scholarly journals MERLIN: a novel BRET-based proximity biosensor for studying mitochondria–ER contact sites

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e201900600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Hertlein ◽  
Hector Flores-Romero ◽  
Kushal K Das ◽  
Sebastian Fischer ◽  
Michael Heunemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitochondrial Dynamics ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Molecular Architecture ◽  
Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Contact Site ◽  
Contact Sites ◽  
Spatiotemporal Regulation

The contacts between the ER and mitochondria play a key role in cellular functions such as the exchange of lipids and calcium between both organelles, as well as in apoptosis and autophagy signaling. The molecular architecture and spatiotemporal regulation of these distinct contact regions remain obscure and there is a need for new tools that enable tackling these questions. Here, we present a new bioluminescence resonance energy transfer–based biosensor for the quantitative analysis of distances between the ER and mitochondria that we call MERLIN (Mitochondria–ER Length Indicator Nanosensor). The main advantages of MERLIN compared with available alternatives are that it does not rely on the formation of artificial physical links between the two organelles, which could lead to artifacts, and that it allows to study contact site reversibility and dynamics. We show the applicability of MERLIN by characterizing the role of the mitochondrial dynamics machinery on the contacts of this organelle with the ER.

scholarly journals Dynamic remodeling of scaffold interactions in dendritic spines controls synaptic excitability

2012 ◽  
Vol 198 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enora Moutin ◽  
Fabrice Raynaud ◽  
Jonathan Roger ◽  
Emilie Pellegrino ◽  
Vincent Homburger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Membrane Receptors ◽  
Physical Interaction ◽  
Scaffolding Proteins ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Living Neurons ◽  
Activity Dependent

Scaffolding proteins interact with membrane receptors to control signaling pathways and cellular functions. However, the dynamics and specific roles of interactions between different components of scaffold complexes are poorly understood because of the dearth of methods available to monitor binding interactions. Using a unique combination of single-cell bioluminescence resonance energy transfer imaging in living neurons and electrophysiological recordings, in this paper, we depict the role of glutamate receptor scaffold complex remodeling in space and time to control synaptic transmission. Despite a broad colocalization of the proteins in neurons, we show that spine-confined assembly/disassembly of this scaffold complex, physiologically triggered by sustained activation of synaptic NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) receptors, induces physical association between ionotropic (NMDA) and metabotropic (mGlu5a) synaptic glutamate receptors. This physical interaction results in an mGlu5a receptor–mediated inhibition of NMDA currents, providing an activity-dependent negative feedback loop on NMDA receptor activity. Such protein scaffold remodeling represents a form of homeostatic control of synaptic excitability.

scholarly journals Quantitative FRET Microscopy Reveals a Crucial Role of Cytoskeleton in Promoting PI(4,5)P2 Confinement

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (21) ◽  
pp. 11727
Author(s):  
Maria J. Sarmento ◽  
Luís Borges-Araújo ◽  
Sandra N. Pinto ◽  
Nuno Bernardes ◽  
Joana C. Ricardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Hela Cells ◽  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Cytoskeleton Organization

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) is an essential plasma membrane component involved in several cellular functions, including membrane trafficking and cytoskeleton organization. This function multiplicity is partially achieved through a dynamic spatiotemporal organization of PI(4,5)P2 within the membrane. Here, we use a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) approach to quantitatively assess the extent of PI(4,5)P2 confinement within the plasma membrane. This methodology relies on the rigorous evaluation of the dependence of absolute FRET efficiencies between pleckstrin homology domains (PHPLCδ) fused with fluorescent proteins and their average fluorescence intensity at the membrane. PI(4,5)P2 is found to be significantly compartmentalized at the plasma membrane of HeLa cells, and these clusters are not cholesterol-dependent, suggesting that membrane rafts are not involved in the formation of these nanodomains. On the other hand, upon inhibition of actin polymerization, compartmentalization of PI(4,5)P2 is almost entirely eliminated, showing that the cytoskeleton network is the critical component responsible for the formation of nanoscale PI(4,5)P2 domains in HeLa cells.

scholarly journals R-Ras Regulates Exocytosis by Rgl2/Rlf-mediated Activation of RalA on Endosomes

