1
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Wills MF, Alejo CB, Hundt N, Hudson AJ, Eperon IC. FluoroTensor: Identification and tracking of colocalised molecules and their stoichiometries in multi-colour single molecule imaging via deep learning. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:918-928. [PMID: 38375530 PMCID: PMC10875188 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification of photobleaching steps in single molecule fluorescence imaging is a well-established procedure for analysing the stoichiometries of molecular complexes. Nonetheless, the method is challenging with protein fluorophores because of the high levels of noise, rapid bleaching and highly variable signal intensities, all of which complicate methods based on statistical analyses of intensities to identify bleaching steps. It has recently been shown that deep learning by convolutional neural networks can yield an accurate analysis with a relatively short computational time. We describe here an improved use of such an approach that detects bleaching events even in the first time point of observation, and we have included this within an integrated software package incorporating fluorescence spot detection, colocalisation, tracking, FRET and photobleaching step analyses of single molecules or complexes. This package, known as FluoroTensor, is written in Python with a self-explanatory user interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max F.K. Wills
- Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Carlos Bueno Alejo
- Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Nikolas Hundt
- Department of Cellular Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
| | - Andrew J. Hudson
- Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Ian C. Eperon
- Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology, University of Leicester, UK
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, UK
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2
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Aguirre Rivera J, Mao G, Sabantsev A, Panfilov M, Hou Q, Lindell M, Chanez C, Ritort F, Jinek M, Deindl S. Massively parallel analysis of single-molecule dynamics on next-generation sequencing chips. Science 2024; 385:892-898. [PMID: 39172826 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Single-molecule techniques are ideally poised to characterize complex dynamics but are typically limited to investigating a small number of different samples. However, a large sequence or chemical space often needs to be explored to derive a comprehensive understanding of complex biological processes. Here we describe multiplexed single-molecule characterization at the library scale (MUSCLE), a method that combines single-molecule fluorescence microscopy with next-generation sequencing to enable highly multiplexed observations of complex dynamics. We comprehensively profiled the sequence dependence of DNA hairpin properties and Cas9-induced target DNA unwinding-rewinding dynamics. The ability to explore a large sequence space for Cas9 allowed us to identify a number of target sequences with unexpected behaviors. We envision that MUSCLE will enable the mechanistic exploration of many fundamental biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Aguirre Rivera
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - G Mao
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - A Sabantsev
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - M Panfilov
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Q Hou
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - M Lindell
- Department of Medical Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75144 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - C Chanez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - F Ritort
- Small Biosystems Lab, Condensed Matter Physics Department, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Jinek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - S Deindl
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, 75105 Uppsala, Sweden
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3
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Duran E, Schmidt A, Welty R, Jalihal AP, Pitchiaya S, Walter NG. Utilizing functional cell-free extracts to dissect ribonucleoprotein complex biology at single-molecule resolution. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1787. [PMID: 37042458 PMCID: PMC10524090 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Cellular machineries that drive and regulate gene expression often rely on the coordinated assembly and interaction of a multitude of proteins and RNA together called ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs). As such, it is challenging to fully reconstitute these cellular machines recombinantly and gain mechanistic understanding of how they operate and are regulated within the complex environment that is the cell. One strategy for overcoming this challenge is to perform single molecule fluorescence microscopy studies within crude or recombinantly supplemented cell extracts. This strategy enables elucidation of the interaction and kinetic behavior of specific fluorescently labeled biomolecules within RNPs under conditions that approximate native cellular environments. In this review, we describe single molecule fluorescence microcopy approaches that dissect RNP-driven processes within cellular extracts, highlighting general strategies used in these methods. We further survey biological advances in the areas of pre-mRNA splicing and transcription regulation that have been facilitated through this approach. Finally, we conclude with a summary of practical considerations for the implementation of the featured approaches to facilitate their broader future implementation in dissecting the mechanisms of RNP-driven cellular processes. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Duran
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Andreas Schmidt
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Robb Welty
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ameya P Jalihal
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Department of Urology, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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4
