全内角反射技术与转盘式共聚焦技术在细胞膜表面的成像比较

转盘式共聚焦成像是一种高速、高分辨率成像技术,可以在高时间分辨率和空间分辨率的水平观察固定细胞内目标蛋白的分布及活细胞内目标蛋白的动态变化。全内角反射成像是一种观察距离玻片表面某个限定区域内蛋白质的分布和变化的成像技术,常用于观察固定细胞以及活细胞表面的亚细胞结构。该文以中性粒细胞和神经胶质瘤细胞作为观察对象,通过观测固定细胞膜表面蛋白质的分布以及追踪膜标记活细胞的动态变化对两种成像方法进行了比较。结果发现,就目前技术水平而言,二者均可以采集到清晰的细胞边缘,但全内角反射可以拍摄到更清晰的细胞膜表面结构,它在动态拍摄过程中光漂白相对较低,在快速捕捉过程中能够更加全面的捕捉到一个完整的运动过程。     

FM4-64和Hoechst染料在活细菌胞膜和拟核标记定位中的条件优化与应用

摘要:【目的】为了观察细菌细胞膜和拟核的形态结构,准确对亚细胞进行定位。【方法】本文利用FM4-64和Hoechst两种染料,分别采用不同浓度和不同时间对大肠杆菌活细胞进行染色和荧光共聚焦显微成像,并对7种细菌的活细胞(金黄色葡萄球菌、铜绿假单胞菌、肺炎克雷伯菌、鼠疫耶尔森菌、军团菌、霍乱弧菌和炭疽芽孢杆菌)进行染色观察。【结果】相同观察条件下,不同染料浓度和不同的染色时间影响了细胞膜、拟核的荧光强度;确定了FM4-64染色通用条件(浓度20 μg/mL 染色1 min)和Hoechst的最佳条件(浓度20 μg/mL染色20min)。上述条件下,Hoechst对8种细菌染色效果均较理想,然而FM4-64对细菌染色效果不同,革兰氏阴性菌(大肠杆菌、肺炎克雷伯菌、鼠疫耶尔森菌、霍乱弧菌、铜绿假单胞菌和军团菌)表现较好的细胞膜轮廓,革兰氏阳性菌(炭疽芽孢杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌)效果较差。【结论】FM4-64和Hoechst两种染料共染8种细菌,对细胞膜和拟核的染色观察,可为原核细胞结构染色提供借鉴,并为大分子的亚细胞定位研究奠定基础。     

中链脂肪酸毒性机制及耐受性菌株构建研究进展

中链脂肪酸(medium-chain fatty acids, MCFAs)作为一种重要的平台化学品,被广泛应用到能源、食品和医药等行业。工业微生物发酵生产MCFAs是一条绿色环保的路线,但MCFAs会对微生物细胞膜造成损伤,并导致细胞pH、渗透压失衡及氧化应激,从而严重抑制细胞的生长速率和生产能力。因此,构建MCFAs耐受性工业微生物菌株,有助于进一步提高MCFAs的生产效率。以大肠杆菌和酿酒酵母等工业微生物为例,首先简介了MCFAs对微生物细胞的毒性机制。其次综述了运用膜改造、转运体筛选等理性代谢工程手段构建MCFAs耐受性菌株的相关研究进展,并概括了运用适应性进化、代谢通量分析等方法系统性挖掘MCFAs耐受靶点进而增强菌株耐受性的研究进展。最后对后续提高工业微生物MCFAs耐受性和生产能力的研究方向进行了展望。     

有机溶剂对细胞的毒害及细胞的耐受性机制*

在非水相生物转化和涉及有机溶剂的环境微生物技术中,有机溶剂对微生物细胞的毒性使相关的研究和应用受到制约,这些有机分子进入到细胞膜中,破坏膜的完整性、增加膜的通透性,使细胞死亡;但在一些情况下,某些微生物可以通过自身的抗性机制在有机溶剂中存活,而微生物对有机溶剂的耐受性主要取决于物理障碍、细胞膜水平、主动泵出系统3个层次上相应的生理生化作用。     

超分辨显微成像技术在活细胞成像中的应用与发展

超分辨显微成像技术（super-resolution microscopy，SRM）可以绕过光学衍射极限对成像分辨率的限制，让以前观察不到的纳米级结构实现可视化，这一重大研究进展推动了现代生命科学和生物医学研究的进步与发展. 细胞是生物体的基本组成单位，对活细胞内部的细微结构和动力学过程进行研究是掌握生命本质必不可少的途径. 但由于成像原理或条件的限制，早期的SRM技术在活细胞成像应用方面受到了不同程度的限制. 近几年来，随着SRM和相关技术的发展，SRM在活细胞成像研究中的应用也越来越多. 本文简要介绍目前常见的几种SRM技术的基本原理和特点，并在此基础上着重阐述它们在活细胞成像应用中所取得的最新研究进展和发展方向.     

