Site-specific labeling of neurotrophins and their receptors via short and versatile peptide tags

PLoS One. 2014 Nov 26;9(11):e113708. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113708. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

We present a toolbox for the study of molecular interactions occurring between NGF and its receptors. By means of a suitable insertional mutagenesis method we show the insertion of an 8 amino acid tag (A4) into the sequence of NGF and of 12 amino acid tags (A1 and S6) into the sequence of TrkA and P75NTR NGF-receptors. These tags are shortened versions of the acyl and peptidyl carrier proteins; they are here covalently conjugated to the biotin-substituted arm of a coenzyme A (coA) substrate by phosphopantetheinyl transferase enzymes (PPTases). We demonstrate site-specific biotinylation of the purified recombinant tagged neurotrophin, in both the immature proNGF and mature NGF forms. The resulting tagged NGF is fully functional: it can signal and promote PC12 cells differentiation similarly to recombinant wild-type NGF. Furthermore, we show that the insertion of A1 and S6 tags into human TrkA and P75NTR sequences leads to the site-specific biotinylation of these receptors at the cell surface of living cells. Crucially, the two tags are labeled selectively by two different PPTases: this is exploited to reach orthogonal fluorolabeling of the two receptors co-expressed at low density in living cells. We describe the protocols to obtain the enzymatic, site-specific biotinylation of neurotrophins and their receptors as an alternative to their chemical, nonspecific biotinylation. The present strategy has three main advantages: i) it yields precise control of stoichiometry and site of biotin conjugation; ii) the tags used can be functionalized with virtually any small probe that can be carried by coA substrates, besides (and in addition to) biotin; iii) above all it makes possible to image and track interacting molecules at the single-molecule level in living systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Biotinylation
  • Cell Line
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Probe Techniques
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Nerve Growth Factors / analysis*
  • Nerve Growth Factors / genetics
  • Nerve Growth Factors / metabolism
  • Oligopeptides / analysis*
  • Oligopeptides / genetics
  • Oligopeptides / metabolism
  • Optical Imaging
  • PC12 Cells
  • Rats
  • Receptor, trkA / analysis
  • Receptor, trkA / genetics
  • Receptor, trkA / metabolism
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / analysis*
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / genetics
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / analysis
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Nerve Growth Factors
  • Oligopeptides
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Receptor, trkA

Grants and funding

Support from MIUR (grants FIRB RBAP10L8TY and PRIN 2010N8PBAA_006 to AC) and from Regione Toscana (grant POR FSE 2007–2013 to SL) is acknowledged. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.