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Amann SJ, Keihsler D, Bodrug T, Brown NG, Haselbach D. Frozen in time: analyzing molecular dynamics with time-resolved cryo-EM. Structure 2023; 31:4-19. [PMID: 36584678 PMCID: PMC9825670 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Molecular machines, such as polymerases, ribosomes, or proteasomes, fulfill complex tasks requiring the thermal energy of their environment. They achieve this by restricting random motion along a path of possible conformational changes. These changes are often directed through engagement with different cofactors, which can best be compared to a Brownian ratchet. Many molecular machines undergo three major steps throughout their functional cycles, including initialization, repetitive processing, and termination. Several of these major states have been elucidated by cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). However, the individual steps for these machines are unique and multistep processes themselves, and their coordination in time is still elusive. To measure these short-lived intermediate events by cryo-EM, the total reaction time needs to be shortened to enrich for the respective pre-equilibrium states. This approach is termed time-resolved cryo-EM (trEM). In this review, we sum up the methodological development of trEM and its application to a range of biological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Josef Amann
- IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, a Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, A-1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Demian Keihsler
- IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tatyana Bodrug
- IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nicholas G Brown
- Department of Pharmacology and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - David Haselbach
- IMP - Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria; Institute for Physical Chemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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5
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Probing DNA-protein interactions using single-molecule diffusivity contrast. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2021; 1:100009. [PMID: 36425309 PMCID: PMC9680706 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2021.100009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Single-molecule fluorescence investigations of protein-nucleic acid interactions require robust means to identify the binding state of individual substrate molecules in real time. Here, we show that diffusivity contrast, widely used in fluorescence correlation spectroscopy at the ensemble level and in single-particle tracking on individual (but slowly diffusing) species, can be used as a general readout to determine the binding state of single DNA molecules with unlabeled proteins in solution. We first describe the technical basis of drift-free single-molecule diffusivity measurements in an anti-Brownian electrokinetic trap. We then cross-validate our method with protein-induced fluorescence enhancement, a popular technique to detect protein binding on nucleic acid substrates with single-molecule sensitivity. We extend an existing hydrodynamic modeling framework to link measured diffusivity to particular DNA-protein structures and obtain good agreement between the measured and predicted diffusivity values. Finally, we show that combining diffusivity contrast with protein-induced fluorescence enhancement allows simultaneous mapping of binding stoichiometry and location on individual DNA-protein complexes, potentially enhancing single-molecule views of relevant biophysical processes.
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Larsen KP, Choi J, Prabhakar A, Puglisi EV, Puglisi JD. Relating Structure and Dynamics in RNA Biology. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2019; 11:11/7/a032474. [PMID: 31262948 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a032474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in structural biology methods have enabled a surge in the number of RNA and RNA-protein assembly structures available at atomic or near-atomic resolution. These complexes are often trapped in discrete conformational states that exist along a mechanistic pathway. Single-molecule fluorescence methods provide temporal resolution to elucidate the dynamic mechanisms of processes involving complex RNA and RNA-protein assemblies, but interpretation of such data often requires previous structural knowledge. Here we highlight how single-molecule tools can directly complement structural approaches for two processes--translation and reverse transcription-to provide a dynamic view of molecular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin P Larsen
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305.,Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
| | - Junhong Choi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305.,Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
| | - Arjun Prabhakar
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305.,Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
| | - Elisabetta Viani Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305
| | - Joseph D Puglisi
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305
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7
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Mechanistic Insights Into Catalytic RNA-Protein Complexes Involved in Translation of the Genetic Code. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2017. [PMID: 28683922 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The contemporary world is an "RNA-protein world" rather than a "protein world" and tracing its evolutionary origins is of great interest and importance. The different RNAs that function in close collaboration with proteins are involved in several key physiological processes, including catalysis. Ribosome-the complex megadalton cellular machinery that translates genetic information encoded in nucleotide sequence to amino acid sequence-epitomizes such an association between RNA and protein. RNAs that can catalyze biochemical reactions are known as ribozymes. They usually employ general acid-base catalytic mechanism, often involving the 2'-OH of RNA that activates and/or stabilizes a nucleophile during the reaction pathway. The protein component of such RNA-protein complexes (RNPCs) mostly serves as a scaffold which provides an environment conducive for the RNA to function, or as a mediator for other interacting partners. In this review, we describe those RNPCs that are involved at different stages of protein biosynthesis and in which RNA performs the catalytic function; the focus of the account is on highlighting mechanistic aspects of these complexes. We also provide a perspective on such associations in the context of proofreading during translation of the genetic code. The latter aspect is not much appreciated and recent works suggest that this is an avenue worth exploring, since an understanding of the subject can provide useful insights into how RNAs collaborate with proteins to ensure fidelity during these essential cellular processes. It may also aid in comprehending evolutionary aspects of such associations.