有机溶剂对细胞的毒害及细胞的耐受性机制

在非水相生物转化和涉及有机溶剂的环境微生物技术中,有机溶剂对微生物细胞的毒性使相关的研究和应用受到制约,这些有机分子进入到细胞膜中,破坏膜的完整性,增加膜的通透性,使细胞死亡,但在一些情况下,某些微生物可以通过自身的抗性机制在有机溶剂中存活,而微生物对有机溶剂的耐受性主要取决于物理障碍,细胞膜水平,主动泵出系统3个层次上相应的生理生化作用。     

单细胞拉曼光谱在微生物研究中的应用

拉曼显微光谱是一种能够提供0.5–1.0μm空间分辨率的单个微生物细胞内化学结构信息的研究技术。近几年来,拉曼显微光谱被越来越多地应用于微生物单细胞的研究中,它可以快速无损地检测微生物细胞内的特征化学组分。典型的单个微生物细胞的拉曼光谱包含核酸、蛋白质、碳水化合物、脂质和色素(例如类胡萝卜素)等信息,这些信息能够表征微生物细胞的基因型、表型和生理状态。所以单细胞拉曼显微光谱是一种可用于区分微生物样品的"全生物指纹"技术,它可用于研究单个微生物细胞生命阶段的转变、鉴定微生物单细胞中的色素及其他化合物的含量变化等。本文综述了目前拉曼显微光谱在微生物单细胞研究上的应用,主要包括与稳定同位素标记(stable isotope probing,SIP)、拉曼成像、光谱分类和细胞分选技术结合来探究微生物单细胞对物质吸收后特征峰的变化、推导物质循环过程、进行微生物分类鉴定和探索基因型与表型的关系。拉曼显微光谱作为微生物单细胞研究的手段之一,在代谢过程的研究、活细胞分选和细胞对物质的利用上具有广泛的应用前景。     

生命现象与熵

自然界的演变不外乎包括了从有序到无序和无序到有序两种演变方式。从有序到无序的演化,正是热力学第二定律所概括的本质,即在封闭系统及与其相对应的环境所组成的孤立系统中,任何自发过程总是朝着使体系越来越混乱、越来越无序的方向演化,也就是熵只增不减,但对生命物质来说,其演化过程恰好与上述情况相反。以这一矛盾现象为起点,根据耗散结构理论,阐述用熵的概念来解释生命现象,是研究生命的一条重要途径。     

量子点标记活细胞内GLUT4 蛋白的研究

目的:研究量子点标记活细胞内GLUT4蛋白的方法,用于长时程观察活细胞内GLUT4的转运过程。方法:使用在GLUT4蛋白膜外区构建了myc位点的L6-GLUT4myc细胞系,用胰岛素刺激L6细胞内的GLUT4myc转运到细胞膜上,通过抗体抗原反应先后将一抗9E10和偶联二抗IgG的量子点与特异性位点结合。结果:通过量子点标记固定细胞内GLUT4的实验,证明了标记方法的特异性和灵敏性。量子点能够标记细胞膜表面的GLUT4蛋白并伴随GLUT4的胞吞进入细胞。适当调整实验温度,用量子点标记细胞膜上的GLUT4并且在实验过程结束后将标记了量子点的GLUT4保持在细胞膜表面,能够观察活细胞内GLUT4蛋白内化和胞内循环的过程。结论:发展了量子点标记活细胞内GLUT4的方法,为进一步研究活细胞内GLUT4的转运过程打下了基础。     

PC12活细胞中单个分泌囊泡的动态成像

囊泡的荧光标记和动态显微成像观察是研究蛋白质和膜转运机制的重要手段。采用EGFP hpNPY融合荧光蛋白标记PC12细胞的致密大囊泡 ,用全内反射和宽场荧光显微镜对PC12细胞进行成像研究。结果发现 :普通的宽场荧光成像模糊不清 ,难以观察到单个囊泡 ;而全内反射荧光成像则可清晰地分辨出呈现为离散荧光点的单个囊泡 ;并且进一步利用全内反射荧光成像直接观察到了活的PC12细胞中单个囊泡的转运、锚定及与细胞膜的融合过程 ,证实了囊泡的锚定过程是可逆的。     

