Super-Resolution Imaging of Molecular Emission Spectra and Single Molecule Spectral Fluctuations

Localization microscopy can image nanoscale cellular details. To address biological questions, the ability to distinguish multiple molecular species simultaneously is invaluable. Here, we present a new version of fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy (FPALM) which detects the emission spectrum of each localized molecule, and can quantify changes in emission spectrum of individual molecules over time. This information can allow for a dramatic increase in the number of different species simultaneously imaged in a sample, and can create super-resolution maps showing how single molecule emission spectra vary with position and time in a sample.     

Automatic detection of single fluorophores in live cells

Recent developments in light microscopy enable individual fluorophores to be observed in aqueous conditions. Biological molecules, labeled with a single fluorophore, can be localized as isolated spots of light when viewed by optical microscopy. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy greatly reduces background fluorescence and allows single fluorophores to be observed inside living cells. This advance in live-cell imaging means that the spatial and temporal dynamics of individual molecules can be measured directly. Because of the stochastic nature of single molecule behavior a statistically meaningful number of individual molecules must be detected and their separate trajectories in space and time stored and analyzed. Here, we describe digital image processing methods that we have devised for automatic detection and tracking of hundreds of molecules, observed simultaneously, in vitro and within living cells. Using this technique we have measured the diffusive behavior of pleckstrin homology domains bound to phosphoinositide phospholipids at the plasma membrane of live cultured mammalian cells. We found that mobility of these membrane-bound protein domains is dominated by mobility of the lipid molecule to which they are attached and is highly temperature dependent. Movement of PH domains isolated from the tail region of myosin-10 is consistent with a simple random walk, whereas, diffusion of intact PLC-delta1 shows behavior inconsistent with a simple random walk. Movement is rapid over short timescales but much slower at longer timescales. This anomalous behavior can be explained by movement being restricted to membrane regions of 0.7 microm diameter.     

Detection of single DNA molecules by multicolor quantum-dot end-labeling

Observation of DNA–protein interactions by single molecule fluorescence microscopy is usually performed by using fluorescent DNA binding agents. However, such dyes have been shown to induce cleavage of the DNA molecule and perturb its interactions with proteins. A new method for the detection of surface-attached DNA molecules by fluorescence microscopy is introduced in this paper. Biotin- and/or digoxigenin-modified DNA fragments are covalently linked at both extremities of a DNA molecule via sequence-specific hybridization and ligation. After the modified DNA molecules have been stretched on a glass surface, their ends are visualized by multicolor fluorescence microscopy using conjugated quantum dots (QD). We demonstrate that under carefully selected conditions, the position and orientation of individual DNA molecules can be inferred with good efficiency from the QD fluorescence signals alone. This is achieved by selecting QD pairs that have the distance and direction expected for the combed DNA molecules. Direct observation of single DNA molecules in the absence of DNA staining agent opens new possibilities in the fundamental study of DNA–protein interactions. This work also documents new possibilities regarding the use of QD for nucleic acid detection and analysis.     

Homebuilt single-molecule scanning confocal fluorescence microscope studies of single DNA/protein interactions

Many technical improvements in fluorescence microscopy over the years have focused on decreasing background and increasing the signal to noise ratio (SNR). The scanning confocal fluorescence microscope (SCFM) represented a major improvement in these efforts. The SCFM acquires signal from a thin layer of a thick sample, rejecting light whose origin is not in the focal plane thereby dramatically decreasing the background signal. A second major innovation was the advent of high quantum-yield, low noise, single-photon counting detectors. The superior background rejection of SCFM combined with low-noise, high-yield detectors makes it possible to detect the fluorescence from single-dye molecules. By labeling a DNA molecule or a DNA/protein complex with a donor/acceptor dye pair, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can be used to track conformational changes in the molecule/complex itself, on a single molecule/complex basis. In this methods paper, we describe the core concepts of SCFM in the context of a study that uses FRET to reveal conformational fluctuations in individual Holliday junction DNA molecules and nucleosomal particles. We also discuss data processing methods for SCFM.     

