It is extremely challenging to quantitate lumenal Ca 2+ in acidic Ca 2+ stores of the cell because all Ca 2+ indicators are pH sensitive, and Ca 2+ transport coupled to pH in acidic organelles. We have developed a fluorescent DNA-based reporter, CalipHluor, that is targetable to specific organelles. By ratiometrically reporting lumenal pH and Ca 2+ simultaneously, it functions as a pHcorrectable, Ca 2+ reporter. By targeting CalipHluor to the endolysosomal pathway we mapped lumenal Ca 2+ changes during endosomal maturation and found a surge in lumenal Ca 2+ specifically in lysosomes. Using lysosomal proteomics and genetic analysis we found that catp-6, a C. elegans homolog of ATP13A2, was responsible for lysosomal Ca 2+ accumulation-the first example of a lysosome-specific Ca 2+ importer in animals. By enabling the facile quantification of compartmentalized Ca 2+ , CalipHluor can expand our understanding of subcellular Ca 2+ importers.

The role of membrane potential in most intracellular organelles remains unexplored because of the lack of suitable tools. Here, we describe a fluorescent DNA-nanodevice that reports absolute membrane potential and can be targeted to organelles in live cells. This nanodevice, denoted Voltair , bears a voltage-sensitive fluorophore, a reference fluorophore for ratiometry, and acts as an endocytic tracer. Using Voltair we could measure the membrane potential of different organelles in situ in live cells. Voltair can potentially guide the rational design of biocompatible electronics as well as expand our understanding of how membrane potential regulates organelle biology.

We describe a new method to measure viscosity within subcellular organelles of a living cell using nanorheology. We demonstrate proof of concept by measuring viscosity in lysosomes in multiple cell types and disease models. The lysosome is an organelle responsible for the breakdown of complex biomolecules. When different lysosomal proteins are defective, they are unable to break down specific biological substrates, which get stored within the lysosome, causing about 70 fatal diseases called lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs). Although the buildup of storage material is critical to the pathology of these diseases, methods to monitor cargo accumulation in the lysosome are lacking for most LSDs. Using passive particle tracking nanorheology and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, we report that viscosity in the lysosome increases significantly during cargo accumulation in several LSD models. In a mammalian cell culture model of Niemann Pick C, lysosomal viscosity directly correlates with the levels of accumulated cholesterol. We also observed increased viscosity in diverse LSD models in Caenorhabditis elegans, revealing that lysosomal viscosity is a powerful reporter with which to monitor substrate accumulation in LSDs for new diagnostics or to assay therapeutic efficacy.

Epithelia have distinct cellular architectures which are established in development, reestablished after wounding, and maintained during tissue homeostasis despite cell turnover and mechanical perturbations. In turn, cell shape also controls tissue function as a regulator of cell differentiation, proliferation, and motility. Here, we investigate cell shape changes in a model epithelial monolayer. After the onset of confluence, cells continue to proliferate and change shape over time, eventually leading to a final architecture characterized by arrested motion and more regular cell shapes. Such monolayer remodeling is robust, with qualitatively similar evolution in cell shape and dynamics observed across disparate perturbations. Here, we quantify differences in monolayer remodeling guided by the active vertex model to identify underlying order parameters controlling epithelial architecture. When monolayers are formed atop an extracellular matrix with varied stiffness, we find the cell density at which motion arrests varies significantly, but the cell shape remains constant, consistent with the onset of tissue rigidity. In contrast, pharmacological perturbations can significantly alter the cell shape at which tissue dynamics are arrested, consistent with varied amounts of active stress within the tissue. Across all experimental conditions, the final cell shape is well correlated to the cell proliferation rate, and cell cycle inhibition immediately arrests cell motility. Finally, we demonstrate cell cycle variation in junctional tension as a source of active stress within the monolayer. Thus, the architecture and mechanics of epithelial tissue can arise from an interplay between cell mechanics and stresses arising from cell cycle dynamics.