Engineering paralog-specific PSD-95 recombinant binders as minimally interfering multimodal probes for advanced imaging techniques.

Despite the constant advances in fluorescence imaging techniques, monitoring endogenous proteins still constitutes a major challenge in particular when considering dynamics studies or super-resolution imaging. We have recently evolved specific protein-based binders for PSD-95, the main postsynaptic scaffold proteins at excitatory synapses. Since the synthetic recombinant binders recognize epitopes not directly involved in the target protein activity, we consider them here as tools to develop endogenous PSD-95 imaging probes.

Engineering selective competitors for the discrimination of highly conserved protein-protein interaction modules.

Designing highly specific modulators of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is especially challenging in the context of multiple paralogs and conserved interaction surfaces. In this case, direct generation of selective and competitive inhibitors is hindered by high similarity within the evolutionary-related protein interfaces. We report here a strategy that uses a semi-rational approach to separate the modulator design into two functional parts.

Functional recruitment of dynamin requires multimeric interactions for efficient endocytosis.

During clathrin mediated endocytosis (CME), the concerted action of dynamin and its interacting partners drives membrane scission. Essential interactions occur between the proline/arginine-rich domain of dynamin (dynPRD) and the Src-homology domain 3 (SH3) of various proteins including amphiphysins. Here we show that multiple SH3 domains must bind simultaneously to dynPRD through three adjacent motifs for dynamin's efficient recruitment and function.

Mapping the dynamics and nanoscale organization of synaptic adhesion proteins using monomeric streptavidin.

The advent of super-resolution imaging (SRI) has created a need for optimized labelling strategies. We present a new method relying on fluorophore-conjugated monomeric streptavidin (mSA) to label membrane proteins carrying a short, enzymatically biotinylated tag, compatible with SRI techniques including uPAINT, STED and dSTORM. We demonstrate efficient and specific labelling of target proteins in confined intercellular and organotypic tissues, with reduced steric hindrance and no crosslinking compared with multivalent probes.