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Henriquez G, Ahlawat J, Fairman R, Narayan M. Citric Acid-Derived Carbon Quantum Dots Attenuate Paraquat-Induced Neuronal Compromise In Vitro and In Vivo. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2399-2409. [PMID: 35942850 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The potent environmental herbicide and weedicide paraquat is linked to neuromotor defects and Parkinson's disease (PD). We have evaluated the neuroprotective role of citric acid-sourced carbon quantum dots (Cit-CQDs) on paraquat-insulted human neuroblastoma-derived SH-SY5Y cell lines and on a paraquat-exposed nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans). Our data reveal that Cit-CQDs are able to scavenge free radicals in test tube assays and mitigate paraquat-elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, Cit-CQDs protect the cell line from paraquat, which otherwise elicits cell death. Cit-CQDs-challenged nematodes demonstrate enhanced survival rates 72 h post-paraquat exposure compared to controls. Paraquat ablates dopamine (DA) neurons, which results in compromised locomotor function in nematodes. However, the neurons remained intact when the nematodes were incubated with Cit-CQDs prior to neurotoxicant exposure. The collective data suggest Cit-CQDs offer neuroprotection for cell lines and organisms from xenotoxicant-associated neuronal injury and death. The study suggests Cit-CQDs as a potentially viable green chemistry-synthesized, biobased nanomaterial for intervention in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Henriquez
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Jyoti Ahlawat
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Robert Fairman
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Mahesh Narayan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
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Ahlawat J, Henriquez G, Varela-Ramirez A, Fairman R, Narayan M. Gelatin-derived carbon quantum dots mitigate herbicide-induced neurotoxic effects in vitro and in vivo. Biomater Adv 2022; 137:212837. [PMID: 35929242 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.212837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The herbicide and viologen, N, N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride (Paraquat) is known to be toxic to neuronal cells by a multifactorial process involving an elevation in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the triggering of amyloid-protein aggregation and their accumulation, collectively leading to neuronal dyshomeostasis. We demonstrate that green-chemistry-synthesized sustainable gelatin-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) mitigate paraquat-induced neurotoxic outcomes and resultant compromise in organismal mortality. Gelatin-derived CQDs were found to possess antioxidant properties and ameliorated ROS elevation in paraquat-insulted neuroblastoma-derived SHSY-5Y cells, protecting them from herbicide-induced cell death. These CQDs also increased lifespan in paraquat-compromised Caenorhabditis elegans and herbicide-mediated dopamine neuron ablation. Collectively, the data underscore the ability of this sustainably synthesized, environmentally friendly biocompatible nanomaterial to protect cell lines and organisms against neurotoxic outcomes. The study findings strategically position this relatively novel nanoscopic carbon quantum framework for further testing in vertebrate trials of neurotoxic insult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Ahlawat
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Gabriela Henriquez
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Armando Varela-Ramirez
- Department of Biological Sciences, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Robert Fairman
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA 19041, United States
| | - Mahesh Narayan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), El Paso, TX 79968, United States.
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Crowther JM, Broadhurst M, Laue TM, Jameson GB, Hodgkinson AJ, Dobson RCJ. On the utility of fluorescence-detection analytical ultracentrifugation in probing biomolecular interactions in complex solutions: a case study in milk. Eur Biophys J 2020; 49:677-685. [PMID: 33052462 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-020-01468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
β-Lactoglobulin is the most abundant protein in the whey fraction of ruminant milks, yet is absent in human milk. It has been studied intensively due to its impact on the processing and allergenic properties of ruminant milk products. However, the physiological function of β-lactoglobulin remains unclear. Using the fluorescence-detection system within the analytical ultracentrifuge, we observed an interaction involving fluorescently labelled β-lactoglobulin in its native environment, i.e. cow and goat milk, for the first time. Co-elution experiments support that these β-lactoglobulin interactions occur naturally in milk and provide evidence that the interacting partners are immunoglobulins, while further sedimentation velocity experiments confirm that an interaction occurs between these molecules. The identification of these interactions, made possible through the use of fluorescence-detected analytical ultracentrifugation, provides possible clues to the long debated physiological function of this abundant milk protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Crowther
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
- The Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | - Marita Broadhurst
- Food and Bio-Based Products, AgResearch Limited, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Thomas M Laue
- Center To Advance Molecular Interaction Science, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Geoffrey B Jameson
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- The Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Alison J Hodgkinson
- Food and Bio-Based Products, AgResearch Limited, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.
