VIPERnano: Improved Live Cell Intracellular Protein Tracking

Techniques for Selective Labeling of Molecules and Subcellular Structures for Cryo-Electron Tomography

Electron microscopy (EM) is one of the most efficient methods for studying the fine structure of cells with a resolution thousands of times higher than that of visible light microscopy. The most advanced implementation of electron microscopy in biology is EM tomography of samples stabilized by freezing without water crystallization (cryoET). By circumventing the drawbacks of chemical fixation and dehydration, this technique allows investigating cellular structures in three dimensions at the molecular level, down to resolving individual proteins and their subdomains. However, the problem of efficient identification and localization of objects of interest has not yet been solved, thus limiting the range of targets to easily recognizable or abundant subcellular components. Labeling techniques provide the only way for locating the subject of investigation in microscopic images. CryoET imposes conflicting demands on the labeling system, including the need to introduce into a living cell the particles composed of substances foreign to the cellular chemistry that have to bind to the molecule of interest without disrupting its vital functions and physiology of the cell. This review examines both established and prospective methods for selective labeling of proteins and subcellular structures aimed to enable their localization in cryoET images.

Characteristics of genetic tags for correlative light and electron microscopy

Fluorescence microscopy is indispensable in live cell studies of fluorescently-labeled proteins, but has limited resolution and context. Electron microscopy offers high-resolution imaging of cellular ultrastructure, including membranes, organelles, and other nanoscale features. However, identifying proteins by EM remains a substantial challenge. There is potential to combine the strengths of both FM and EM through correlative light and EM (CLEM), and bridging the two modalities enables new discoveries and biological insights. CLEM enables cellular proteins to be observed dynamically, across size scales, and in relationship to sub-cellular structures. A central limitation to using CLEM is the scarcity of methods for labeling proteins with CLEM reporters. This review will describe the characteristics of genetic tags for CLEM that are available today, including fixation-resistant fluorescent proteins, 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB)-based tags, metal-chelating tags, DNA origami tags, and VIP tags.

Orthogonal Versatile Interacting Peptide Tags for Imaging Cellular Proteins

Genetic tags are transformative tools for investigating the function, localization, and interactions of cellular proteins. Most studies today are reliant on selective labeling of more than one protein to obtain comprehensive information on a protein's behavior in situ. Some proteins can be analyzed by fusion to a protein tag, such as green fluorescent protein, HaloTag, or SNAP-Tag. Other proteins benefit from labeling via small peptide tags, such as the recently reported versatile interacting peptide (VIP) tags. VIP tags enable observations of protein localization and trafficking with bright fluorophores or nanoparticles. Here, we expand the VIP toolkit by presenting two new tags: TinyVIPER and PunyVIPER. These two tags were designed for use with MiniVIPER for labeling up to three distinct proteins at once in cells. Labeling is mediated by the formation of a high-affinity, biocompatible heterodimeric coiled coil. Each tag was validated by fluorescence microscopy, including observation of transferrin receptor 1 trafficking in live cells. We verified that labeling via each tag is highly specific for one- or two-color imaging. Last, the self-sorting tags were used for simultaneous labeling of three protein targets (i.e., TOMM20, histone 2B, and actin) in fixed cells, highlighting their utility for multicolor microscopy. MiniVIPER, TinyVIPER, and PunyVIPER are small and robust peptide tags for selective labeling of cellular proteins.

Strategies for Site-Specific Labeling of Receptor Proteins on the Surfaces of Living Cells by Using Genetically Encoded Peptide Tags

Fluorescence microscopy imaging enables receptor proteins to be investigated within their biological context. A key challenge is to site-specifically incorporate reporter moieties into proteins without interfering with biological functions or cellular networks. Small peptide tags offer the opportunity to combine inducible labeling with small tag sizes that avoid receptor perturbation. Herein, we review the current state of live-cell labeling of peptide-tagged cell-surface proteins. Considering their importance as targets in medicinal chemistry, we focus on membrane receptors such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). We discuss peptide tags that i) are subject to enzyme-mediated modification reactions, ii) guide the complementation of reporter proteins, iii) form coiled-coil complexes, and iv) interact with metal complexes. Given our own contributions in the field, we place emphasis on peptide-templated labeling chemistry.

MiniVIPER Is a Peptide Tag for Imaging and Translocating Proteins in Cells

Microscopy allows researchers to interrogate proteins within a cellular context. To deliver protein-specific contrast, we developed a new class of genetically encoded peptide tags called versatile interacting peptide (VIP) tags. VIP tags deliver a reporter to a target protein via the formation of a heterodimer between the peptide tag and an exogenously added probe peptide. We report herein a new VIP tag named MiniVIPER, which is comprised of a MiniE-MiniR heterodimer. We first demonstrated the selectivity of MiniVIPER by labeling three cellular targets: transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), histone protein H2B, and the mitochondrial protein TOMM20. We showed that either MiniE or MiniR could serve as the genetically encoded tag. Next, we demonstrated MiniVIPER's versatility by generating five spectrally distinct probe peptides to label tagged TfR1 on live cells. Lastly, we demonstrated two new applications for VIP tags. First, we used MiniVIPER in combination with another VIP tag, VIPER, to selectively label two different proteins in a single cell (e.g., TfR1 with H2B or TOMM20). Second, we used MiniVIPER to translocate a fluorescent protein to the nucleus through in situ dimerization of mCherry with H2B-mEmerald. In summary, MiniVIPER is a new peptide tag that enables multitarget imaging and artificial dimerization of proteins in cells.