Antibody-Induced Acetylcholine Receptor Clusters Inhabit Liquid-Ordered and Liquid-Disordered Domains

The distribution of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters at the cell membrane was studied in CHO-K1/A5 cells using fluorescence microscopy. Di-4-ANEPPDHQ, a fluorescent probe that differentiates between liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phases in model membranes, was used in combination with monoclonal anti-AChR antibody labeling of live cells, which induces AChR clustering. The so-called generalized polarization (GP) of di-4-ANEPPDHQ was measured in regions of the cell-surface membrane associated with or devoid of antibody-induced AChR clusters, respectively. AChR clusters were almost equally distributed between Lo and Ld domains, independently of receptor surface levels and agonist (carbamoylcholine and nicotine) or antagonist (α-bungarotoxin) binding. Cholesterol depletion diminished the cell membrane mean di-4-ANEPPDHQ GP and the number of AChR clusters associated with Ld membrane domains increased concomitantly. Depolymerization of the filamentous actin cytoskeleton by Latrunculin A had the opposite effect, with more AChR clusters associated with Lo domains. AChR internalized via small vesicles having lower GP and lower cholesterol content than the surface membrane. Upon cholesterol depletion, only 12% of the AChR-containing vesicles costained with the fluorescent cholesterol analog fPEG-cholesterol, i.e., AChR endocytosis was essentially dissociated from that of cholesterol. In conclusion, the distribution of AChR submicron-sized clusters at the cell membrane appears to be regulated by cholesterol content and cytoskeleton integrity.     

Antibody-Induced Acetylcholine Receptor Clusters Inhabit Liquid-Ordered and Liquid-Disordered Domains

The distribution of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters at the cell membrane was studied in CHO-K1/A5 cells using fluorescence microscopy. Di-4-ANEPPDHQ, a fluorescent probe that differentiates between liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phases in model membranes, was used in combination with monoclonal anti-AChR antibody labeling of live cells, which induces AChR clustering. The so-called generalized polarization (GP) of di-4-ANEPPDHQ was measured in regions of the cell-surface membrane associated with or devoid of antibody-induced AChR clusters, respectively. AChR clusters were almost equally distributed between Lo and Ld domains, independently of receptor surface levels and agonist (carbamoylcholine and nicotine) or antagonist (α-bungarotoxin) binding. Cholesterol depletion diminished the cell membrane mean di-4-ANEPPDHQ GP and the number of AChR clusters associated with Ld membrane domains increased concomitantly. Depolymerization of the filamentous actin cytoskeleton by Latrunculin A had the opposite effect, with more AChR clusters associated with Lo domains. AChR internalized via small vesicles having lower GP and lower cholesterol content than the surface membrane. Upon cholesterol depletion, only 12% of the AChR-containing vesicles costained with the fluorescent cholesterol analog fPEG-cholesterol, i.e., AChR endocytosis was essentially dissociated from that of cholesterol. In conclusion, the distribution of AChR submicron-sized clusters at the cell membrane appears to be regulated by cholesterol content and cytoskeleton integrity.     

Detecting Subtle Plasma Membrane Perturbation in Living Cells Using Second Harmonic Generation Imaging

The requirement of center asymmetry for the creation of second harmonic generation (SHG) signals makes it an attractive technique for visualizing changes in interfacial layers such as the plasma membrane of biological cells. In this article, we explore the use of lipophilic SHG probes to detect minute perturbations in the plasma membrane. Three candidate probes, Di-4-ANEPPDHQ (Di-4), FM4-64, and all-trans-retinol, were evaluated for SHG effectiveness in Jurkat cells. Di-4 proved superior with both strong SHG signal and limited bleaching artifacts. To test whether rapid changes in membrane symmetry could be detected using SHG, we exposed cells to nanosecond-pulsed electric fields, which are believed to cause formation of nanopores in the plasma membrane. Upon nanosecond-pulsed electric fields exposure, we observed an instantaneous drop of ∼50% in SHG signal from the anodic pole of the cell. When compared to the simultaneously acquired fluorescence signals, it appears that the signal change was not due to the probe diffusing out of the membrane or changes in membrane potential or fluidity. We hypothesize that this loss in SHG signal is due to disruption in the interfacial nature of the membrane. The results show that SHG imaging has great potential as a tool for measuring rapid and subtle plasma membrane disturbance in living cells.     

