scholarly journals Real-Time Imaging of the Axonal Transport of Granules Containing a Tissue Plasminogen Activator/Green Fluorescent Protein Hybrid

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 2463-2476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janis E. Lochner ◽  
Mary Kingma ◽  
Samuel Kuhn ◽  
C. Daniel Meliza ◽  
Bryan Cutler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Axonal Transport ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Tissue Plasminogen ◽  
Green Fluorescent

A hybrid protein, tPA/GFP, consisting of rat tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and green fluorescent protein (GFP) was expressed in PC12 cells and used to study the distribution, secretory behavior, and dynamics of secretory granules containing tPA in living cells with a neuronal phenotype. High-resolution images demonstrate that tPA/GFP has a growth cone-biased distribution in differentiated cells and that tPA/GFP is transported in granules of the regulated secretory pathway that colocalize with granules containing secretogranin II. Time-lapse images of secretion reveal that secretagogues induce substantial loss of cellular tPA/GFP fluorescence, most importantly from growth cones. Time-lapse images of the axonal transport of granules containing tPA/GFP reveal a surprising complexity to granule dynamics. Some granules undergo canonical fast axonal transport; others move somewhat more slowly, especially in highly fluorescent neurites. Most strikingly, granules traffic bidirectionally along neurites to an extent that depends on granule accumulation, and individual granules can reverse their direction of motion. The retrograde component of this bidirectional transport may help to maintain cellular homeostasis by transporting excess tPA/GFP back toward the cell body. The results presented here provide a novel view of the axonal transport of secretory granules. In addition, the results suggest that tPA is targeted for regulated secretion from growth cones of differentiated cells, strategically positioning tPA to degrade extracellular barriers or to activate other barrier-degrading proteases during axonal elongation.

scholarly journals The interplay between tissue plasminogen activator domains and fibrin structures in the regulation of fibrinolysis: kinetic and microscopic studies

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 661-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Longstaff ◽  
Craig Thelwell ◽  
Stella C. Williams ◽  
Marta M. C. G. Silva ◽  
László Szabó ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Plasminogen Activation ◽  
Fine Mesh ◽  
Type Plasminogen Activator ◽  
Tissue Plasminogen ◽  
Microscopic Studies ◽  
Green Fluorescent

AbstractRegulation of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) depends on fibrin binding and fibrin structure. tPA structure/function relationships were investigated in fibrin formed by high or low thrombin concentrations to produce a fine mesh and small pores, or thick fibers and coarse structure, respectively. Kinetics studies were performed to investigate plasminogen activation and fibrinolysis in the 2 types of fibrin, using wild-type tPA (F-G-K1-K2-P, F and K2 binding), K1K1-tPA (F-G-K1-K1-P, F binding), and delF-tPA (G-K1-K2-P, K2 binding). There was a trend of enzyme potency of tPA > K1K1-tPA > delF-tPA, highlighting the importance of the finger domain in regulating activity, but the differences were less apparent in fine fibrin. Fine fibrin was a better surface for plasminogen activation but more resistant to lysis. Scanning electron and confocal microscopy using orange fluorescent fibrin with green fluorescent protein-labeled tPA variants showed that tPA was strongly associated with agglomerates in coarse but not in fine fibrin. In later lytic stages, delF-tPA-green fluorescent protein diffused more rapidly through fibrin in contrast to full-length tPA, highlighting the importance of finger domain-agglomerate interactions. Thus, the regulation of fibrinolysis depends on the starting nature of fibrin fibers and complex dynamic interaction between tPA and fibrin structures that vary over time.

scholarly journals Arrival, Reversal, and Departure of Neurofilaments at the Tips of Growing Axons

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 4215-4225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsuko Uchida ◽  
Anthony Brown
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescence Imaging ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Reverse Direction ◽  
Preferential Site ◽  
Reversal Frequency ◽  
Green Fluorescent

