Calcium-Dependent Copper Redistributions in Neuronal Cells Revealed by a Fluorescent Copper Sensor and X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy
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Calcium-dependent copper redistributions in neuronal cells revealed by a fluorescent copper sensor and X-ray fluorescence microscopy Sheel C. Dodania,1, Dylan W. Domaillea,1, Christine I. Nama,b,1, Evan W. Millera, Lydia A. Finneyc, Stefan Vogtc, and Christopher J. Changa,b,2 aDepartment of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; bHoward Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; and cX-Ray Sciences Division and Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 Edited* by Harry B. Gray, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, and approved February 23, 2011 (received for review July 9, 2010) Dynamic fluxes of s-block metals like potassium, sodium, and Along these lines, molecular imaging with copper-responsive calcium are of broad importance in cell signaling. In contrast, the fluorescent sensors offers a potentially powerful methodology concept of mobile transition metals triggered by cell activation for interrogating its cell biology by allowing the specific tracking remains insufficiently explored, in large part because metals like of copper pools in living cells with spatial and temporal resolution copper and iron are typically studied as static cellular nutrients and (12, 26–32). In this regard, analogous tools have revolutionized there are a lack of direct, selective methods for monitoring their the study of calcium in a variety of biological settings (1) and hold distributions in living cells. To help meet this need, we now report promise for interrogating other cellular metals (26). However, Coppersensor-3 (CS3), a bright small-molecule fluorescent probe fluorescence-based sensing of Cuþ, the oxidation state stabilized that offers the unique capability to image labile copper pools in in reducing cytosolic environments, presents several additional living cells at endogenous, basal levels. We use this chemical tool challenges that make it more difficult to detect compared to other in conjunction with synchotron-based microprobe X-ray fluores- abundant metal ions in cells (e.g., Naþ,Kþ,Ca2þ,Mg2þ,Zn2þ). cence microscopy (XRFM) to discover that neuronal cells move The most prominent of these challenges include (i) redox speci- significant pools of copper from their cell bodies to peripheral pro- ficity over Cu2þ, the other major oxidation state for biological cesses upon their activation. Moreover, further CS3 and XRFM ima- copper, (ii) the propensity for Cuþ in water to disproportionate ging experiments show that these dynamic copper redistributions to Cu2þ and Cu metal, and (iii) the ability of Cuþ to quench fluor- are dependent on calcium release, establishing a link between escence by electron and/or energy transfer. Indeed, of the grow- mobile copper and major cell signaling pathways. By providing a ing number of reported strategies for fluorescence copper small-molecule fluorophore that is selective and sensitive enough detection (12, 26), only three synthetic sensors, CTAP-1 (29), CS1 to image labile copper pools in living cells under basal conditions, (30, 31), and RCS1 (32), and two protein-based sensors (33, 34) CS3 opens opportunities for discovering and elucidating functions have been validated for live-cell imaging with Cuþ. Moreover, the of copper in living systems. relatively low quantum efficiencies of the first-generation syn- thetic reagents (Φ ≤ 0.14 in Cuþ-bound forms) have limited their fluorescent sensor ∣ molecular imaging ∣ mobile metals ∣ use to date for cellular imaging under conditions of prolonged transition metal signaling copper overload or depletion. Here, we present the synthesis, properties, and applications of etals are essential components of all living cells, and in Coppersensor-3 (CS3), a bright fluorescent sensor that now offers Mmany cases cells trigger and utilize dynamic metal move- the unique ability to detect labile copper pools at basal, endogen- ments for signaling purposes. Such processes are well established ous levels in living cells. This BODIPY-based probe features high for alkali and alkaline earth metals like potassium, sodium, and selectivity over competing cellular metal ions, including redox calcium (1–3) but not for transition metals like copper and iron, þ 2þ differentiation between Cu and Cu , visible wavelength excita- which are traditionally studied for their roles as static cofactors in tion and emission profiles, and a 75-fold fluorescence turn-on enzymes (4–6). We have initiated a program aimed at exploring response with high quantum efficiency (Φ ¼ 0.40) for Cuþ detec- the concept of mobile transition metals and their contributions to cell physiology and pathology, and in this context, brain neurons tion. By using this chemical tool in conjunction with synchotron- offer an attractive model for this purpose owing to their wide- based microprobe X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XRFM) in a spread use of potassium and sodium ion channels