Recent advancements in single-molecule tracking methods with nanometer-level precision now allow researchers to observe the movement, recruitment, and activation of single molecules in the plasma membrane in living cells. In particular, on the basis of the observations by high-speed single-particle tracking at a frame rate of 40,000 frames s(1), the partitioning of the fluid plasma membrane into submicron compartments throughout the cell membrane and the hop diffusion of virtually all the molecules have been proposed. This could explain why the diffusion coefficients in the plasma membrane are considerably smaller than those in artificial membranes, and why the diffusion coefficient is reduced upon molecular complex formation (oligomerization-induced trapping). In this review, we first describe the high-speed single-molecule tracking methods, and then we critically review a new model of a partitioned fluid plasma membrane and the involvement of the actin-based membrane-skeleton "fences" and anchored-transmembrane protein "pickets" in the formation of compartment boundaries.

A single-molecule tracking technique coupled with mathematical modeling was developed for fully determining the dynamic monomer–dimer equilibrium of molecules in or on the plasma membrane, which will provide a framework for understanding signal transduction pathways initiated and regulated by dynamic dimers of membrane-localized receptors.

The formation and maintenance of polarized distributions of membrane proteins in the cell membrane are key to the function of polarized cells. In polarized neurons, various membrane proteins are localized to the somatodendritic domain or the axon. Neurons control polarized delivery of membrane proteins to each domain, and in addition, they must also block diffusional mixing of proteins between these domains. However, the presence of a diffusion barrier in the cell membrane of the axonal initial segment (IS), which separates these two domains, has been controversial: it is difficult to conceive barrier mechanisms by which an even diffusion of phospholipids could be blocked. Here, by observing the dynamics of individual phospholipid molecules in the plasma membrane of developing hippocampal neurons in culture, we found that their diffusion was blocked in the IS membrane. We also found that the diffusion barrier is formed in neurons 7-10 days after birth through the accumulation of various transmembrane proteins that are anchored to the dense actin-based membrane skeleton meshes being formed under the IS membrane. We conclude that various membrane proteins anchored to the dense membrane skeleton function as rows of pickets, which even stop the overall diffusion of phospholipids, and may represent a universal mechanism for formation of diffusion barriers in the cell membrane.

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The generation of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), one of the most critical events for preventing atherosclerosis, is mediated by ATPbinding cassette protein A1 (ABCA1). ABCA1 is known to transfer cellular cholesterol and phospholipids to apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) for generating discoidal HDL (dHDL) particles, composed of 100-200 lipid molecules surrounded by two apoA-I molecules; however, the regulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here we observed ABCA1-GFP and apoA-I at the level of single molecules on the plasma membrane via a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope. We found that about 70% of total ABCA1-GFP spots are immobilized on the plasma membrane and estimated that about 89% of immobile ABCA1 molecules are in dimers. Furthermore, an ATPase-deficient ABCA1 mutant failed to be immobilized or form a dimer. We found that the lipid acceptor apoA-I interacts with the ABCA1 dimer to generate dHDL and is followed by ABCA1 dimermonomer interconversion. This indicates that the formation of the ABCA1 dimer is the key for apoA-I binding and nascent HDL generation. Our findings suggest the physiological significance of conversion of the ABCA1 monomer to a dimer: The dimer serves as a receptor for two apoA-I molecules for dHDL particle generation.membrane protein | transporter P lasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is critical for preventing coronary artery disease (1). A member of the ATPdependent transporter family of ABC proteins, ATP-binding cassette protein A1 (ABCA1) initiates the generation of discoidal HDL (dHDL), a bilayer fragment consisting of 100-200 lipids wrapped by two molecules of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) (2-4), by exporting cholesterol and phospholipids to lipid-free apoA-I in serum (5). More than 70 mutations have been identified in the ABCA1 gene. Indeed, mutations in ABCA1 lead to Tangier disease, which is characterized by plasma HDL deficiency (6-10). ABCA1 has two large extracellular domains (ECDs), and the two intramolecular disulfide bonds between them are necessary for apoA-I binding and HDL formation (11-13) (Fig. 1A). Two pieces of evidence suggest that apoA-I interacts with a specific conformation of the ECDs in an ATP-dependent manner: Chemical cross-linkers can cross-link apoA-I with ABCA1, and ATPasedeficient ABCA1 mutants fail to mediate apoA-I binding and crosslinking. However, the importance of direct binding of ABCA1-apoA-I in HDL formation is still controversial and, furthermore, how a dHDL particle containing two molecules of apoA-I is formed from lipid-free apoA-I monomers and membrane lipids is unknown.To address these issues, we performed single-molecule fluorescence imaging (14, 15) of ABCA1 and apoA-I on the plasma membrane (PM) via a total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope in living cells. We examined the dynamic behaviors of ABCA1 as well as the interaction of ABCA1 with apoA-I, and found that ABCA1 forms an immobile dimer on the PM; the ABCA1 dimer then dissociates into diffusing monomers upon interaction with apoA-I, finally gen...

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ObjectiveCardiomyocytes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells are a powerful platform for high-throughput drug screening in vitro. However, current modalities for drug testing, such as electrophysiology and fluorescence imaging have inherent drawbacks. To circumvent these problems, we report the development of a bioluminescent Ca2+ indicator GmNL(Ca2+), and its application in a customized microscope for high-throughput drug screening.ResultsGmNL(Ca2+) gives a 140% signal change with Ca2+, and can image drug-induced changes of Ca2+ dynamics in cultured cells. Since bioluminescence requires application of a chemical substrate, which is consumed over ~ 30 min we made a dedicated microscope with automated drug dispensing inside a light-tight box, to control drug addition. To overcome thermal instability of the luminescent substrate, or small molecule, dual climate control enables distinct temperature settings in the drug reservoir and the biological sample. By combining GmNL(Ca2+) with this adaptation, we could image spontaneous Ca2+ transients in cultured cardiomyocytes and phenotype their response to well-known drugs without accessing the sample directly. In addition, the bioluminescent strategy demonstrates minimal perturbation of contractile parameters and long-term observation attributable to lack of phototoxicity and photobleaching. Overall, bioluminescence may enable more accurate drug screening in a high-throughput manner.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3421-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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