Real-time observation of a single DNA digestion by lambda exonuclease under a fluorescence microscope field

A fluorescence microscopy technique has been developed to visualize the behavior of individual DNA and protein molecules. Real-time direct observation of a single DNA molecule can be used to investigate the dynamics of DNA-protein interactions, such as the DNA digestion reaction by lambda exonuclease. In conventional methods it is impossible to analyze the dynamics of an individual lambda exonuclease molecule on a DNA because they can only observe the average behavior of a number of exonuclease molecules. Observation of a single molecule, on the other hand, can reveal processivity and binding rate of an individual exonuclease molecule. To evaluate the dynamics of lambda exonuclease, a stained lambda DNA molecule with one biotinylated terminal was fixed on an avidin-coated coverslip and straightened using a d.c. electric field. Microscopic observation of digestion of a straightened DNA molecule by lambda exonuclease revealed that the DNA digestion rate was approximately 1000 bases/s and also demonstrated high processivity.     

Super‐beacons: Open‐source probes with spontaneous tuneable blinking compatible with live‐cell super‐resolution microscopy

Localization‐based super‐resolution microscopy relies on the detection of individual molecules cycling between fluorescent and non‐fluorescent states. These transitions are commonly regulated by high‐intensity illumination, imposing constrains to imaging hardware and producing sample photodamage. Here, we propose single‐molecule self‐quenching as a mechanism to generate spontaneous photoswitching. To demonstrate this principle, we developed a new class of DNA‐based open‐source super‐resolution probes named super‐beacons, with photoswitching kinetics that can be tuned structurally, thermally and chemically. The potential of these probes for live‐cell compatible super‐resolution microscopy without high‐illumination or toxic imaging buffers is revealed by imaging interferon inducible transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) at sub‐100 nm resolutions.     

Fiber optic array biosensors

Optical fiber arrays provide a powerful substrate for creating high-density sensing systems that can address a variety of biological problems. The fiber substrate can be used to create femtoliter wells that can be loaded with individual beads to create high-density arrays for multiplexed screening and analysis. In addition, living cells can be loaded into the arrays, and their individual responses monitored over long time periods, enabling functional screening of biologically active compounds. Adherent cells can be attached to the fiber substrate to provide a rapid method for observing cell migration and for screening anti-migratory compounds. Finally, individual enzyme molecules can be loaded into the array wells enabling single molecule detection via enzyme-catalyzed signal amplification.     

Real-time observation of a single DNA digestion by λ exonuclease under a fluorescence microscope field

A fluorescence microscopy technique has been developed to visualize the behavior of individual DNA and protein molecules. Real-time direct observation of a single DNA molecule can be used to investigate the dynamics of DNA–protein interactions, such as the DNA digestion reaction by λ exonuclease. In conventional methods it is impossible to analyze the dynamics of an individual λ exonuclease molecule on a DNA because they can only observe the average behavior of a number of exonuclease molecules. Observation of a single molecule, on the other hand, can reveal processivity and binding rate of an individual exonuclease molecule. To evaluate the dynamics of λ exonuclease, a stained λ DNA molecule with one biotinylated terminal was fixed on an avidin-coated coverslip and straightened using a d.c. electric field. Microscopic observation of digestion of a straightened DNA molecule by λ exonuclease revealed that the DNA digestion rate was ~1000 bases/s and also demonstrated high processivity.     

Lucky Imaging: Improved Localization Accuracy for Single Molecule Imaging

We apply the astronomical data-analysis technique, Lucky imaging, to improve resolution in single molecule fluorescence microscopy. We show that by selectively discarding data points from individual single-molecule trajectories, imaging resolution can be improved by a factor of 1.6 for individual fluorophores and up to 5.6 for more complex images. The method is illustrated using images of fluorescent dye molecules and quantum dots, and the in vivo imaging of fluorescently labeled linker for activation of T cells.     