- On-Farm R&D, Farm Source, Fonterra Co-Operative Group, Hamilton, 3200, New Zealand.
| | - Renwick C J Dobson
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
- The Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a genetically heterogeneous group of autosomal dominantly inherited progressive disorders, the clinical hallmark of which is loss of balance and coordination accompanied by slurred speech; onset is most often in adult life. Genetically, SCAs are grouped as repeat expansion SCAs, such as SCA3/Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), and rare SCAs that are caused by non-repeat mutations, such as SCA5. Most SCA mutations cause prominent damage to cerebellar Purkinje neurons with consecutive cerebellar atrophy, although Purkinje neurons are only mildly affected in some SCAs. Furthermore, other parts of the nervous system, such as the spinal cord, basal ganglia and pontine nuclei in the brainstem, can be involved. As there is currently no treatment to slow or halt SCAs (many SCAs lead to premature death), the clinical care of patients with SCA focuses on managing the symptoms through physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Intense research has greatly expanded our understanding of the pathobiology of many SCAs, revealing that they occur via interrelated mechanisms (including proteotoxicity, RNA toxicity and ion channel dysfunction), and has led to the identification of new targets for treatment development. However, the development of effective therapies is hampered by the heterogeneity of the SCAs; specific therapeutic approaches may be required for each disease.
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Kokona B, Cunningham NR, Quinn JM, Fairman R. Aggregation Profiling of C9orf72 Dipeptide Repeat Proteins Transgenically Expressed in Drosophila melanogaster Using an Analytical Ultracentrifuge Equipped with Fluorescence Detection. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2039:81-90. [PMID: 31342420 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9678-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The recent development of a fluorescence detection system for the analytical ultracentrifuge has allowed for the characterization of protein size and aggregation in complex mixtures. Protocols are described here to analyze protein aggregation seen in various human neurodegenerative diseases as they are presented in transgenic animal model systems. Proper preparation of crude extracts in appropriate sample buffers is critical for success in analyzing protein aggregation using sedimentation velocity methods. Furthermore, recent advances in sedimentation velocity analysis have led to data collection using single multispeed experiments, which may be analyzed using a wide distribution analysis approach. In this chapter, we describe the use of these new sedimentation velocity methods for faster determination of a wider range of sizes. In Chapter 7 of this book, we describe how agarose gel electrophoresis can be used to complement the analytical ultracentrifugation work, often as a prelude to careful biophysical analysis to help screen conditions in order to improve the success of sedimentation velocity experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashkim Kokona
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | | | - Jeanne M Quinn
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Robert Fairman
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA.
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Cunningham NR, Kokona B, Quinn JM, Fairman R. Size Analysis of C9orf72 Dipeptide Repeat Proteins Expressed in Drosophila melanogaster Using Semidenaturing Detergent Agarose Gel Electrophoresis. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2039:91-101. [PMID: 31342421 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9678-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This chapter supplements Chapter 6 on sample preparation and analysis using an analytical ultracentrifuge with fluorescence detection. In this related chapter, we describe how semidenaturing detergent agarose gel electrophoresis can be used to complement the analytical ultracentrifugation work, often as a prelude to careful biophysical analysis to help screen conditions to improve the success of sedimentation velocity experiments. We describe preparation of crude lysates made using Drosophila melanogaster and provide a protocol giving detailed instructions for successful fractionation of protein aggregates using SDD-AGE. While limited in resolving power, this method can identify fractionation in three pools based on sample migration in the gel: that of a monomer or limiting small oligomer species; intermediate aggregation pools, which are typically heterogeneous, represented as high retention smears; and large-scale aggregation, found caught up in the wells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bashkim Kokona
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Jeanne M Quinn
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Robert Fairman
- Department of Biology, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA.
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Chaturvedi SK, Ma J, Brown PH, Zhao H, Schuck P. Measuring macromolecular size distributions and interactions at high concentrations by sedimentation velocity. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4415. [PMID: 30356043 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06902-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In concentrated macromolecular solutions, weak physical interactions control the solution behavior including particle size distribution, aggregation, liquid-liquid phase separation, or crystallization. This is central to many fields ranging from colloid chemistry to cell biology and pharmaceutical protein engineering. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine macromolecular assembly states and polydispersity at high concentrations in solution, since all motion is coupled through long-range hydrodynamic, electrostatic, steric, and other interactions, and scattering techniques report on the solution structure when average interparticle distances are comparable to macromolecular dimensions. Here we present a sedimentation velocity technique that, for the first time, can resolve macromolecular size distributions at high concentrations, by simultaneously accounting for average mutual hydrodynamic and thermodynamic interactions. It offers high resolution and sensitivity of protein solutions up to 50 mg/ml, extending studies of macromolecular solution state closer to the concentration range of therapeutic formulations, serum, or intracellular conditions. Many aspects of concentrated macromolecular solutions, such as encountered in cytosol or in pharmaceutical formulations, are dependent on particle size distributions and weak intermolecular interactions. Here, the authors exploit hydrodynamic separation in the centrifugal field to measure both.