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8
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Rodgers ML, Didychuk AL, Butcher SE, Brow DA, Hoskins AA. A multi-step model for facilitated unwinding of the yeast U4/U6 RNA duplex. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:10912-10928. [PMID: 27484481 PMCID: PMC5159527 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The small nuclear RNA (snRNA) components of the spliceosome undergo many conformational rearrangements during its assembly, catalytic activation and disassembly. The U4 and U6 snRNAs are incorporated into the spliceosome as a base-paired complex within the U4/U6.U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (tri-snRNP). U4 and U6 are then unwound in order for U6 to pair with U2 to form the spliceosome's active site. After splicing, U2/U6 is unwound and U6 annealed to U4 to reassemble the tri-snRNP. U6 rearrangements are crucial for spliceosome formation but are poorly understood. We have used single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer and unwinding assays to identify interactions that promote U4/U6 unwinding and have studied their impact in yeast. We find that U4/U6 is efficiently unwound using DNA oligonucleotides by coupling unwinding of U4/U6 stem II with strand invasion of stem I. Unwinding is stimulated by the U6 telestem, which transiently forms in the intact U4/U6 RNA complex. Stabilization of the telestem in vivo results in accumulation of U4/U6 di-snRNP and impairs yeast growth. Our data reveal conserved mechanisms for U4/U6 unwinding and indicate telestem dynamics are critical for tri-snRNP assembly and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Rodgers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Allison L Didychuk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Samuel E Butcher
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - David A Brow
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aaron A Hoskins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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9
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Serebrov V, Moore MJ. Single Molecule Approaches in RNA-Protein Interactions. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 907:89-106. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-29073-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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10
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Smith CS, Stallinga S, Lidke KA, Rieger B, Grunwald D. Probability-based particle detection that enables threshold-free and robust in vivo single-molecule tracking. Mol Biol Cell 2015; 26:4057-62. [PMID: 26424801 PMCID: PMC4710236 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e15-06-0448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Any single-molecule study starts with finding those single-molecule signals in recorded images. Currently, parameters such as filter and thresholds are user set, and errors are unknown and not observed or controlled. A framework is presented in which expert knowledge and parameter tweaking are replaced with a probability-based hypothesis test. Single-molecule detection in fluorescence nanoscopy has become a powerful tool in cell biology but can present vexing issues in image analysis, such as limited signal, unspecific background, empirically set thresholds, image filtering, and false-positive detection limiting overall detection efficiency. Here we present a framework in which expert knowledge and parameter tweaking are replaced with a probability-based hypothesis test. Our method delivers robust and threshold-free signal detection with a defined error estimate and improved detection of weaker signals. The probability value has consequences for downstream data analysis, such as weighing a series of detections and corresponding probabilities, Bayesian propagation of probability, or defining metrics in tracking applications. We show that the method outperforms all current approaches, yielding a detection efficiency of >70% and a false-positive detection rate of <5% under conditions down to 17 photons/pixel background and 180 photons/molecule signal, which is beneficial for any kind of photon-limited application. Examples include limited brightness and photostability, phototoxicity in live-cell single-molecule imaging, and use of new labels for nanoscopy. We present simulations, experimental data, and tracking of low-signal mRNAs in yeast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlas S Smith
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Sjoerd Stallinga
- Quantitative Imaging Group, Department of Imaging Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Keith A Lidke
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Bernd Rieger
- Quantitative Imaging Group, Department of Imaging Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, Netherlands
| | - David Grunwald
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
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11
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Rodgers ML, Paulson J, Hoskins AA. Rapid isolation and single-molecule analysis of ribonucleoproteins from cell lysate by SNAP-SiMPull. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 21:1031-41. [PMID: 25805862 PMCID: PMC4408783 DOI: 10.1261/rna.047845.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Large macromolecular complexes such as the spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) play a variety of roles within the cell. Despite their biological importance, biochemical studies of snRNPs and other machines are often thwarted by practical difficulties in the isolation of sufficient amounts of material. Studies of the snRNPs as well as other macromolecular machines would be greatly facilitated by new approaches that enable their isolation and biochemical characterization. One such approach is single-molecule pull-down (SiMPull) that combines in situ immunopurification of complexes from cell lysates with subsequent single-molecule fluorescence microscopy experiments. We report the development of a new method, called SNAP-SiMPull, that can readily be applied to studies of splicing factors and snRNPs isolated from whole-cell lysates. SNAP-SiMPull overcomes many of the limitations imposed by conventional SiMPull strategies that rely on fluorescent proteins. We have used SNAP-SiMPull to study the yeast branchpoint bridging protein (BBP) as well as the U1 and U6 snRNPs. SNAP-SiMPull will likely find broad use for rapidly isolating complex cellular machines for single-molecule fluorescence colocalization experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Rodgers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Joshua Paulson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