and calcium combined imaging study, an approach that has been successfully release for signaling events (7), as well as a high requirement for employed for monitoring resting copper distributions in mamma- copper and iron to meet their steep oxidative demand (8–12). lian cells (29), we have discovered that neuronal cells trigger a Indeed, the brain needs much higher levels of copper compared marked translocation of copper pools from their cell bodies to to other parts of the body under normal physiological conditions extended outer processes when activated by depolarization. (9, 12), but at the same time mishandling of neuronal copper Moreover, additional CS3 and microprobe XRFM studies show stores and subsequent oxidative stress and damage events are that these dynamic copper movements are dependent on the connected to a variety of neurodegenerative ailments, including ’ ’ – Menkes and Wilson s diseases (13, 14), Alzheimer s disease (15 Author contributions: C.J.C. designed research; S.C.D., D.W.D., C.I.N., and E.W.M. 17), familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (18, 19), and prion- performed research; S.C.D., D.W.D., C.I.N., L.A.F., and S.V. contributed new reagents/ mediated encephalopathies (20, 21). Previous work hints at the analytic tools; S.C.D., D.W.D., C.I.N., E.W.M., L.A.F., S.V., and C.J.C. analyzed data; and importance of exchangeable copper in neurophysiology, includ- S.C.D., D.W.D., and C.J.C. wrote the paper. ing observations of 64Cu efflux from stimulated neurons (22, 23), The authors declare no conflict of interest. export of Cu from isolated synaptosomes (24), and elevated sus- *This Direct Submission article had a prearranged editor. ceptibility of neurons to excitotoxic insult with copper chelation 1S.C.D., D.W.D., and C.I.N. contributed equally to this work. (25), but none of these reports show direct, live-cell monitoring 2To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail [email protected]. of spatial copper distributions during various stages of neural This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/ activity. doi:10.1073/pnas.1009932108/-/DCSupplemental. 5980–5985 ∣ PNAS ∣ April 12, 2011 ∣ vol. 108 ∣ no. 15 www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1009932108 Downloaded by guest on September 25, 2021 release of calcium, establishing a link between mobile copper and Cuþ, indicating that CS3 maintains oxidation state specificity major cell signaling pathways. The combined advances in optical for Cuþ over Cu2þ. Finally, owing to the thioether groups in the brightness and turn-on response for CS3 afford a host of oppor- sensor we have included a panel of trace soft heavy metal ions for tunities for studying the cell biology of copper by providing the selectivity studies, including Hg2þ,Agþ,Tlþ, and Pb2þ (6) (SI ability to visualize labile copper pools in living cells under basal Text). Of these heavy metal ions, CS3 does show some turn-on and stimulated conditions. response to Agþ at high, nonphysiological levels, but the addition of Cuþ reveals that Cuþ can displace Agþ from the sensor. The Results and Discussion large fluorescent turn-on response of CS3 to Cuþ, in conjunction Design, Synthesis, and Spectroscopic Evaluation of Coppersensor-3 with its high selectivity in the presence of interfering ions, sug- (CS3), a Bright Fluorophore for Selective Cu(I) Detection. We pre- gests that this tool is a promising reagent for imaging basal levels viously reported Coppersensor-1 (CS1), a first-generation, selec- of exchangeable Cuþ pools in living cells. tive turn-on fluorescent sensor for aqueous Cuþ with visible excitation and emission profiles, and demonstrated its utility for CS3 Is Capable of Imaging Labile Pools of Copper in Living Cells at live-cell imaging (30). This reporter shows good selectivity for Basal and Copper-Depleted Levels. The two previously reported Cuþ over other cellular metal ions at physiologically relevant con- turn-on small-molecule fluorescent probes for live-cell Cuþ centrations, a robust 10-fold fluorescence enhancement upon detection, CTAP-1 and CS1, are capable of detecting changes Cuþ complexation, and allows for the visualization of Cuþ in live in labile intracellular copper levels, but their relatively low quan- mammalian cells under conditions of acute copper overload. tum efficiencies limit their use to visualizing differences under However, attempts to use CS1 to interrogate the dynamics of situations of acute or prolonged copper overload (29, 30). We endogenous cellular copper pools at basal levels were limited reasoned that CS3, with its improved brightness and turn-on re- by the relatively low quantum yield of the CS1∶Cuþ complex sponse to Cuþ, would provide the ability to report pools of intra- (Φ ¼ 0.13). Seeking to maintain high Cuþ specificity while cellular, exchangeable Cuþ at basal levels. We therefore sought to improving optical brightness values and turn-on responses, we test whether this chemical tool could image labile copper stores reasoned that increasing electron density on the fluorophore re- under both basal and copper-depleted conditions.