High-Sensitivity Fluorometry to Resolve Ion Channel Conformational Dynamics

TY - JOUR

T1 - High-Sensitivity Fluorometry to Resolve Ion Channel Conformational Dynamics

AU - Wulf, Matthias

AU - Pless, Stephan Alexander

N1 - Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/2/6

Y1 - 2018/2/6

N2 - Fluorescent labels offer the capability to follow conformational dynamics of membrane proteins, but signal detection in such recordings is inherently difficult to achieve in a cell membrane and lacks sufficient time resolution to follow physiologically relevant transitions. Here, we develop high-sensitivity patch-clamp fluorometry (hsPCF), a fluorescence-based approach that results in up to 10-fold increased signals and affords 50-fold faster fluorescence recordings than previous methods. The increased time resolution is paired with a very high versatility in terms of the choice of fluorescent dye, cell type, and protein of interest. We highlight this versatility by providing insight into the conformational dynamics of both ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels using fluorescent labels introduced in extracellular or transmembrane positions while changing either the extra- or intracellular solutions. Together, hsPCF will thus enable the future study of membrane-embedded proteins with sufficient temporal resolution to resolve conformational dynamics. Monitoring the conformational changes of membrane proteins is critical to understanding their function and pharmacology, but they are inherently difficult to resolve in live cells. Wulf and Pless devised a high-sensitivity patch-clamp fluorometry approach capable of detecting conformational changes with milli- to microsecond time resolution.

AB - Fluorescent labels offer the capability to follow conformational dynamics of membrane proteins, but signal detection in such recordings is inherently difficult to achieve in a cell membrane and lacks sufficient time resolution to follow physiologically relevant transitions. Here, we develop high-sensitivity patch-clamp fluorometry (hsPCF), a fluorescence-based approach that results in up to 10-fold increased signals and affords 50-fold faster fluorescence recordings than previous methods. The increased time resolution is paired with a very high versatility in terms of the choice of fluorescent dye, cell type, and protein of interest. We highlight this versatility by providing insight into the conformational dynamics of both ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels using fluorescent labels introduced in extracellular or transmembrane positions while changing either the extra- or intracellular solutions. Together, hsPCF will thus enable the future study of membrane-embedded proteins with sufficient temporal resolution to resolve conformational dynamics. Monitoring the conformational changes of membrane proteins is critical to understanding their function and pharmacology, but they are inherently difficult to resolve in live cells. Wulf and Pless devised a high-sensitivity patch-clamp fluorometry approach capable of detecting conformational changes with milli- to microsecond time resolution.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.029

DO - 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.029

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29425514

SN - 2639-1856

VL - 22

SP - 1615

EP - 1626

JO - Cell Reports

JF - Cell Reports

IS - 6

ER -