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 1850-1860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiyuki Takaya ◽  
Takahiro Kamio ◽  
Michitaka Masuda ◽  
Naoki Mochizuki ◽  
Hirofumi Sawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Recycling Endosomes ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange Factor ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ras Family

R-Ras is a Ras-family small GTPase that regulates various cellular functions such as apoptosis and cell adhesion. Here, we demonstrate a role of R-Ras in exocytosis. By the use of specific anti-R-Ras antibody, we found that R-Ras was enriched on both early and recycling endosomes in a wide range of cell lines. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based probe for R-Ras activity, R-Ras activity was found to be higher on endosomes than on the plasma membrane. This high R-Ras activity on the endosomes correlated with the accumulation of an R-Ras effector, the Rgl2/Rlf guanine nucleotide exchange factor for RalA, and also with high RalA activity. The essential role played by R-Ras in inducing high levels of RalA activity on the endosomes was evidenced by the short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated suppression of R-Ras and by the expression of R-Ras GAP. In agreement with the reported role of RalA in exocytosis, the shRNA of either R-Ras or RalA was found to suppress calcium-triggered exocytosis in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. These data revealed that R-Ras activates RalA on endosomes and that it thereby positively regulates exocytosis.

scholarly journals Enhanced brightness of bacterial luciferase by bioluminescence resonance energy transfer

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomomi Kaku ◽  
Kazunori Sugiura ◽  
Tetsuyuki Entani ◽  
Kenji Osabe ◽  
Takeharu Nagai
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Bacterial Luciferase ◽  
Bacterial Bioluminescence

AbstractUsing the lux operon (luxCDABE) of bacterial bioluminescence system as an autonomous luminous reporter has been demonstrated in bacteria, plant and mammalian cells. However, applications of bacterial bioluminescence-based imaging have been limited because of its low brightness. Here, we engineered the bacterial luciferase (heterodimer of luxA and luxB) by fusion with Venus, a bright variant of yellow fluorescent protein, to induce bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). By using decanal as an externally added substrate, color change and ten-times enhancement of brightness was achieved in Escherichia coli when circularly permuted Venus was fused to the C-terminus of luxB. Expression of the Venus-fused luciferase in human embryonic kidney cell lines (HEK293T) or in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves together with the substrate biosynthesis-related genes (luxC, luxD and luxE) enhanced the autonomous bioluminescence. We believe the improved luciferase will forge the way towards the potential development of autobioluminescent reporter system allowing spatiotemporal imaging in live cells.

scholarly journals Greatly enhanced detection of a volatile ligand at femtomolar levels using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Dacres ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Virginia Leitch ◽  
Irene Horne ◽  
Alisha R. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

scholarly journals Heterodimerization Between the Lutropin and Follitropin Receptors is Associated With an Attenuation of Hormone-Dependent Signaling

Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (10) ◽  
pp. 3925-3930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiuyan Feng ◽  
Meilin Zhang ◽  
Rongbin Guan ◽  
Deborah L. Segaloff
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Fsh Receptor ◽  
Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Lh Receptor ◽  
G Protein Coupled ◽  
Stimulation Of

The LH receptor (LHR) and FSH receptor (FSHR) are each G protein-coupled receptors that play critical roles in reproductive endocrinology. Each of these receptors has previously been shown to self-associate into homodimers and oligomers shortly after their biosynthesis. As shown herein using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer to detect protein-protein interactions, our data show that the LHR and FSHR, when coexpressed in the same cells, specifically heterodimerize with each other. Further experiments confirm that at least a portion of the cellular LHR/FSHR heterodimers are present on the cell surface and are functional. We then sought to ascertain what effects, if any, heterodimerization between the LHR and FSHR might have on signaling. It was observed that when the LHR was expressed under conditions promoting the heterodimerization with FSHR, LH or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation of Gs was attenuated. Conversely, when the FSHR was expressed under conditions promoting heterodimerization with the LHR, FSH-stimulated Gs activation was attenuated. These results demonstrate that the coexpression of the LHR and FSHR enables heterodimerizaton between the 2 gonadotropin receptors and results in an attenuation of signaling through each receptor.

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