Simultaneous Multicolor Imaging of Biological Structures with Fluorescence Photoactivation Localization Microscopy

Localization-based super resolution microscopy can be applied to obtain a spatial map (image) of the distribution of individual fluorescently labeled single molecules within a sample with a spatial resolution of tens of nanometers. Using either photoactivatable (PAFP) or photoswitchable (PSFP) fluorescent proteins fused to proteins of interest, or organic dyes conjugated to antibodies or other molecules of interest, fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy (FPALM) can simultaneously image multiple species of molecules within single cells. By using the following approach, populations of large numbers (thousands to hundreds of thousands) of individual molecules are imaged in single cells and localized with a precision of ~10-30 nm. Data obtained can be applied to understanding the nanoscale spatial distributions of multiple protein types within a cell. One primary advantage of this technique is the dramatic increase in spatial resolution: while diffraction limits resolution to ~200-250 nm in conventional light microscopy, FPALM can image length scales more than an order of magnitude smaller. As many biological hypotheses concern the spatial relationships among different biomolecules, the improved resolution of FPALM can provide insight into questions of cellular organization which have previously been inaccessible to conventional fluorescence microscopy. In addition to detailing the methods for sample preparation and data acquisition, we here describe the optical setup for FPALM. One additional consideration for researchers wishing to do super-resolution microscopy is cost: in-house setups are significantly cheaper than most commercially available imaging machines. Limitations of this technique include the need for optimizing the labeling of molecules of interest within cell samples, and the need for post-processing software to visualize results. We here describe the use of PAFP and PSFP expression to image two protein species in fixed cells. Extension of the technique to living cells is also described.     

Detection and characterization of single biomolecules at surfaces

The investigation of bio-molecules has entered a new age since the development of methodologies capable of studies at the level of single molecules. In biology, most molecules show a complex dynamical behavior, with individual motions and transitions between different states, occurring as highly correlated in space and time within an arrangement of various elements. In order to resolve such dynamical changes in ensemble average techniques, one would have to synchronize all molecules, which is hard to achieve and might interfere with important system properties. Single molecule studies, in contrast, do not require pretreatment of the system and resume, therefore, much less invasive methodologies. Here, we review recent employments for the investigation of bio-molecules on surfaces, in which the high local and temporal resolution of two complementary techniques, atomic force microscopy and single molecule fluorescence microscopy, is used to address single molecules. Novel methodologies for the characterization of biologically relevant parameters, functions and dynamical aspects of individual molecules are described.     

Biophysics of single molecules

The modern methods of research on biological molecules which have led to the development of a new field of science, biophysics of single molecules, are reviewed. The measurement of the characteristics of single molecules enables one to reveal their individual features, and it is just for this reason that much more information can be obtained from one molecule than from the entire ensemble of molecules. The high sensitivity of the methods considered in detail makes it possible to come close to solving the basic problem of practical importance, namely, the determination of the nucleotide sequence of a single DNA molecule.     

Single molecule microscopy of biomembranes (review)

Recent advances in the development of new microscopy techniques with a sensitivity of a single molecule have gained access to essentially new types of information obtainable from imaging biomolecular samples. These methodologies are analysed here in terms of their applicability to the in vivo visualization of cellular processes on the molecular scale, in particular of processes in cell membranes. First examples of single molecule microscopy on cell membranes revealed new basic insight into the lateral organization of the plasma membrane, providing the captivating perspective of an ultrasensitive methodology as a general tool to study local processes and heterogeneities in living cells.     

Single molecule microscopy of biomembranes (Review)

Recent advances in the development of new microscopy techniques with a sensitivity of a single molecule have gained access to essentially new types of information obtainable from imaging biomolecular samples. These methodologies are analysed here in terms of their applicability to the in vivo visualization of cellular processes on the molecular scale, in particular of processes in cell membranes. First examples of single molecule microscopy on cell membranes revealed new basic insight into the lateral organization of the plasma membrane, providing the captivating perspective of an ultrasensitive methodology as a general tool to study local processes and heterogeneities in living cells.     

光学显微镜技术在活细胞单分子检测中的应用

单分子检测是一门以高度的时间以及空间分辨率研究生物单分子的技术。近来,科学技术的探索发展使我们可以观察、检测甚至操纵单个分子并且研究它们的构象变化和动力学行为。这一发展使得以前被传统系综研究体系平均化所隐藏的新信息被揭示出来。单分子检测技术的发展已经揭开了生命科学研究的新篇章。在本文中,我们将介绍有关活细胞中单分子检测技术的发展以及活细胞内单分子检测的现状。     

Scientific and practical applications of molecular colonies

The review briefs the history of the invention of the molecular colony techique, also known as a polony technology; applications of this method to studies of the reactions between single RNA molecules, ultrasensitive diagnosis, gene cloning, and in vitro screening, as well as the concepts of the origin of life that regard molecular colonies as a prototype of living organisms.     

