Imaging the electrical activity of organelles in living cells.

Eukaryotic cells are complex systems compartmentalized in membrane-bound organelles. Visualization of organellar electrical activity in living cells requires both a suitable reporter and non-invasive imaging at high spatiotemporal resolution. Here we present hVoS, an optical method to monitor changes in the membrane potential of subcellular membranes.

Endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis impairment in aging.

Perturbed neuronal proteostasis is a salient feature shared by both aging and protein misfolding disorders. The proteostasis network controls the health of the proteome by integrating pathways involved in protein synthesis, folding, trafficking, secretion, and their degradation. A reduction in the buffering capacity of the proteostasis network during aging may increase the risk to undergo neurodegeneration by enhancing the accumulation of misfolded proteins.

A TRP conductance modulates repolarization after sensory-dependent depolarization in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Sensory integration is vital for motile organisms constantly exposed to changing surroundings. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a single-celled green alga found swimming in freshwater. In this type of alga, sensory input is first detected by membrane receptors located in the cell body, and then transduced to the beating cilia by membrane depolarization.

A cell-free assay to determine the stoichiometry of plasma membrane proteins.

Plasma membrane receptors, transporters, and ion channel molecules are often found as oligomeric structures that participate in signaling cascades essential for cell survival. Different states of protein oligomerization may play a role in functional control and allosteric regulation. Stochastic GFP-photobleaching (SGP) has emerged as an affordable and simple method to determine the stoichiometry of proteins at the plasma membrane.

Near-membrane dynamics and capture of TRPM8 channels within transient confinement domains.

Background: The cold and menthol receptor, TRPM8, is a non-selective cation channel expressed in a subset of peripheral neurons that is responsible for neuronal detection of environmental cold stimuli. It was previously shown that members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of ion channels are translocated toward the plasma membrane (PM) in response to agonist stimulation. Because the spatial and temporal dynamics of cold receptor cell-surface residence may determine neuronal activity, we hypothesized that the movement of TRPM8 to and from the PM might be a regulated process.