scholarly journals Spectral Unmixing Plate Reader: High-Throughput, High-Precision FRET Assays in Living Cells

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tory M. Schaaf ◽  
Kurt C. Peterson ◽  
Benjamin D. Grant ◽  
David D. Thomas ◽  
Gregory D. Gillispie
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescence Emission ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Spectral Unmixing ◽  
Fluorescence Emission Spectrum ◽  
Plate Reader

We have developed a microplate reader that records a complete high-quality fluorescence emission spectrum on a well-by-well basis under true high-throughput screening (HTS) conditions. The read time for an entire 384-well plate is less than 3 min. This instrument is particularly well suited for assays based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Intramolecular protein biosensors with genetically encoded green fluorescent protein (GFP) donor and red fluorescent protein (RFP) acceptor tags at positions sensitive to structural changes were stably expressed and studied in living HEK cells. Accurate quantitation of FRET was achieved by decomposing each observed spectrum into a linear combination of four component (basis) spectra (GFP emission, RFP emission, water Raman, and cell autofluorescence). Excitation and detection are both conducted from the top, allowing for thermoelectric control of the sample temperature from below. This spectral unmixing plate reader (SUPR) delivers an unprecedented combination of speed, precision, and accuracy for studying ensemble-averaged FRET in living cells. It complements our previously reported fluorescence lifetime plate reader, which offers the feature of resolving multiple FRET populations within the ensemble. The combination of these two direct waveform-recording technologies greatly enhances the precision and information content for HTS in drug discovery.

scholarly journals High-Throughput Spectral and Lifetime-Based FRET Screening in Living Cells to Identify Small-Molecule Effectors of SERCA

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tory M. Schaaf ◽  
Kurt C. Peterson ◽  
Benjamin D. Grant ◽  
Prachi Bawaskar ◽  
Samantha Yuen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Spectral Unmixing ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Response Curves

A robust high-throughput screening (HTS) strategy has been developed to discover small-molecule effectors targeting the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA), based on a fluorescence microplate reader that records both the nanosecond decay waveform (lifetime mode) and the complete emission spectrum (spectral mode), with high precision and speed. This spectral unmixing plate reader (SUPR) was used to screen libraries of small molecules with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor expressed in living cells. Ligand binding was detected by FRET associated with structural rearrangements of green fluorescent protein (GFP, donor) and red fluorescent protein (RFP, acceptor) fused to the cardiac-specific SERCA2a isoform. The results demonstrate accurate quantitation of FRET along with high precision of hit identification. Fluorescence lifetime analysis resolved SERCA’s distinct structural states, providing a method to classify small-molecule chemotypes on the basis of their structural effect on the target. The spectral analysis was also applied to flag interference by fluorescent compounds. FRET hits were further evaluated for functional effects on SERCA’s ATPase activity via both a coupled-enzyme assay and a FRET-based calcium sensor. Concentration-response curves indicated excellent correlation between FRET and function. These complementary spectral and lifetime FRET detection methods offer an attractive combination of precision, speed, and resolution for HTS.

scholarly journals Solid state fluorescence of proteins in high throughput mode and its applications

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Saurabh Gautam ◽  
Munishwar N Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Solid State ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Fluorescence Spectra ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Fluorescence Emission ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Emission Spectra ◽  
Fluorescence Emission Spectra ◽  
Simple Method

Direct comparison between fluorescence spectra of a sample in solution and solid state form is valuable to monitor the changes in protein structure when it is “dried” or immobilized on a solid surface (for biocatalysis or sensor applications). We describe here a simple method for recording fluorescence emission spectra of protein powders without using any dedicated accessory for solid samples in a high-throughput format. The 96-well plate used in our studies, was coated black from all the sides and the excitation and emission paths are identical and are from the top of the well. These two features minimize scatter and provide fairly noise free spectra. Even then the fluorescence intensity may be dependent upon many factors such as the extent of protein aggregation, morphology and sizes of the protein particles. Hence, (changes in) λmax emission may be a more reliable metric in the case of fluorescence spectra of proteins in the solid state. However, any large changes in the intensity could indicate changes in the microenvironment of the fluorophore. The fluorescence emission spectra were blue-shifted (4 to 9 nm), showed an increase in the intensity for different proteins studied upon lyophilization, and were similar to what has been reported by others using available commercial accessories for solid state samples. After validating that our method worked just as well as the dedicated accessories, we applied the method to compare the fluorescence emission spectra of α-chymotrypsin in solution, precipitated form, and the lyophilized powder form. We further examined the fluorescence emission spectra of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in solution and solid form. We also analyzed fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between tryptophan (Trp57) and the cyclic chromophore of GFP. These findings pointed towards the change in the microenvironment around the cyclic chromophore in GFP upon lyophilization.

scholarly journals Red-Shifted FRET Biosensors for High-Throughput Fluorescence Lifetime Screening

Biosensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tory Schaaf ◽  
Ang Li ◽  
Benjamin Grant ◽  
Kurt Peterson ◽  
Samantha Yuen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Fluorescence Lifetime ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Fluorescence Measurements ◽  
Fret Biosensors

We have developed fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensors with red-shifted fluorescent proteins (FP), yielding improved characteristics for time-resolved (lifetime) fluorescence measurements. In comparison to biosensors with green and red FRET pairs (GFP/RFP), FPs that emit at longer wavelengths (orange and maroon, OFP/MFP) increased the FRET efficiency, dynamic range, and signal-to-background of high-throughput screening (HTS). OFP and MFP were fused to specific sites on the human cardiac calcium pump (SERCA2a) for detection of structural changes due to small-molecule effectors. When coupled with a recently improved HTS fluorescence lifetime microplate reader, this red-shifted FRET biosensor enabled high-precision nanosecond-resolved fluorescence decay measurements from microliter sample volumes at three minute read times per 1536-well-plate. Pilot screens with a library of small-molecules demonstrate that the OFP/MFP FRET sensor substantially improves HTS assay quality. These high-content FRET methods detect minute FRET changes with high precision, as needed to elucidate novel structural mechanisms from small-molecule or peptide regulators discovered through our ongoing HTS efforts. FRET sensors that emit at longer wavelengths are highly attractive to the FRET biosensor community for drug discovery and structural interrogation of new therapeutic targets.