We have investigated the movement of green fluorescent protein-tagged neurofilaments at the distal ends of growing axons by using time-lapse fluorescence imaging. The filaments moved in a rapid, infrequent, and asynchronous manner in either an anterograde or retrograde direction (60% anterograde, 40% retrograde). Most of the anterograde filaments entered the growth cone and most of the retrograde filaments originated in the growth cone. In a small number of cases we were able to observe neurofilaments reverse direction, and all of these reversals occurred in or close to the growth cone. We conclude that neurofilament polymers are delivered rapidly and infrequently to the tips of growing axons and that some of these polymers reverse direction in the growth cone and move back into the axon. We propose that 1) growth cones are a preferential site of neurofilament reversal in distal axons, 2) most retrograde neurofilaments in distal axons originate by reversal of anterograde filaments in the growth cone, 3) those anterograde filaments that do not reverse direction are recruited to form the neurofilament cytoskeleton of the newly forming axon, and 4) the net delivery of neurofilament polymers to growth cones may be controlled by regulating the reversal frequency.

scholarly journals Differential roles of microtubule assembly and sliding in proplatelet formation by megakaryocytes

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (13) ◽  
pp. 4076-4085 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunita R. Patel ◽  
Jennifer L. Richardson ◽  
Harald Schulze ◽  
Eden Kahle ◽  
Niels Galjart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Blood Platelets ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Microtubule Assembly ◽  
Alternative Mechanism ◽  
Differentiated Cells ◽  
Continuous Polymerization ◽  
Regulatory Complex ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Megakaryocytes are terminally differentiated cells that, in their final hours, convert their cytoplasm into long, branched proplatelets, which remodel into blood platelets. Proplatelets elongate at an average rate of 0.85 μm/min in a microtubule-dependent process. Addition of rhodamine-tubulin to permeabilized proplatelets, immunofluorescence microscopy of the microtubule plus-end marker end-binding protein 3 (EB3), and fluorescence time-lapse microscopy of EB3–green fluorescent protein (GFP)–expressing megakaryocytes reveal that microtubules, organized as bipolar arrays, continuously polymerize throughout the proplatelet. In immature megakaryocytes lacking proplatelets, microtubule plus-ends initiate and grow by centrosomal nucleation at rates of 8.9 to 12.3 μm/min. In contrast, plus-end growth rates of microtubules within proplatelets are highly variable (1.5-23.5 μm/min) and are both slower and faster than those seen in immature cells. Despite the continuous assembly of microtubules, proplatelets continue to elongate when net microtubule assembly is arrested. One alternative mechanism for force generation is microtubule sliding. Triton X-100–permeabilized proplatelets containing dynein and its regulatory complex, dynactin, but not kinesin, elongate with the addition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) at a rate of 0.65 μm/min. Retroviral expression in megakaryocytes of dynamitin (p50), which disrupts dynactindynein function, inhibits proplatelet elongation. We conclude that while continuous polymerization of microtubules is necessary to support the enlarging proplatelet mass, the sliding of overlapping microtubules is a vital component of proplatelet elongation.

Insertion of enhanced green fluorescent protein into the lysozyme gene creates mice with green fluorescent granulocytes and macrophages

Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 719-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Faust ◽  
Florencio Varas ◽  
Louise M. Kelly ◽  
Susanne Heck ◽  
Thomas Graf
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Neutrophil Granulocytes ◽  
Egfp Gene ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Multipotent Progenitors ◽  
Myelomonocytic Cells ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Abstract Pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells have been studied extensively, but the events that occur during their differentiation remain largely uncharted. To develop a system that allows the differentiation of cultured multipotent progenitors by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, myelomonocytic cells were labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in vivo. This was achieved by knocking the enhanced GFP (EGFP) gene into the murine lysozyme M (lys) locus and using a targeting vector, which contains a neomycin resistant (neo) gene flanked by LoxP sites and “splinked” ends, to increase the frequency of homologous recombination. Analysis of the blood and bone marrow of thelys-EGFP mice revealed that most myelomonocytic cells, especially mature neutrophil granulocytes, were fluorescence-positive, while cells from other lineages were not. Removal of the neogene through breeding of the mice with the Cre-deleter strain led to an increased fluorescence intensity. Mice with an inactivation of both copies of the lys gene developed normally and were fertile.

scholarly journals Live-Cell Analysis of a Green Fluorescent Protein-Tagged Herpes Simplex Virus Infection