| | - Aaron A Hoskins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA
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12
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Jing C, Cornish VW. Design, synthesis, and application of the trimethoprim-based chemical tag for live-cell imaging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 5:131-55. [PMID: 23839994 DOI: 10.1002/9780470559277.ch130019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, chemical tags have been developed to complement the use of fluorescent proteins in live-cell imaging. Chemical tags retain the specificity of protein labeling achieved with fluorescent proteins through genetic encoding, but provide smaller, more robust tags and modular use of organic fluorophores with high photon output and tailored functionalities. The trimethoprim-based chemical tag (TMP-tag) was initially developed based on the high affinity interaction between E. coli dihydrofolate reductase and the antibiotic trimethoprim and was subsequently rendered covalent and fluorogenic via proximity-induced protein labeling reactions. To date, the TMP-tag is one of the few chemical tags that enable intracellular protein labeling and high-resolution live-cell imaging. Here we describe the general design, chemical synthesis, and application of TMP-tag for live-cell imaging. Alternate protocols for synthesizing and using the covalent and the fluorogenic TMP-tags are also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoran Jing
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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13
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Abstract
Precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is a critical step in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, providing significant expansion of the functional proteome of eukaryotic organisms with limited gene numbers. Split eukaryotic genes contain intervening sequences or introns disrupting protein-coding exons, and intron removal occurs by repeated assembly of a large and highly dynamic ribonucleoprotein complex termed the spliceosome, which is composed of five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles, U1, U2, U4/U6, and U5. Biochemical studies over the past 10 years have allowed the isolation as well as compositional, functional, and structural analysis of splicing complexes at distinct stages along the spliceosome cycle. The average human gene contains eight exons and seven introns, producing an average of three or more alternatively spliced mRNA isoforms. Recent high-throughput sequencing studies indicate that 100% of human genes produce at least two alternative mRNA isoforms. Mechanisms of alternative splicing include RNA-protein interactions of splicing factors with regulatory sites termed silencers or enhancers, RNA-RNA base-pairing interactions, or chromatin-based effects that can change or determine splicing patterns. Disease-causing mutations can often occur in splice sites near intron borders or in exonic or intronic RNA regulatory silencer or enhancer elements, as well as in genes that encode splicing factors. Together, these studies provide mechanistic insights into how spliceosome assembly, dynamics, and catalysis occur; how alternative splicing is regulated and evolves; and how splicing can be disrupted by cis- and trans-acting mutations leading to disease states. These findings make the spliceosome an attractive new target for small-molecule, antisense, and genome-editing therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon Lee
- Center for RNA Systems Biology; Division of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3204;
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14
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Lee Y, Rio DC. Mechanisms and Regulation of Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing. Annu Rev Biochem 2015. [PMID: 25784052 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-060614-034316.mechanisms] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is a critical step in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, providing significant expansion of the functional proteome of eukaryotic organisms with limited gene numbers. Split eukaryotic genes contain intervening sequences or introns disrupting protein-coding exons, and intron removal occurs by repeated assembly of a large and highly dynamic ribonucleoprotein complex termed the spliceosome, which is composed of five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles, U1, U2, U4/U6, and U5. Biochemical studies over the past 10 years have allowed the isolation as well as compositional, functional, and structural analysis of splicing complexes at distinct stages along the spliceosome cycle. The average human gene contains eight exons and seven introns, producing an average of three or more alternatively spliced mRNA isoforms. Recent high-throughput sequencing studies indicate that 100% of human genes produce at least two alternative mRNA isoforms. Mechanisms of alternative splicing include RNA-protein interactions of splicing factors with regulatory sites termed silencers or enhancers, RNA-RNA base-pairing interactions, or chromatin-based effects that can change or determine splicing patterns. Disease-causing mutations can often occur in splice sites near intron borders or in exonic or intronic RNA regulatory silencer or enhancer elements, as well as in genes that encode splicing factors. Together, these studies provide mechanistic insights into how spliceosome assembly, dynamics, and catalysis occur; how alternative splicing is regulated and evolves; and how splicing can be disrupted by cis- and trans-acting mutations leading to disease states. These findings make the spliceosome an attractive new target for small-molecule, antisense, and genome-editing therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon Lee