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Kim SA, D'Acunto VF, Kokona B, Hofmann J, Cunningham NR, Bistline EM, Garcia FJ, Akhtar NM, Hoffman SH, Doshi SH, Ulrich KM, Jones NM, Bonini NM, Roberts CM, Link CD, Laue TM, Fairman R. Sedimentation Velocity Analysis with Fluorescence Detection of Mutant Huntingtin Exon 1 Aggregation in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. Biochemistry 2017; 56:4676-4688. [PMID: 28786671 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
At least nine neurodegenerative diseases that are caused by the aggregation induced by long tracts of glutamine sequences have been identified. One such polyglutamine-containing protein is huntingtin, which is the primary factor responsible for Huntington's disease. Sedimentation velocity with fluorescence detection is applied to perform a comparative study of the aggregation of the huntingtin exon 1 protein fragment upon transgenic expression in Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. This approach allows the detection of aggregation in complex mixtures under physiologically relevant conditions. Complementary methods used to support this biophysical approach included fluorescence microscopy and semidenaturing detergent agarose gel electrophoresis, as a point of comparison with earlier studies. New analysis tools developed for the analytical ultracentrifuge have made it possible to readily identify a wide range of aggregating species, including the monomer, a set of intermediate aggregates, and insoluble inclusion bodies. Differences in aggregation in the two animal model systems are noted, possibly because of differences in levels of expression of glutamine-rich sequences. An increased level of aggregation is shown to correlate with increased toxicity for both animal models. Co-expression of the human Hsp70 in D. melanogaster showed some mitigation of aggregation and toxicity, correlating best with inclusion body formation. The comparative study emphasizes the value of the analytical ultracentrifuge equipped with fluorescence detection as a useful and rigorous tool for in situ aggregation analysis to assess commonalities in aggregation across animal model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surin A Kim
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Victoria F D'Acunto
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Bashkim Kokona
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Jennifer Hofmann
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Nicole R Cunningham
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Emily M Bistline
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - F Jay Garcia
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Nabeel M Akhtar
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Susanna H Hoffman
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Seema H Doshi
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Kathleen M Ulrich
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Nicholas M Jones
- Department of Psychology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Nancy M Bonini
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Christine M Roberts
- Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Christopher D Link
- Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder , Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Thomas M Laue
- Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire , Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
| | - Robert Fairman
- Department of Biology, Haverford College , Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
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Chaturvedi SK, Zhao H, Schuck P. Sedimentation of Reversibly Interacting Macromolecules with Changes in Fluorescence Quantum Yield. Biophys J 2017; 112:1374-1382. [PMID: 28402880 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation with fluorescence detection has emerged as a powerful method for the study of interacting systems of macromolecules. It combines picomolar sensitivity with high hydrodynamic resolution, and can be carried out with photoswitchable fluorophores for multicomponent discrimination, to determine the stoichiometry, affinity, and shape of macromolecular complexes with dissociation equilibrium constants from picomolar to micromolar. A popular approach for data interpretation is the determination of the binding affinity by isotherms of weight-average sedimentation coefficients sw. A prevailing dogma in sedimentation analysis is that the weight-average sedimentation coefficient from the transport method corresponds to the signal- and population-weighted average of all species. We show that this does not always hold true for systems that exhibit significant signal changes with complex formation-properties that may be readily encountered in practice, e.g., from a change in fluorescence quantum yield. Coupled transport in the reaction boundary of rapidly reversible systems can make significant contributions to the observed migration in a way that cannot be accounted for in the standard population-based average. Effective particle theory provides a simple physical picture for the reaction-coupled migration process. On this basis, we develop a more general binding model that converges to the well-known form of sw with constant signals, but can account simultaneously for hydrodynamic cotransport in the presence of changes in fluorescence quantum yield. We believe this will be useful when studying interacting systems exhibiting fluorescence quenching, enhancement, or Förster resonance energy transfer with transport methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit K Chaturvedi
- Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section, Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Huaying Zhao
- Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section, Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter Schuck
- Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section, Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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Zhao H, Fu Y, Glasser C, Andrade Alba EJ, Mayer ML, Patterson G, Schuck P. Monochromatic multicomponent fluorescence sedimentation velocity for the study of high-affinity protein interactions. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27436096 PMCID: PMC4985284 DOI: 10.7554/elife.17812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamic assembly of multi-protein complexes underlies fundamental processes in cell biology. A mechanistic understanding of assemblies requires accurate measurement of their stoichiometry, affinity and cooperativity, and frequently consideration of multiple co-existing complexes. Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation equipped with fluorescence detection (FDS-SV) allows the characterization of protein complexes free in solution with high size resolution, at concentrations in the nanomolar and picomolar range. Here, we extend the capabilities of FDS-SV with a single excitation wavelength from single-component to multi-component detection using photoswitchable fluorescent proteins (psFPs). We exploit their characteristic quantum yield of photo-switching to imprint spatio-temporal modulations onto the sedimentation signal that reveal different psFP-tagged protein components in the mixture. This novel approach facilitates studies of heterogeneous multi-protein complexes at orders of magnitude lower concentrations and for higher-affinity systems than previously possible. Using this technique we studied high-affinity interactions between the amino-terminal domains of GluA2 and GluA3 AMPA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaying Zhao
- Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section, Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Yan Fu
- Section on Biophotonics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Carla Glasser
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Eric J Andrade Alba
- Section on Biophotonics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Mark L Mayer
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - George Patterson
- Section on Biophotonics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Peter Schuck
- Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section, Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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