CemOrange2 fusions facilitate multifluorophore subcellular imaging in C. elegans

PLoS One. 2019 Mar 26;14(3):e0214257. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214257. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Due to its ease of genetic manipulation and transparency, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has become a preferred model system to study gene function by microscopy. The use of Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to proteins or targeting sequences of interest, further expanded upon the utility of C. elegans by labeling subcellular structures, which enables following their disposition during development or in the presence of genetic mutations. Fluorescent proteins with excitation and emission spectra different from that of GFP accelerated the use of multifluorophore imaging in real time. We have expanded the repertoire of fluorescent proteins for use in C. elegans by developing a codon-optimized version of Orange2 (CemOrange2). Proteins or targeting motifs fused to CemOrange2 were distinguishable from the more common fluorophores used in the nematode; such as GFP, YFP, and mKate2. We generated a panel of CemOrange2 fusion constructs, and confirmed they were targeted to their correct subcellular addresses by colocalization with independent markers. To demonstrate the potential usefulness of this new panel of fluorescent protein markers, we showed that CemOrange2 fusion proteins could be used to: 1) monitor biological pathways, 2) multiplex with other fluorescent proteins to determine colocalization and 3) gain phenotypic knowledge of a human ABCA3 orthologue, ABT-4, trafficking variant in the C. elegans model organism.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adenine / analogs & derivatives
  • Adenine / pharmacology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Autophagy / drug effects
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Membrane Permeability / drug effects
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • green fluorescent protein, Aequorea victoria
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • 3-methyladenine
  • Adenine