Time-Resolved Luminescent High-Throughput Screening Platform for Lysosomotropic Compounds in Living Cells

ACS Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke-Jia Wu ◽  
Chun Wu ◽  
Feng Chen ◽  
Sha-Sha Cheng ◽  
Dik-Lung Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Screening Platform

scholarly journals Beeporter: a high-throughput tool for non-invasive analysis of honey bee virus infection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay D. Evans ◽  
Olubukola Banmeke ◽  
Evan C. Palmer-Young ◽  
Yanping Chen ◽  
Eugene V. Ryabov
Keyword(s):  
Virus Infection ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus

ABSTRACTHoney bees face numerous pests and pathogens but arguably none are as devastating as Deformed wing virus (DWV). Development of antiviral therapeutics and virus-resistant honey bee lines to control DWV in honey bees is slowed by the lack of a cost-effective high-throughput screening of DWV infection. Currently, analysis of virus infection and screening for antiviral treatments in bees and their colonies is tedious, requiring a well-equipped molecular biology laboratory and the use of hazardous chemicals. Here we utilize a cDNA clone of DWV tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) to develop the Beeporter assay, a method for detection and quantification of DWV infection in live honey bees. The assay involves infection of honey bee pupae by injecting a standardized DWV-GFP inoculum, followed by incubation for up to 44 hours. GFP fluorescence is recorded at intervals via commonly available long-wave UV light sources and a smartphone camera or a standard ultraviolet transilluminator gel imaging system. Nonlethal DWV monitoring allows high-throughput screening of antiviral candidates and a direct breeding tool for identifying honey bee parents with increased antivirus resistance. For even more rapid drug screening, we also describe a method for screening bees using 96-well trays and a spectrophotometer.

scholarly journals Repurposing a Histamine Detection Platform for High-Throughput Screening of Histidine Decarboxylase

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 974-981
Author(s):  
Yu-Chi Juang ◽  
Xavier Fradera ◽  
Yongxin Han ◽  
Anthony William Partridge
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Histidine Decarboxylase ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Gastric Ulcers ◽  
Statistical Parameters ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Neurological Response

Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is the primary enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of histidine to histamine. HDC contributes to many physiological responses as histamine plays important roles in allergic reaction, neurological response, gastric acid secretion, and cell proliferation and differentiation. Small-molecule modulation of HDC represents a potential therapeutic strategy for a range of histamine-associated diseases, including inflammatory disease, neurological disorders, gastric ulcers, and select cancers. High-throughput screening (HTS) methods for measuring HDC activity are currently limited. Here, we report the development of a time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay for monitoring HDC activity. The assay is based on competition between HDC-generated histamine and fluorophore-labeled histamine for binding to a Europium cryptate (EuK)-labeled anti-histamine antibody. We demonstrated that the assay is highly sensitive and simple to develop. Assay validation experiments were performed using low-volume 384-well plates and resulted in good statistical parameters. A pilot HTS screen gave a Z′ score > 0.5 and a hit rate of 1.1%, and led to the identification of a validated hit series. Overall, the presented assay should facilitate the discovery of therapeutic HDC inhibitors by acting as a novel tool suitable for large-scale HTS and subsequent interrogation of compound structure–activity relationships.

High-throughput screening of TRPV1 ligands in the light of the Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer technique

2021 ◽  
pp. MOLPHARM-AR-2021-000271
Author(s):  
Yann Chappe ◽  
Pauline Michel ◽  
Alexandre Joushomme ◽  
Solène Barbeau ◽  
Sandra Pierredon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

scholarly journals Hydrogen overproducing nitrogenases obtained by random mutagenesis and high-throughput screening

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Barahona ◽  
Emilio Jiménez-Vicente ◽  
Luis M. Rubio
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Rhodobacter Capsulatus ◽  
Random Mutagenesis ◽  
Fluorescence Emission ◽  
Inducible Promoter ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms ◽  
Fe Protein ◽  
Protein Variants

Abstract When produced biologically, especially by photosynthetic organisms, hydrogen gas (H2) is arguably the cleanest fuel available. An important limitation to the discovery or synthesis of better H2-producing enzymes is the absence of methods for the high-throughput screening of H2 production in biological systems. Here, we re-engineered the natural H2 sensing system of Rhodobacter capsulatus to direct the emission of LacZ-dependent fluorescence in response to nitrogenase-produced H2. A lacZ gene was placed under the control of the hupA H2-inducible promoter in a strain lacking the uptake hydrogenase and the nifH nitrogenase gene. This system was then used in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting flow cytometry to screen large libraries of nitrogenase Fe protein variants generated by random mutagenesis. Exact correlation between fluorescence emission and H2 production levels was found for all automatically selected strains. One of the selected H2-overproducing Fe protein variants lacked 40% of the wild-type amino acid sequence, a surprising finding for a protein that is highly conserved in nature. We propose that this method has great potential to improve microbial H2 production by allowing powerful approaches such as the directed evolution of nitrogenases and hydrogenases.

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