNA and recruiting the core domain to contact DNA.

From isolated light-harvesting complexes to the thylakoid membrane: a single-molecule perspective

Abstract The conversion of solar radiation to chemical energy in plants and green algae takes place in the thylakoid membrane. This amphiphilic environment hosts a complex arrangement of light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes that absorb light and transfer the excitation energy to photochemically active reaction centers. This efficient light-harvesting capacity is moreover tightly regulated by a photoprotective mechanism called non-photochemical quenching to avoid the stress-induced destruction of the catalytic reaction center. In this review we provide an overview of single-molecule fluorescence measurements on plant light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) of varying sizes with the aim of bridging the gap between the smallest isolated complexes, which have been well-characterized, and the native photosystem. The smallest complexes contain only a small number (10–20) of interacting chlorophylls, while the native photosystem contains dozens of protein subunits and many hundreds of connected pigments. We discuss the functional significance of conformational dynamics, the lipid environment, and the structural arrangement of this fascinating nano-machinery. The described experimental results can be utilized to build mathematical-physical models in a bottom-up approach, which can then be tested on larger in vivo systems. The results also clearly showcase the general property of biological systems to utilize the same system properties for different purposes. In this case it is the regulated conformational flexibility that allows LHCs to switch between efficient light-harvesting and a photoprotective function.

One-Dimensional Search Dynamics of Tumor Suppressor p53 Regulated by a Disordered C-Terminal Domain

Tumor suppressor p53 slides along DNA and finds its target sequence in drastically different and changing cellular conditions. To elucidate how p53 maintains efficient target search at different concentrations of divalent cations such as Ca2+ and Mg2+, we prepared two mutants of p53, each possessing one of its two DNA-binding domains, the CoreTet mutant having the structured core domain plus the tetramerization (Tet) domain, and the TetCT mutant having Tet plus the disordered C-terminal domain. We investigated their equilibrium and kinetic dissociation from DNA and search dynamics along DNA at various [Mg2+]. Although binding of CoreTet to DNA becomes markedly weaker at higher [Mg2+], binding of TetCT depends slightly on [Mg2+]. Single-molecule fluorescence measurements revealed that the one-dimensional diffusion of CoreTet along DNA consists of fast and slow search modes, the ratio of which depends strongly on [Mg2+]. In contrast, diffusion of TetCT consisted of only the fast mode. The disordered C-terminal domain can associate with DNA irrespective of [Mg2+], and can maintain an equilibrium balance of the two search modes and the p53 search distance. These results suggest that p53 modulates the quaternary structure of the complex between p53 and DNA under different [Mg2+] and that it maintains the target search along DNA.

Broadband Fluorescence Enhancement with Self-Assembled Silver Nanoparticle Optical Antennas.

Plasmonic structures are known to affect the fluorescence properties of dyes placed in close proximity. This effect has been exploited in combination with single-molecule techniques for several applications in the field of biosensing. Among these plasmonic structures, top-down zero-mode waveguides stand out due to their broadband capabilities. In contrast, optical antennas based on gold nanostructures exhibit fluorescence enhancement on a narrow fraction of the visible spectrum typically restricted to the red to near-infrared region. In this contribution, we exploit the DNA origami technique to self-assemble optical antennas based on large (80 nm) silver nanoparticles. We have studied the performance of these antennas with far- and near-field simulations and characterized them experimentally with single-molecule fluorescence measurements. We demonstrate that silver-based optical antennas can yield a fluorescence enhancement of more than 2 orders of magnitude throughout the visible spectral range for high intrinsic quantum yield dyes. Additionally, a comparison between the performance of gold and silver-based antennas is included. The results indicate that silver-based antennas strongly outperform their gold counterparts in the blue and green ranges and exhibit marginal differences in the red range. These characteristics render silver-based optical antennas ready for applications involving several fluorescently labeled species across the visible spectrum.

Using Multiorder Time-Correlation Functions (TCFs) To Elucidate Biomolecular Reaction Pathways from Microsecond Single-Molecule Fluorescence Experiments.

Recent advances in single-molecule fluorescence imaging have made it possible to perform measurements on microsecond time scales. Such experiments have the potential to reveal detailed information about the conformational changes in biological macromolecules, including the reaction pathways and dynamics of the rearrangements involved in processes, such as sequence-specific DNA "breathing" and the assembly of protein-nucleic acid complexes. Because microsecond-resolved single-molecule trajectories often involve "sparse" data, that is, they contain relatively few data points per unit time, they cannot be easily analyzed using the standard protocols that were developed for single-molecule experiments carried out with tens-of-millisecond time resolution and high "data density." Here, we describe a generalized approach, based on time-correlation functions, to obtain kinetic information from microsecond-resolved single-molecule fluorescence measurements. This approach can be used to identify short-lived intermediates that lie on reaction pathways connecting relatively long-lived reactant and product states. As a concrete illustration of the potential of this methodology for analyzing specific macromolecular systems, we accompany the theoretical presentation with the description of a specific biologically relevant example drawn from studies of reaction mechanisms of the assembly of the single-stranded DNA binding protein of the T4 bacteriophage replication complex onto a model DNA replication fork.

Assembly of multienzyme complexes on DNA nanostructures.

In nature, the catalytic efficiency of multienzyme complexes highly depends on their spatial organization. The positions and orientations of the composite enzymes are often precisely controlled to facilitate substrate transport between them. Self-assembled DNA nanostructures hold great promise for organizing biomolecules at the nanoscale. Here, we present detailed protocols for exploiting DNA nanostructures as assembly scaffolds that organize the spatial arrangements of multienzyme cascades with control over their relative distance, compartmentalization and substrate diffusion paths. The protocol describes the preparation and purification of DNA-conjugated enzymes and cofactors, along with the assembly of these prepared complexes on DNA nanostructures. The architecture of assembled enzyme complexes is then readily characterized using a broad selection of techniques from routine gel electrophoresis to advanced single-molecule imaging. We also describe methods of purifying these nano-assemblies and testing them with functional assays based on either bulk or single-molecule fluorescence measurements. The entire assembly and characterization of a multienzyme complex can be completed within 1-2 weeks.