Development of a dehalogenase-based protein fusion tag capable of rapid, selective and covalent attachment to customizable ligands.

Our fundamental understanding of proteins and their biological significance has been enhanced by genetic fusion tags, as they provide a convenient method for introducing unique properties to proteins so that they can be examinedin isolation. Commonly used tags satisfy many of the requirements for applications relating to the detection and isolation of proteins from complex samples. However, their utility at low concentration becomes compromised if the binding affinity for a detection or capture reagent is not adequate to produce a stable interaction.

Match criteria for human cell line authentication: where do we draw the line?

Continuous human cell lines have been used extensively as models for biomedical research. In working with these cell lines, researchers are often unaware of the risk of cross-contamination and other causes of misidentification. To reduce this risk, there is a pressing need to authenticate cell lines, comparing the sample handled in the laboratory to a previously tested sample.

Chromophore-assisted light inactivation of HaloTag fusion proteins labeled with eosin in living cells.

Chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) is a potentially powerful tool for the acute disruption of a target protein inside living cells with high spatiotemporal resolution. This technology, however, has not been widely utilized, mainly because of the lack of an efficient chromophore as the photosensitizing agent for singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) generation and the difficulty of covalently labeling the target protein with the chromophore. Here we choose eosin as the photosensitizing chromophore showing 11-fold more production of ((1)O(2)) than fluorescein and about 5-fold efficiency in CALI of β-galactosidase by using an eosin-labeled anti-β-galactosidase antibody compared with the fluorescein-labeled one.

Recommendation of short tandem repeat profiling for authenticating human cell lines, stem cells, and tissues.

Cell misidentification and cross-contamination have plagued biomedical research for as long as cells have been employed as research tools. Examples of misidentified cell lines continue to surface to this day. Efforts to eradicate the problem by raising awareness of the issue and by asking scientists voluntarily to take appropriate actions have not been successful.

Direct pH measurements by using subcellular targeting of 5(and 6-) carboxyseminaphthorhodafluor in mammalian cells.

As a means of reliably measuring intracellular pH, we have precisely targeted 5(and 6-) carboxyseminaphthorhodafluor to cellular subcompartments. This was accomplished by combining the well-established pH-sensitive dye with a protein-based reporter system. When expressed in cells, the reporter protein is designed to covalently bind ligands composed of a functional group and a reactive linker.

Fluorogenic affinity label for the facile, rapid imaging of proteins in live cells.

Haloalkane dehalogenase (HD) catalyzes the hydrolysis of haloalkanes via a covalent enzyme-substrate intermediate. Fusing a target protein to an HD variant that cannot hydrolyze the intermediate enables labeling of the target protein with a haloalkane in cellulo. The utility of extant probes is hampered, however, by background fluorescence as well as limited membrane permeability.

Peroxisome dynamics in cultured mammalian cells.

Despite the identification and characterization of various proteins that are essential for peroxisome biogenesis, the origin and the turnover of peroxisomes are still unresolved critical issues. In this study, we used the HaloTag technology as a new approach to examine peroxisome dynamics in cultured mammalian cells. This technology is based on the formation of a covalent bond between the HaloTag protein--a mutated bacterial dehalogenase which is fused to the protein of interest--and a synthetic haloalkane ligand that contains a fluorophore or affinity tag.

In vivo stable tumor-specific painting in various colors using dehalogenase-based protein-tag fluorescent ligands.

In vivo fluorescence cancer imaging is an important tool in understanding tumor growth and therapeutic monitoring and can be performed either with endogenously produced fluorescent proteins or with exogenously introduced fluorescent probes bound to targeting molecules. However, endogenous fluorescence proteins cannot be altered after transfection, thus requiring rederivation of cell lines for each desired color, while exogenously targeted fluorescence probes are limited by the heterogeneous expression of naturally occurring cellular targets. In this study, we adapted the dehalogenase-based protein-Tag (HaloTag) system to in vivo cancer imaging, by introducing highly expressed HaloTag receptors (HaloTagR) in cancer cells coupled with a range of externally injected fluorophore-conjugated dehalogenase-reactive reactive linkers.

In vivo labeling method using a genetic construct for nanoscale resolution microscopy.

We demonstrate beam scanning-stimulated emission depletion microscopy with in vivo labeled cells. A red emitting fluorescent dye is introduced into membrane protein fused to a multifunctional reporter protein (HaloTag, Promega, Madison, WI) in live cells. This approach allows superresolution stimulated emission depletion imaging without the limitations of immunofluorescence-based staining.

HaloTag: a novel protein labeling technology for cell imaging and protein analysis.

We have designed a modular protein tagging system that allows different functionalities to be linked onto a single genetic fusion, either in solution, in living cells, or in chemically fixed cells. The protein tag (HaloTag) is a modified haloalkane dehalogenase designed to covalently bind to synthetic ligands (HaloTag ligands). The synthetic ligands comprise a chloroalkane linker attached to a variety of useful molecules, such as fluorescent dyes, affinity handles, or solid surfaces.

Spatial separation and bidirectional trafficking of proteins using a multi-functional reporter.

Background: The ability to specifically label proteins within living cells can provide information about their dynamics and function. To study a membrane protein, we fused a multi-functional reporter protein, HaloTag, to the extracellular domain of a truncated integrin.

Results: Using the HaloTag technology, we could study the localization, trafficking and processing of an integrin-HaloTag fusion, which we showed had cellular dynamics consistent with native integrins.

XAF1 mediates tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis cleavage by acting through the mitochondrial pathway.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and Fas ligand induce apoptosis by interacting with their corresponding membrane-bound death receptors and activating caspases. Since both systems share several components of the intracellular apoptotic cascade and are expressed by first trimester trophoblasts, it is unknown how these cells remain resistant to Fas ligand while sensitive to TNF-alpha. XAF1 (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)-associated factor 1) is a proapoptotic protein that antagonizes the caspase-inhibitory activity of XIAP.

The HaloTag: a novel technology for cell imaging and protein analysis.

The ability to specifically label proteins with a wide range of optical properties and functionalities can help reveal information about protein functions and dynamics in living cells. Here, we describe a technology for covalent tethering of organic probes directly to a specially designed reporting protein expressed in live cells. The reporting protein can be used in a manner similar to green fluorescent protein, except that the fluorophore might be interchanged among a variety of standard dyes.