- Center for RNA Systems Biology; Division of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3204;
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15
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Kinz-Thompson CD, Gonzalez RL. smFRET studies of the 'encounter' complexes and subsequent intermediate states that regulate the selectivity of ligand binding. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:3526-38. [PMID: 25066296 PMCID: PMC4779314 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The selectivity with which a biomolecule can bind its cognate ligand when confronted by the vast array of structurally similar, competing ligands that are present in the cell underlies the fidelity of some of the most fundamental processes in biology. Because they collectively comprise one of only a few methods that can sensitively detect the 'encounter' complexes and subsequent intermediate states that regulate the selectivity of ligand binding, single-molecule fluorescence, and particularly single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET), approaches have revolutionized studies of ligand-binding reactions. Here, we describe a widely used smFRET strategy that enables investigations of a large variety of ligand-binding reactions, and discuss two such reactions, aminoacyl-tRNA selection during translation elongation and splice site selection during spliceosome assembly, that highlight both the successes and challenges of smFRET studies of ligand-binding reactions. We conclude by reviewing a number of emerging experimental and computational approaches that are expanding the capabilities of smFRET approaches for studies of ligand-binding reactions and that promise to reveal the mechanisms that control the selectivity of ligand binding with unprecedented resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruben L Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States.
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16
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Chen W, Moore MJ. The spliceosome: disorder and dynamics defined. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2014; 24:141-9. [PMID: 24530854 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2014.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Among the many macromolecular machines involved in eukaryotic gene expression, the spliceosome remains one of the most challenging for structural biologists. Defining features of this highly complex apparatus are its excessive number of individual parts, many of which have been evolutionarily selected for regions of structural disorder, and the remarkable compositional and conformation dynamics it must undertake to complete each round of splicing. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of spliceosome structural dynamics stemming from bioinformatics, deep sequencing, high throughput methods for determining protein-protein, protein-RNA and RNA-RNA interaction dynamics, single molecule microscopy and more traditional structural analyses. Together, these tools are rapidly changing our structural appreciation of this remarkably dynamic machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijun Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, RNA and Neuro Therapeutics Institutes, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Melissa J Moore
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, RNA and Neuro Therapeutics Institutes, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
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17
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Göhring J, Jacak J, Barta A. Imaging of endogenous messenger RNA splice variants in living cells reveals nuclear retention of transcripts inaccessible to nonsense-mediated decay in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2014; 26:754-64. [PMID: 24532591 PMCID: PMC3967038 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.118075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is an important regulatory process that leads to the creation of multiple RNA transcripts from a single gene. Alternative transcripts often carry premature termination codons (PTCs), which trigger nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), a cytoplasmic RNA degradation pathway. However, intron retention, the most prevalent AS event in plants, often leads to PTC-carrying splice variants that are insensitive to NMD; this led us to question the fate of these special RNA variants. Here, we present an innovative approach to monitor and characterize endogenous mRNA splice variants within living plant cells. This method combines standard confocal laser scanning microscopy for molecular beacon detection with a robust statistical pipeline for sample comparison. We demonstrate this technique on the localization of NMD-insensitive splice variants of two Arabidopsis thaliana genes, RS2Z33 and the SEF factor. The experiments reveal that these intron-containing splice variants remain within the nucleus, which allows them to escape the NMD machinery. Moreover, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments in the nucleoplasm show a decreased mobility of intron-retained mRNAs compared with fully spliced RNAs. In addition, differences in mobility were observed for an mRNA dependent on its origin from an intron-free or an intron-containing gene.