Characterization and application of a new optical probe for membrane lipid domains

In this article, we characterize the fluorescence of an environmentally sensitive probe for lipid membranes, di-4-ANEPPDHQ. In large unilamellar lipid vesicles (LUVs), its emission spectrum shifts up to 30 nm to the blue with increasing cholesterol concentration. Independently, it displays a comparable blue shift in liquid-ordered relative to liquid-disordered phases. The cumulative effect is a 60-nm difference in emission spectra for cholesterol containing LUVs in the liquid-ordered state versus cholesterol-free LUVs in the liquid-disordered phase. Given these optical properties, we use di-4-ANEPPDHQ to image the phase separation in giant unilamellar vesicles with both linear and nonlinear optical microscopy. The dye shows green and red fluorescence in liquid-ordered and -disordered domains, respectively. We propose that this reflects the relative rigidity of the molecular packing around the dye molecules in the two phases. We also observe a sevenfold stronger second harmonic generation signal in the liquid-disordered domains, consistent with a higher concentration of the dye resulting from preferential partitioning into the disordered phase. The efficacy of the dye for reporting lipid domains in cell membranes is demonstrated in polarized migrating neutrophils.     

FRET analysis of domain formation and properties in complex membrane systems

The application of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) to the detection and characterization of phase separation in lipid bilayers (both in model systems and in cell membranes) is reviewed. Models describing the rate and efficiency of FRET for both uniform probe distribution and phase separation, and recently reported methods for detection of membrane heterogeneity and determination of phase boundaries, probe partition coefficients and domain size, are presented and critically discussed. Selected recent applications of FRET to one-phase lipid systems, gel/fluid phase separation, liquid ordered/liquid disordered phase separation (lipid rafts), complex systems containing ceramide and cell membranes are presented to illustrate the wealth of information that can be inferred from carefully designed FRET studies of membrane domains.     

Evidence for a transition in the cortical membranes of Paramecium

Ever since the pioneering studies in the 1960s and 70s, the importance of order transitions for cell membrane functions has remained a matter of debate. Recently, it has been proposed that the nonlinear stimulus-response curve of excitable cells, which manifests in all-or-none pulses (action potentials (AP)), is due to a transition in the cell membrane. Indeed, evidence for transitions has accumulated in plant cells and neurons, but studies with other excitable cells are expedient in order to show if this finding is of a general nature. Herein, we investigated intact, motile specimens of the “swimming neuron” Paramecium. The cellular membranes were labelled with the solvatochromic fluorophores LAURDAN or Di-4-ANEPPDHQ. Subsequently, a cell was trapped in a microfluidic channel and investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. The generalized polarization (GP) of the fluorescence emission from cell cortical membranes (probably plasma and alveolar membranes) was extracted by an edge-finding algorithm. The thermo-optical state diagram, i.e. the dependence of GP on temperature, exhibited clear indications for a reversible transition. This transition had a width of ~10–15 °C and a midpoint that was located ~4 °C below the growth temperature. The state diagrams with LAURDAN and Di-4-ANEPPDHQ had widely identical characteristics. These results suggested that the cortical membranes of Paramecium reside in an order transition regime under physiological growth conditions. Based on these findings, membrane potential fluctuations, spontaneous depolarizing spikes, and thermal excitation of Paramecium was interpreted.     

Liquid ordered and gel phases of lipid bilayers: fluorescent probes reveal close fluidity but different hydration

Hydration and fluidity of lipid bilayers in different phase states were studied using fluorescent probes selectively located at the interface. The probe of hydration was a recently developed 3-hydroxyflavone derivative, which is highly sensitive to the environment, whereas the probe of fluidity was the diphenylhexatriene derivative, 1-[4-(trimethylamino)phenyl]-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene. By variation of the cholesterol content and temperature in large unilamellar vesicles composed of sphingomyelin or dipalmitoylphosphatidlycholine, we generated different phases: gel, liquid ordered (raft), liquid crystalline, and liquid disordered (considered as liquid crystalline phase with cholesterol). For these four phases, the hydration increases in the following order: liquid ordered < gel approximately liquid disordered < liquid crystalline. The membrane fluidity shows a somewhat different trend, namely liquid ordered approximately gel < liquid disordered < liquid crystalline. Thus, gel and liquid ordered phases exhibit similar fluidity, whereas the last phase is significantly less hydrated. We expect that cholesterol due to its specific H-bonding interactions with lipids and its ability to fill the voids in lipid bilayers expels efficiently water molecules from the highly ordered gel phase to form the liquid ordered phase. In this study, the liquid ordered (raft) and gel phases are for the first time clearly distinguished by their strong difference in hydration.     