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 4110-4119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Elliott ◽  
Peter O’Hare
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Live Cell ◽  
Cell Periphery ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Hsv 1

ABSTRACT Many stages of the herpes simplex virus maturation pathway have not yet been defined. In particular, little is known about the assembly of the virion tegument compartment and its subsequent incorporation into maturing virus particles. Here we describe the construction of a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) recombinant in which we have replaced the gene encoding a major tegument protein, VP22, with a gene expressing a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-VP22 fusion protein (GFP-22). We show that this virus has growth properties identical to those of the parental virus and that newly synthesized GFP-22 is detectable in live cells as early as 3 h postinfection. Moreover, we show that GFP-22 is incorporated into the HSV-1 virion as efficiently as VP22, resulting in particles which are visible by fluorescence microscopy. Consequently, we have used time lapse confocal microscopy to monitor GFP-22 in live-cell infection, and we present time lapse animations of GFP-22 localization throughout the virus life cycle. These animations demonstrate that GFP-22 is present in a diffuse cytoplasmic location when it is initially expressed but evolves into particulate material which travels through an exclusively cytoplasmic pathway to the cell periphery. In this way, we have for the first time visualized the trafficking of a herpesvirus structural component within live, infected cells.

Insertion of enhanced green fluorescent protein into the lysozyme gene creates mice with green fluorescent granulocytes and macrophages

Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 719-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Faust ◽  
Florencio Varas ◽  
Louise M. Kelly ◽  
Susanne Heck ◽  
Thomas Graf
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Neutrophil Granulocytes ◽  
Egfp Gene ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Multipotent Progenitors ◽  
Myelomonocytic Cells ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells have been studied extensively, but the events that occur during their differentiation remain largely uncharted. To develop a system that allows the differentiation of cultured multipotent progenitors by time-lapse fluorescence microscopy, myelomonocytic cells were labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in vivo. This was achieved by knocking the enhanced GFP (EGFP) gene into the murine lysozyme M (lys) locus and using a targeting vector, which contains a neomycin resistant (neo) gene flanked by LoxP sites and “splinked” ends, to increase the frequency of homologous recombination. Analysis of the blood and bone marrow of thelys-EGFP mice revealed that most myelomonocytic cells, especially mature neutrophil granulocytes, were fluorescence-positive, while cells from other lineages were not. Removal of the neogene through breeding of the mice with the Cre-deleter strain led to an increased fluorescence intensity. Mice with an inactivation of both copies of the lys gene developed normally and were fertile.

scholarly journals Oligomerization of green fluorescent protein in the secretory pathway of endocrine cells

2001 ◽  
Vol 360 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renu K. JAIN ◽  
Paul B. M. JOYCE ◽  
Miguel MOLINETE ◽  
Philippe A. HALBAN ◽  
Sven-Ulrik GORR
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Endocrine Cells ◽  
Secretory Pathway ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Cysteine Residues ◽  
Reporter Protein ◽  
Regulated Secretory Pathway ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is used extensively as a reporter protein to monitor cellular processes, including intracellular protein trafficking and secretion. In general, this approach depends on GFP acting as a passive reporter protein. However, it was recently noted that GFP oligomerizes in the secretory pathway of endocrine cells. To characterize this oligomerization and its potential role in GFP transport, cytosolic and secretory forms of enhanced GFP (EGFP) were expressed in GH4C1 and AtT-20 endocrine cells. Biochemical analysis showed that cytosolic EGFP existed as a 27kDa monomer, whereas secretory forms of EGFP formed disulphide-linked oligomers. EGFP contains two cysteine residues (Cys49 and Cys71), which could play a role in this oligomerization. Site-directed mutagenesis of Cys49 and Cys71 showed that both cysteine residues were involved in disulphide interactions. Substitution of either cysteine residue resulted in a reduction or loss of oligomers, although dimers of the secretory form of EGFP remained. Mutation of these residues did not adversely affect the fluorescence of EGFP. EGFP oligomers were stored in secretory granules and secreted by the regulated secretory pathway in endocrine AtT-20 cells. Similarly, the dimeric mutant forms of EGFP were still secreted via the regulated secretory pathway, indicating that the higher-order oligomers were not necessary for sorting in AtT-20 cells. These results suggest that the oligomerization of EGFP must be considered when the protein is used as a reporter molecule in the secretory pathway.

