Detection of transmembrane potentials by optical methods

Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Treatment of micro-organisms or enzymes with electrical or... – Cell membrane or cell surface is target

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435 29, 436 63, 436172, 436519, 436528, 436546, 436805, C12N 1300, C12Q 102

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061070661

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BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the detection and measurement of transmembrane potentials. In particular, the present invention is directed to compositions and optical methods for determining transmembrane potentials across the plasma membrane of biological cells.
This invention was made with Government support under Grant No. R01 NS27177-07, awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Fluorescence detection and imaging of cellular electrical activity is a technique of great importance and potential (Grinvald, A., Frostig, R. D., Lieke, E., and Hildesheim, R. 1988. Optical imaging of neuronal activity. Physiol. Rev. 68: 1285-1366; Salzberg, B. M. 1983. Optical recording of electrical activity in neurons using molecular probes. In Current Methods in Cellular Neurobiology. J. L. Barker, editor. Wiley, New York. 139-187; Cohen, L. B. and S. Lesher. 1985. Optical monitoring of membrane potential: methods of multisite optical measurement. In Optical Methods in Cell Physiology. P. de Weer and B. M. Salzberg, editors. Wiley, New York. 71-99).
Mechanisms for optical sensing of membrane potential have traditionally been divided into two classes: extracellular medium into the cell, and one face of the plasma membrane. see, Loew, L. M., "How to choose a potentiometric membrane probe", In Spectroscopic Membrane Probes. L. M. Loew, ed., 139-151 (1988) (CRC Press, Boca Raton); Loew, L. M., "Potentiometric membrane dyes", In Fluorescent and Luminescent Probes for Biological Activity. W. T. Mason, ed., 150-160 (1993) (Academic Press, San Diego).
The permeant ions are sensitive because the ratio of their concentrations between the inside and outside of the cell can change by up to the Nernstian limit of 10-fold for a 60 mV change in transmembrane potential. However, their responses are slow because to establish new equilibria, ions must diffuse through unstirred layers in each aqueous phase and the low-dielectric-constant interior of the plasma membrane. Moreover, such dyes distribute into all available hydrophobic binding sites indiscriminately. Therefore, selectivity between cell types is difficult. Also, any additions of hydrophobic proteins or reagents to the external solution, or changes in exposure to hydrophobic surfaces, are prone to cause artifacts. These indicators also fail to give any shift in fluorescence wavelengths or ratiometric output. Such dual-wavelength readouts are useful in avoiding artifacts due to variations in dye concentration, path length, cell number, source brightness, and detection efficiency.
By contrast, the impermeable dyes can respond very quickly because they need little or no translocation. However, they are insensitive because they sense the electric field with only a part of a unit charge moving less than the length of the molecule, which in turn is only a small fraction of the distance across the membrane. Furthermore, a significant fraction of the total dye signal comes from molecules that sit on irrelevant membranes or cells and that dilute the signal from the few correctly placed molecules.
In view of the above drawbacks, methods and compositions are needed which are sensitive to small variations in transmembrane potentials and can respond both to rapid, preferably on a millisecond timescale, and sustained membrane potential changes. Also needed are methods and compositions less susceptible to the effects of changes in external solution composition, more capable of selectively monitoring membranes of specific cell types, and providing a ratiometric fluorescence signal. This invention fulfils this and related needs.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods and compositions are provided for determining transmembrane electrical potential (membrane potential), particularly across the outermost (plasma) membrane of living cells. In one aspect, the method comprises: which is capable of redistributing from a first face of the membrane to a second face of the membrane in response to changes in the pot

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