Hyperspectral imaging of FRET-based cGMP probes

Methods Mol Biol. 2013:1020:73-88. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-459-3_5.

Abstract

In recent years a variety of fluorescent probes for measurement of cGMP signals have been developed (Nikolaev et al., Nat. Methods 3:23-25, 2006; Honda et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:2437-42, 2001; Nausch et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:365-70, 2008). The probes are comprised of known cGMP binding sites-e.g., from phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) or protein kinase G (PKG)-attached to fluorescent proteins. Binding of cGMP triggers conformational changes that alter the emitted fluorescence. In the case of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based probes, binding of cGMP alters the distance between the donor and acceptor fluorophores and thus alters FRET. However, FRET-based probes inherently have low signal-to-noise ratios, limiting the utility of these probes. Here we describe the use of hyperspectral imaging and analysis approaches to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of FRET-based cGMP measurements. These approaches are appropriate for monitoring changes in cGMP signals either in cell populations using a spectrofluorimeter or in single cells using spectral microscope systems with appropriate spectral filtering capabilities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cyclic GMP / analysis
  • Cyclic GMP / chemistry*
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / methods*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / analysis
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Cyclic GMP