Scientific and practical applications of molecular colonies

Reviewed are the history of invention of the molecular colony technique, also known under name "polony technology", applications of this method to studies of reactions between single RNA molecules, ultrasensitive diagnostics, gene cloning and screening in vitro, and also concepts on the origin of life that consider molecular colonies as a prototype of living organisms.     

Nanoparticles,molecular biosensors,and multispectral confocal microscopy

Complex, multilayered nanoparticles hold great promise for more sophisticated drug/gene delivery systems to single cells. Outermost layers can include cell targeting and cell-entry facilitating molecules. The next layer can include intracellular targeting molecules for precise delivery of the nanoparticle complex inside the cell of interest. Molecular biosensors can be used to confirm the presence of expected molecules (for example, reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a surrogate molecule for signs of infection, or for activation in radiation damage, etc.) prior to delivery of counter-measure molecules such as drugs or gene therapy. They can also be used as a feedback control mechanism to control the proper amount of drug/gene delivery for each cell. Importantly, the full nanoparticle system can be used to prevent any cells from encountering the drug unless that cell is specifically targeted. Thus, if a cell is initially non-specifically targeted, a secondary check for other molecular targets which must also be present inside the target cell of interest can be used to catch initial targeting mistakes and prevent subsequent delivery of treatment molecules to the wrong cells. The precise intracellular location of nanoparticles within specific regions of a cell can be confirmed by 3D multispectral confocal microscopy. These single cell molecular morphology measurements can be extended from individual cells, to other cells in a tissue in tissue monolayers or tissue sections.     

Visualizing single molecules interacting with nuclear pore complexes by narrow-field epifluorescence microscopy

The utility of single molecule fluorescence (SMF) for understanding biological reactions has been amply demonstrated by a diverse series of studies over the last decade. In large part, the molecules of interest have been limited to those within a small focal volume or near a surface to achieve the high sensitivity required for detecting the inherently weak signals arising from individual molecules. Consequently, the investigation of molecular behavior with high time and spatial resolution deep within cells using SMF has remained challenging. Recently, we demonstrated that narrow-field epifluorescence microscopy allows visualization of nucleocytoplasmic transport at the single cargo level. We describe here the methodological approach that yields 2 ms and approximately 15 nm resolution for a stationary particle. The spatial resolution for a mobile particle is inherently worse, and depends on how fast the particle is moving. The signal-to-noise ratio is sufficiently high to directly measure the time a single cargo molecule spends interacting with the nuclear pore complex. Particle tracking analysis revealed that cargo molecules randomly diffuse within the nuclear pore complex, exiting as a result of a single rate-limiting step. We expect that narrow-field epifluorescence microscopy will be useful for elucidating other binding and trafficking events within cells.     

Imaging real-time proteolysis of single collagen I molecules with an atomic force microscope.

The dynamic process of synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix molecules, including various collagens, is important in normal physiological functions and pathological conditions. Existing models of collagen enzymatic degradation reactions are derived from bulk biochemical assays. In this study, we have imaged in real-time individual collagen I molecules and their proteolysis by Clostridium histolyticum collagenases in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with atomic force microscopy (AFM). We have also imaged the likely binding and unbinding of collagenase molecules to single triple-helical collagen I molecules and subsequent proteolysis of subsets of the collagen molecules. The proteolysis of collagen molecules was inhibited by reduced calcium and acidification. Results from AFM study of collagen proteolysis are consistent with SDS-PAGE biochemical assays. The real-time proteolysis of single collagen I molecules followed simple Michaelis-Menton kinetics previously derived from bulk biochemical assays. This is the first report of imaging real-time proteolysis of single macromolecules and its inhibition on a molecular scale. A strong correspondence between the kinetics of proteolysis of single collagen molecules and the kinetics of proteolysis derived from bulk biochemical assays will have a wide applicability in examining real-time enzymatic reactions and their regulation at single molecule structural level. Such real-time study of single molecule proteolysis could provide a better understanding of the interactions between proteases and target proteins as well as proteases and protease inhibitors.