scholarly journals GLUT4 vesicle dynamics in living 3T3 L1 adipocytes visualized with green-fluorescent protein

1997 ◽  
Vol 327 (3) ◽  
pp. 637-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Paru OATEY ◽  
David H. J. VAN WEERING ◽  
P. Stephen DOBSON ◽  
W. Gwyn GOULD ◽  
Jeremy M. TAVARÉ
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Glucose Transporter ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Vesicle Movement ◽  
Vesicular Compartment ◽  
Intracellular Structure

Insulin stimulates glucose uptake into its target cells by a process which involves the translocation of the GLUT4 isoform of glucose transporter from an intracellular vesicular compartment(s) to the plasma membrane. The step(s) at which insulin acts in the vesicle trafficking pathway (e.g. vesicle movement or fusion with the plasma membrane) is not known. We expressed a green-fluorescent protein-GLUT4 (GFP-GLUT4) chimaera in 3T3 L1 adipocytes. The chimaera was expressed in vesicles located throughout the cytoplasm and also close to the plasma membrane. Insulin promoted a substantial translocation of GFP-GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. Time-lapse confocal microscopy demonstrated that the majority of GFP-GLUT4-containing vesicles in the basal state were relatively static, as if tethered (or attached) to an intracellular structure. A proportion (approx. 5%) of the vesicles spontaneously lost their tether, and were observed to move rapidly within the cell. Other vesicles appear to be tethered only on one edge and were observed in a rapid stretching motion. The data support a model in which GLUT4-containing vesicles are tightly tethered to an intracellular structure(s), and indicate that a primary site of insulin action must be to release these vesicles, allowing them to then translocate to and fuse with the plasma membrane.

scholarly journals Secretory-granule dynamics visualized in vivo with a phogrin–green fluorescent protein chimaera

1998 ◽  
Vol 333 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristea E. POULI ◽  
Evaggelia EMMANOUILIDOU ◽  
Chao ZHAO ◽  
Christina WASMEIER ◽  
John C. HUTTON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Pc12 Cells ◽  
Secretory Granule ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Dense Core ◽  
Β Cells ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Insulinoma Cells

To image the behaviour in real time of single secretory granules in neuroendocrine cells we have expressed cDNA encoding a fusion construct between the dense-core secretory-granule-membrane glycoprotein, phogrin (phosphatase on the granule of insulinoma cells), and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Expressed in INS-1 β-cells and pheochromocytoma PC12 cells, the chimaera was localized efficiently (up to 95%) to dense-core secretory granules (diameter 200–1000 nm), identified by co-immunolocalization with anti-(pro-)insulin antibodies in INS-1 cells and dopamine β-hydroxylase in PC12 cells. Using laser-scanning confocal microscopy and digital image analysis, we have used this chimaera to monitor the effects of secretagogues on the dynamics of secretory granules in single living cells. In unstimulated INS-1 β-cells, granule movement was confined to oscillatory movement (dithering) with period of oscillation 5–10 s and mean displacement < 1 µm. Both elevated glucose concentrations (30 mM), and depolarization of the plasma membrane with K+, provoked large (5–10 µm) saltatory excursions of granules across the cell, which were never observed in cells maintained at low glucose concentration. By contrast, long excursions of granules occurred in PC12 cells without stimulation, and occurred predominantly from the cell body towards the cell periphery and neurite extensions. Purinergic-receptor activation with ATP provoked granule movement towards the membrane of PC12 cells, resulting in the transfer of fluorescence to the plasma membrane consistent with fusion of the granule and diffusion of the chimaera in the plasma membrane. These results illustrate the potential use of phogrin–EGFP chimeras in the study of secretory-granule dynamics, the regulation of granule–cytoskeletal interactions and the trafficking of a granule-specific transmembrane protein during the cycle of exocytosis and endocytosis.

scholarly journals Two-Color Green Fluorescent Protein Time-Lapse Imaging

BioTechniques ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 838-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Ellenberg ◽  
Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz ◽  
John F. Presley
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Time Lapse Imaging
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