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18
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Grima R, Walter NG, Schnell S. Single-molecule enzymology à la Michaelis-Menten. FEBS J 2014; 281:518-30. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Revised: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Grima
- School of Biological Sciences and SynthSys; University of Edinburgh; UK
| | - Nils G. Walter
- Department of Chemistry and Single Molecule Analysis in Real-Time (SMART) Center; University of Michigan; Ann Arbor MI USA
| | - Santiago Schnell
- Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology; Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics and Brehm Center for Diabetes Research; University of Michigan Medical School; Ann Arbor MI USA
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19
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Anderson EG, Hoskins AA. Single molecule approaches for studying spliceosome assembly and catalysis. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1126:217-41. [PMID: 24549668 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-62703-980-2_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Single molecule assays of splicing and spliceosome assembly can provide unique insights into pre-mRNA processing that complement other technologies. Key to these experiments is the fabrication of fluorescent molecules (pre-mRNAs and spliceosome components) and passivated glass slides for each experiment. Here we describe how to produce fluorescent RNAs by splinted RNA ligation and fluorescent spliceosome subunits by SNAP-tagging proteins in cell lysate. We then depict how to passivate glass slides with polyethylene glycol for use on an inverted microscope with objective-based total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) optics. Finally, we describe how to tether the pre-mRNA onto the passivated slide surface and introduce the SNAP-tagged cell lysate for analysis of spliceosome assembly by single molecule fluorescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G Anderson
- Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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20
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Saraogi I, Shan SO. Co-translational protein targeting to the bacterial membrane. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1843:1433-41. [PMID: 24513458 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Co-translational protein targeting by the Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) is an essential cellular pathway that couples the synthesis of nascent proteins to their proper cellular localization. The bacterial SRP, which contains the minimal ribonucleoprotein core of this universally conserved targeting machine, has served as a paradigm for understanding the molecular basis of protein localization in all cells. In this review, we highlight recent biochemical and structural insights into the molecular mechanisms by which fundamental challenges faced by protein targeting machineries are met in the SRP pathway. Collectively, these studies elucidate how an essential SRP RNA and two regulatory GTPases in the SRP and SRP receptor (SR) enable this targeting machinery to recognize, sense and respond to its biological effectors, i.e. the cargo protein, the target membrane and the translocation machinery, thus driving efficient and faithful co-translational protein targeting. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein trafficking and secretion in bacteria. Guest Editors: Anastassios Economou and Ross Dalbey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishu Saraogi
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Shu-ou Shan
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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21
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Chang TH, Tung L, Yeh FL, Chen JH, Chang SL. Functions of the DExD/H-box proteins in nuclear pre-mRNA splicing. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2013; 1829:764-74. [PMID: 23454554 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2013.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 02/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotes, many genes are transcribed as precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs) that contain exons and introns, the latter of which must be removed and exons ligated to form the mature mRNAs. This process is called pre-mRNA splicing, which occurs in the nucleus. Although the chemistry of pre-mRNA splicing is identical to that of the self-splicing Group II introns, hundreds of proteins and five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6, are essential for executing pre-mRNA splicing. Spliceosome, arguably the most complex cellular machine made up of all those proteins and snRNAs, is responsible for carrying out pre-mRNA splicing. In contrast to the transcription and the translation machineries, spliceosome is formed anew onto each pre-mRNA and undergoes a series of highly coordinated reconfigurations to form the catalytic center. This amazing process is orchestrated by a number of DExD/H-proteins that are the focus of this article, which aims to review the field in general and to project the exciting challenges and opportunities ahead. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Biology of RNA helicases - Modulation for life.
