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. 2012 Jul 23:3:92.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00092. eCollection 2012.

BRET and Time-resolved FRET strategy to study GPCR oligomerization: from cell lines toward native tissues

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BRET and Time-resolved FRET strategy to study GPCR oligomerization: from cell lines toward native tissues

Martin Cottet et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

The concept of oligomerization of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) opens new perspectives regarding physiological function regulation. The capacity of one GPCR to modify its binding and coupling properties by interacting with a second one can be at the origin of regulations unsuspected two decades ago. Although the concept is interesting, its validation at a physiological level is challenging and probably explains why receptor oligomerization is still controversial. Demonstrating direct interactions between two proteins is not trivial since few techniques present a spatial resolution allowing this precision. Resonance energy transfer (RET) strategies are actually the most convenient ones. During the last two decades, bioluminescent resonance energy transfer and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) have been widely used since they exhibit high signal-to-noise ratio. Most of the experiments based on GPCR labeling have been performed in cell lines and it has been shown that all GPCRs have the propensity to form homo- or hetero-oligomers. However, whether these data can be extrapolated to GPCRs expressed in native tissues and explain receptor functioning in real life, remains an open question. Native tissues impose different constraints since GPCR sequences cannot be modified. Recently, a fluorescent ligand-based GPCR labeling strategy combined to a TR-FRET approach has been successfully used to prove the existence of GPCR oligomerization in native tissues. Although the RET-based strategies are generally quite simple to implement, precautions have to be taken before concluding to the absence or the existence of specific interactions between receptors. For example, one should exclude the possibility of collision of receptors diffusing throughout the membrane leading to a specific FRET signal. The advantages and the limits of different approaches will be reviewed and the consequent perspectives discussed.

Keywords: BRET; FRET; G protein-coupled receptor; fluorescence; fluorescent ligand; oligomer; time-resolved FRET.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Comparison of BRET and time-resolved FRET approaches. BRET (A) and TR-FRET (B) techniques are actually the most widely used RET techniques since they offer high signal-to-noise ratio. However, they present different characteristics: labeling strategies are often simpler with BRET than with TR-FRET. (A) Three variants of BRET depending on the substrate/enzyme complex donor (green circle) and on the acceptor (orange square) have been developed. BRET gives the opportunity to label intracellular or cell-surface targeted receptors. Variants of TR-FRET depending on the fluorescent carrier have been developed. (B) TR-FRET opens the possibility to discriminate receptor targeted to the cell surface from those trapped in intracellular compartments. TR-FRET is also more adaptable to different cellular contexts and is the only one to be compatible with receptors expressed in a native context. [Rluc(8), Rluc or Rluc8; Coel. h, Coelenterazine h; Coel. 400a, Coelenterazine 400a (also known as DeepblueC)].
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Fluorescent properties of cryptate of terbium, Lumi4-Tb. (A) Structure of the terbium cryptate (lumi4-Tb). (B) Temporal selectivity. The introduction of a time delay (usually about 50 μs) between a flash excitation (blue flag) and the measurement of the fluorescence (orange zone) at the acceptor emission wavelength allows to discriminate long lived from short-lived fluorescence and to increase signal-to-noise ratio. (C) Spectral compatibility. Absorption (dark blue line) and fluorescence emission (light blue line) of Lumi4-Tb. The lanthanide cryptate exhibits four emission peaks: 490, 548, 587, and 621 nm. Lumi4-Tb as donor is therefore compatible with fluorescein-like (green zone) and Cy5- or dy647-like (red zone) acceptor to perform TR-FRET experiments.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Strategies to covalently label GPCRs. (A) SLP generally fused to the N-terminus of GPCRs catalyze the transfer of one fluorescent group (green triangle) from the substrate to itself. Various self-labeling proteins such as SNAP-tag, CLIP-tag, or HaloTag have been used to analyze receptor oligomerization. (B) Enzyme-based labeling: cells expressing tagged receptors are incubated in the presence of an enzyme such as AcpS and fluorescent substrate. The enzyme (Enz) catalyzes the transfer of one fluorescent group (green triangle) from the substrate to a specific tag incorporated into the receptor sequence (red line). (C) FlASH and ReASH strategies consists in introducing into the GPCR sequence a tetracysteine sequence (-C-C-X-X-C-C-) which reacts with fluorescent arsenical derivatives.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
BRET and time-resolved FRET assays application. Various BRET and TR-FRET assays have been developed to measure ligand binding, receptor activation through protein recruitment or second messenger production, receptor dimerization or receptor trafficking. Most of them are compatible with high-throughput screening. Recent developments have shown that these techniques are also potentially compatible with high-content screening, opening new perspectives in the use of RET approaches (*means that TR-FRET experiments were performed on mildly permeabilized cells expressing C-terminus tagged receptors).

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