Visualization of lipid domains in giant unilamellar vesicles using an environment-sensitive membrane probe based on 3-hydroxyflavone

We characterized the recently introduced environment-sensitive fluorescent membrane probe based on 3-hydroxyflavone, F2N12S, in model lipid membranes displaying liquid disordered (Ld) phase, liquid ordered (Lo) phase, or their coexistence. Steady-state fluorescence studies in large unilamellar vesicles show that the probe dual emission drastically changes with the lipid bilayer phase, which can be correlated with the difference in their hydration. Using two-photon excitation microscopy on giant unilamellar vesicles, the F2N12S probe was found to bind both Ld and Lo phases, allowing visualization of the individual phases from the fluorescence intensity ratio of its two emission bands. By using a linearly polarized excitation light, a strong photoselection was observed for F2N12S in the Lo phase, indicating that its fluorophore is nearly parallel to the lipid chains of the bilayer. In contrast, the absence of the photoselection with the Ld phase indicated no predominant orientation of the probe in the Ld phase. Comparison of the present results with those reported previously for F2N12S in living cells suggests a high content of the Lo phase in the outer leaflet of the cell plasma membranes. Taking into account the high selectivity of F2N12S for the cell plasma membranes and its suitability for both single- and two-photon excitation, applications of this probe to study membrane lateral heterogeneity in biological membranes are foreseen.     

Quantitative imaging of membrane lipid order in cells and organisms

It is now recognized that lipids and proteins in cellular membranes are not homogenously distributed. A high degree of membrane order is the biophysical hallmark of cholesterol-enriched lipid rafts, which may induce the lateral sorting of proteins within the membrane. Here we describe a quantitative fluorescence microscopy technique for imaging localized lipid environments and measuring membrane lipid order in live and fixed cells, as well as in intact tissues. The method is based on the spectral ratiometric imaging of the polarity-sensitive membrane dyes Laurdan and di-4-ANEPPDHQ. Laurdan typically requires multiphoton excitation, making it suitable for the imaging of tissues such as whole, living zebrafish embryos, whereas di-4-ANEPPDHQ imaging can be achieved with standard confocal microscopes. This approach, which takes around 4 h, directly examines the organization of cellular membranes and is distinct from alternative approaches that infer membrane order by measuring probe partitioning or dynamics.     

Fluorescence anisotropy measurements of lipid order in plasma membranes and lipid rafts from RBL-2H3 mast cells

Specialized plasma membrane domains known as lipid rafts participate in signal transduction and other cellular processes, and their liquid ordered (L(o)) phase appears to be important for their function. To quantify ordered lipids in biological membranes, we investigated steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of two lipid probes, 2-[3-(diphenylhexatrienyl)propanoyl]-1-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPH-PC) and N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)-1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (NBD-PE). We show using model membranes with varying amounts of cholesterol that steady-state fluorescence anisotropy is a sensitive measure of cholesterol-dependent ordering. The results suggest that DPH-PC is a more sensitive probe than NBD-PE. In the presence of cholesterol, ordering also depends on the degree of saturation of the phospholipid acyl chains. Using DPH-PC, we find that the plasma membrane of RBL-2H3 mast cells is substantially ordered, roughly 40%, as determined by comparison with anisotropy values for model membranes entirely in a liquid ordered (L(o)) phase and in a liquid disordered (L(alpha)) phase. This result is consistent with the finding that approximately 30% of plasma membrane phospholipids are insoluble in 0.5% Triton X-100. Furthermore, detergent-resistant membranes isolated by sucrose gradient fractionation of Triton X-100 cell lysates are more ordered than plasma membrane vesicles, suggesting that they represent a more ordered subset of the plasma membrane. Treatment of plasma membrane vesicles with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin resulting in 75% cholesterol depletion leads to commensurate decreases in lipid order as measured by anisotropy of DPH-PC and NBD-PE. These results demonstrate that steady-state fluorescence anisotropy of DPH-PC is a useful way to measure the amount of lipid order in biological membranes.