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Srinivasan P, Griffin NM, Thakur D, Joshi P, Nguyen-Le A, McCotter S, Jain A, Saeidi M, Kulkarni P, Eisdorfer JT, Rothman J, Montell C, Theogarajan L. An Autonomous Molecular Bioluminescent Reporter (AMBER) for Voltage Imaging in Freely Moving Animals. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2100842. [PMID: 34761564 PMCID: PMC8858017 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202100842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetically encoded reporters have greatly increased our understanding of biology. While fluorescent reporters have been widely used, photostability and phototoxicity have hindered their use in long-term experiments. Bioluminescence overcomes some of these challenges but requires the addition of an exogenous luciferin limiting its use. Using a modular approach, Autonomous Molecular BioluminEscent Reporter (AMBER), an indicator of membrane potential is engineered. Unlike other bioluminescent systems, AMBER is a voltage-gated luciferase coupling the functionalities of the Ciona voltage-sensing domain (VSD) and bacterial luciferase, luxAB. When co-expressed with the luciferin-producing genes, AMBER reversibly switches the bioluminescent intensity as a function of membrane potential. Using biophysical and biochemical methods, it is shown that AMBER switches its enzymatic activity from an OFF to an ON state as a function of the membrane potential. Upon depolarization, AMBER switches from a low to a high enzymatic activity state, showing a several-fold increase in the bioluminescence output (ΔL/L). AMBER in the pharyngeal muscles and mechanosensory touch neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans is expressed. Using the compressed sensing approach, the electropharingeogram of the C. elegans pharynx is reconstructed, validating the sensor in vivo. Thus, AMBER represents the first fully genetically encoded bioluminescent reporter without requiring exogenous luciferin addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna Srinivasan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Center for Bioengineering, Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Nicole M Griffin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Center for Bioengineering, Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Dhananjay Thakur
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Pradeep Joshi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Alex Nguyen-Le
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Current address: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Sean McCotter
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Akshar Jain
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Mitra Saeidi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Prajakta Kulkarni
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Jaclyn T. Eisdorfer
- College of Creative Studies,University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Current address: Dept. of Bioengineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122
| | - Joel Rothman
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Craig Montell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- The Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
| | - Luke Theogarajan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Center for Bioengineering, Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106
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