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22
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Activated GTPase movement on an RNA scaffold drives co-translational protein targeting. Nature 2012; 492:271-5. [PMID: 23235881 PMCID: PMC3531814 DOI: 10.1038/nature11726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Roughly one third of the proteome is initially destined for the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum or the bacterial plasma membrane1. The proper localization of these proteins is mediated by a universally conserved protein targeting machinery, the signal recognition particle (SRP), which recognizes ribosomes carrying signal sequences2–4 and, via interactions with the SRP receptor5,6, delivers them to the protein translocation machinery on the target membrane7. The SRP is an ancient ribonucleoprotein particle containing an essential, elongated SRP RNA whose precise functions have remained elusive. Here, we used single molecule fluorescence microscopy to demonstrate that the SRP-receptor GTPase complex, after initial assembly at the tetraloop end of SRP RNA, travels over 100 Å to the distal end of this RNA where rapid GTP hydrolysis occurs. This movement is negatively regulated by the translating ribosome and, at a later stage, positively regulated by the SecYEG translocon, providing an attractive mechanism to ensure the productive exchange of the targeting and translocation machineries at the ribosome exit site with exquisite spatial and temporal accuracy. Our results show that large RNAs can act as molecular scaffolds that enable the facile exchange of distinct factors and precise timing of molecular events in a complex cellular process; this concept may be extended to similar phenomena in other ribonucleoprotein complexes.
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Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, introns are spliced from pre-mRNAs by the spliceosome. Both the composition and the structure of the spliceosome are highly dynamic, and eight DExD/H RNA helicases play essential roles in controlling conformational rearrangements. There is evidence that the various helicases are functionally and physically connected with each other and with many other factors in the spliceosome. Understanding the dynamics of those interactions is essential to comprehend the mechanism and regulation of normal as well as of pathological splicing. This review focuses on recent advances in the characterization of the splicing helicases and their interactions, and highlights the deep integration of splicing helicases in global mRNP biogenesis pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Cordin
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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24
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Joo C, Fareh M, Kim VN. Bringing single-molecule spectroscopy to macromolecular protein complexes. Trends Biochem Sci 2012. [PMID: 23200186 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2012.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy offers real-time, nanometer-resolution information. Over the past two decades, this emerging single-molecule technique has been rapidly adopted to investigate the structural dynamics and biological functions of proteins. Despite this remarkable achievement, single-molecule fluorescence techniques must be extended to macromolecular protein complexes that are physiologically more relevant for functional studies. In this review, we present recent major breakthroughs for investigating protein complexes within cell extracts using single-molecule fluorescence. We outline the challenges, future prospects and potential applications of these new single-molecule fluorescence techniques in biological and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirlmin Joo
- Kavli Institute of NanoScience, Department of BioNanoScience, Delft University of Technology, 2628CJ, Delft, The Netherlands.
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25
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Loveland AB, Habuchi S, Walter JC, van Oijen AM. A general approach to break the concentration barrier in single-molecule imaging. Nat Methods 2012; 9:987-92. [PMID: 22961247 PMCID: PMC3610324 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 08/09/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule fluorescence imaging is often incompatible with physiological protein concentrations, as fluorescence background overwhelms an individual molecule's signal. We solve this problem with a new imaging approach called PhADE (PhotoActivation, Diffusion and Excitation). A protein of interest is fused to a photoactivatable protein (mKikGR) and introduced to its surface-immobilized substrate. After photoactivation of mKikGR near the surface, rapid diffusion of the unbound mKikGR fusion out of the detection volume eliminates background fluorescence, whereupon the bound molecules are imaged. We labeled the eukaryotic DNA replication protein flap endonuclease 1 with mKikGR and added it to replication-competent Xenopus laevis egg extracts. PhADE imaging of high concentrations of the fusion construct revealed its dynamics and micrometer-scale movements on individual, replicating DNA molecules. Because PhADE imaging is in principle compatible with any photoactivatable fluorophore, it should have broad applicability in revealing single-molecule dynamics and stoichiometry of macromolecular protein complexes at previously inaccessible fluorophore concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B. Loveland
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Satoshi Habuchi
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Johannes C. Walter
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Antoine M. van Oijen
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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26
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Cordin O, Hahn D, Beggs JD. Structure, function and regulation of spliceosomal RNA helicases. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2012; 24:431-8. [PMID: 22464735 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2012.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Revised: 02/12/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing requires the activities of several ATPases from the DEAH-box, DEAD-box and Ski2-like helicase families to control conformational rearrangements within the spliceosome. Recent findings indicate that several spliceosomal helicases can act at multiple stages of the splicing reaction, and information on how those multiple actions are controlled are emerging. The recently solved crystal structure of the DEAH-box helicase Prp43 provides novel insights into the similarities and differences between the three helicase families. Here we discuss the potential family-specific mechanisms of spliceosomal RNA helicases and their regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Cordin
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR, UK
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