Quantitative Imaging of Biochemistry in Situ and at the Nanoscale.

Biochemical reactions in eukaryotic cells occur in subcellular, membrane-bound compartments called organelles. Each kind of organelle is characterized by a unique lumenal chemical composition whose stringent regulation is vital to proper organelle function. Disruption of the lumenal ionic content of organelles is inextricably linked to disease. Despite their vital roles in cellular homeostasis, there are large gaps in our knowledge of organellar chemical composition largely from a lack of suitable probes. In this Outlook, we describe how, using organelle-targeted ratiometric probes, one can quantitatively image the lumenal chemical composition and biochemical activity inside organelles. We discuss how excellent fluorescent detection chemistries applied largely to the cytosol may be expanded to study organelles by chemical imaging at subcellular resolution in live cells. DNA-based reporters are a new and versatile platform to enable such approaches because the resultant probes have precise ratiometry and accurate subcellular targeting and are able to map multiple chemicals simultaneously. Quantitatively mapping lumenal ions and biochemical activity can drive the discovery of new biology and biomedical applications.

DNA-based fluorescent probes of NOS2 activity in live brains.

Innate immune cells destroy pathogens within a transient organelle called the phagosome. When pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) displayed on the pathogen are recognized by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on the host cell, it activates inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) which instantly fills the phagosome with nitric oxide (NO) to clear the pathogen. Selected pathogens avoid activating NOS2 by concealing key PAMPs from their cognate TLRs. Thus, the ability to map NOS2 activity triggered by PAMPs can reveal critical mechanisms underlying pathogen susceptibility. Here, we describe DNA-based probes that ratiometrically report phagosomal and endosomal NO, and can be molecularly programmed to display precise stoichiometries of any desired PAMP. By mapping phagosomal NO produced in microglia of live zebrafish brains, we found that single-stranded RNA of bacterial origin acts as a PAMP and activates NOS2 by engaging TLR-7. This technology can be applied to study PAMP-TLR interactions in diverse organisms.

Controlled release of bioactive signaling molecules.

Membrane-initiated steroid signaling (MISS) involves rapid second messenger based intracellular signaling without coupling to transcription or translation. MISS activates important cellular signaling cascades such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) or adenylate cyclase pathways. Despite its vital role in signaling, the downstream second messengers involved in MISS and their temporal dynamics remain elusive. A technology which can offer pristine spatiotemporal control over the release of the steroid initiator could pave the way to understand these rapid and ultrasensitive signaling processes. Toward this, we describe a DNA-nanocapsule based technology to chemically release steroids and study MISS in endothelial cells. Here we discuss the synthesis and cellular protocols for investigators who seek to utilize DNA-nanocapsules for the chemically triggered release of small molecules.

A DNA-based fluorescent probe maps NOS3 activity with subcellular spatial resolution.

Nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) produces the gasotransmitter nitric oxide (NO), which drives critical cellular signaling pathways by S-nitrosylating target proteins. Endogenous NOS3 resides at two distinct subcellular locations: the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network (TGN). However, NO generation arising from the activities of both these pools of NOS3 and its relative contribution to physiology or disease is not yet resolvable. We describe a fluorescent DNA-based probe technology, NOckout, that can be targeted either to the plasma membrane or the TGN, where it can quantitatively map the activities of endogenous NOS3 at these locations in live cells. We found that, although NOS3 at the Golgi is tenfold less active than at the plasma membrane, its activity is essential for the structural integrity of the Golgi. The newfound ability to spatially map NOS3 activity provides a platform to discover selective regulators of the distinct pools of NOS3.

A DNA-based fluorescent reporter maps HOCl production in the maturing phagosome.

Phagocytes destroy pathogens by trapping them in a transient organelle called the phagosome, where they are bombarded with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Imaging reactive species within the phagosome would directly reveal the chemical dynamics underlying pathogen destruction. Here we introduce a fluorescent, DNA-based combination reporter, cHOClate, which simultaneously images hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and pH quantitatively. Using cHOClate targeted to phagosomes in live cells, we successfully map phagosomal production of a specific ROS, HOCl, as a function of phagosome maturation. We found that phagosomal acidification was gradual in macrophages and upon completion, HOCl was released in a burst. This revealed that phagosome-lysosome fusion was essential not only for phagosome acidification, but also for providing the chloride necessary for myeloperoxidase activity. This method can be expanded to image several kinds of ROS and RNS and be readily applied to identify how resistant pathogens evade phagosomal killing.

Chemical control over membrane-initiated steroid signaling with a DNA nanocapsule.

Membrane-initiated steroid signaling (MISS) is a recently discovered aspect of steroidal control over cell function that has proved highly challenging to study due to its rapidity and ultrasensitivity to the steroid trigger [Chow RWY, Handelsman DJ, Ng MKC (2010) Endocrinology 151:2411-2422]. Fundamental aspects underlying MISS, such as receptor binding, kinetics of ion-channel opening, and production of downstream effector molecules remain obscure because a pristine molecular technology that could trigger the release of signaling steroids was not available. We have recently described a prototype DNA nanocapsule which can be programmed to release small molecules upon photoirradiation [Veetil AT, et al. (2017) Nat Nanotechnol 12:1183-1189]. Here we show that this DNA-based molecular technology can now be programmed to chemically trigger MISS, significantly expanding its applicability to systems that are refractory to photoirradiation.