A generic microfluidic biosensor of G protein-coupled receptor activation-monitoring cytoplasmic [Ca2+] changes in human HEK293 cells

作者：Roelse Margriet; de Ruijter Norbert C A; Vrouwe Elwin X; Jongsma Maarten A^*

来源：Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2013, 47: 436-444.

DOI：10.1016/j.bios.2013.03.065

• G protein-coupled receptor
• [Ca2+] imaging
• HEK293 cells
• FRET
• Dynamic
• Microfluidic flow cell
• Cameleon

Cell lines expressing recombinant G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are activated by specific ligands resulting in transient [Ca2+] rises that return to basal levels in 30-60 s. Yellow Cameleon 3.6 (YC3.6) is a genetically encoded calcium indicator which can be co-expressed to monitor these cytosolic [Ca2+] changes in real-time using Forster (Fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET). On this basis, we designed the prototype of a generic microfluidic biosensor of GPCR activation, imaging [Ca2+] changes in recombinant human HEK293 cells, which express a combination of a GPCR (Neurokinin 1) and YC3.6. An internal reference for non-specifically induced [Ca2+] changes were YC3.6 cells without GPCR but expressing a red fluorescent protein (mCherry) for identification. These cell lines were grown as a mixed population in a flow cell with a volume of similar to 50 mu l and a flow cell surface of 170 mm(2). Cells were activated by brief exposures to specific and non-specific analytes using an injection valve with a flexible sample volume (tested range 5-100 mu l) at a flow speed of 100 mu l/min. A flow cell surface of 02 mm(2) with 50 cells was imaged every 2-4 s to obtain signal kinetics. The lower limit of detection was 30 pM Substance P (SP, 2 pg/50 mu l), and reproducible responses to repeated injections every 3 min were obtained at 1 nM SP. This biosensor was designed for similar to 50 cells for statistical reasons, but at a lower limit of 1 receptor- and 1 reference-cell, specific ligand detection is still feasible.

• 出版日期2013-9-15