• BMB Reports
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.65-72
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• 2013

In situ detection of RNAs is becoming increasingly important for analysis of gene expression within and between intact cells in tissues. International genomics efforts are now cataloging patterns of RNA transcription that play roles in cell function, differentiation, and disease formation, and they are demon-strating the importance of coding and noncoding RNA transcripts in these processes. However, these techniques typically provide ensemble averages of transcription across many cells. In situ hybridization-based analysis methods complement these studies by providing information about how expression levels change between cells within normal and diseased tissues, and they provide information about the localization of transcripts within cells, which is important in understanding mechanisms of gene regulation. Multi-color, single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) is particularly useful since it enables analysis of several different transcripts simultaneously. Combining smFISH with immunofluorescent protein detection provides additional information about the association between transcription level, cellular localization, and protein expression in individual cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제50권2호
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• pp.55-57
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• 2017

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) together with MD2, one of the key pattern recognition receptors for a pathogen-associated molecular pattern, activates innate immunity by recognizing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria. Although LBP and CD14 catalyze LPS transfer to the TLR4/MD2 complex, the detail mechanisms underlying this dynamic LPS transfer remain elusive. Using negative-stain electron microscopy, we visualized the dynamic intermediate complexes during LPS transfer-LBP/LPS micelles and ternary CD14/LBP/LPS micelle complexes. We also reconstituted the entire cascade of LPS transfer to TLR4/MD2 in a total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope for a single molecule fluorescence analysis. These analyses reveal longitudinal LBP binding to the surface of LPS micelles and multi-round binding/unbinding of CD14 to single LBP/LPS micelles via key charged residues on LBP and CD14. Finally, we reveal that a single LPS molecule bound to CD14 is transferred to TLR4/MD2 in a TLR4-dependent manner. These discoveries, which clarify the molecular mechanism of dynamic LPS transfer to TLR4/MD2 via LBP and CD14, provide novel insights into the initiation of innate immune responses.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.87-93
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• 2005

A new assay technique to distinguish between pure compounds and the isomeric mixtures has been suggested using single molecule (SM) fluorescence detection technique. Since the number of emission spots in a fluorophorespread film prepared from a genuine dye solution was determined by experimental condition, the deviation of spot numbers from the expected values could be considered to be an indication of lower purity of the sample solution. The lower limit of sample concentration for this assay was determined to be $5{\times}10^{-10}$ M to show uniform number of expected spots within 10% uncertainties in our experimental condition. An individual fluorescence intensity distribution for a mixture of isomers having doubly different emissivities was simulated by adding distributions obtained from Cy3 and nile red (NR) independently. The result indicated that the mixture could be identified from the pure compounds through the difference in the number of Gaussian functions to fit the distribution. This new assay technique can be applied to the purity test for synthetic biofluorophores which are usually prepared in small quantities not enough for classical ensemble assays.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제39권12호
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• pp.841-846
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• 2016

Local protein synthesis mediates precise spatio-temporal regulation of gene expression for neuronal functions such as long-term plasticity, axon guidance and regeneration. To reveal the underlying mechanisms of local translation, it is crucial to understand mRNA transport, localization and translation in live neurons. Among various techniques for mRNA analysis, fluorescence microscopy has been widely used as the most direct method to study localization of mRNA. Live-cell imaging of single RNA molecules is particularly advantageous to dissect the highly heterogeneous and dynamic nature of messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes in neurons. Here, we review recent advances in the study of mRNA localization and translation in live neurons using novel techniques for single-RNA imaging.

• Journal of Photoscience
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• 제3권3호
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• pp.153-158
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• 1996

The effects of $\alpha$- and $\beta$-cyclodextrins (CD) on the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) behavior of p-N,N'-dimethylaminobenzoic acid (DMABA) in buffered aqueous solution have been investigated by examining formation and decay behaviors of the TICT-typical dual fluorescence. The ratio of the TICT emission to the normal emission (I$_a$/I$_b$) increases linearly $\alpha$-CD concentration increases, while in the presence of $\beta$-CD it shows nonlinear dependences on the CD concentration. The analysis of the CD-dependent changes of the I$_a$/I$_b$ and absorption spectra demonstrates formation of 1:1 inclusion complexes between DMABA and CDs. The decay time of the normal emission (ca. 700 ps) is little affected by the formation of $\alpha$-CD inclusion complex, whereas it increases upto ca. 1.6 ns upon formation of $\beta$-CD inclusion complex. The TICT emission for the $\beta$-CD inclusion complex exhibits two decay components while it shows a single component for the $\alpha$-CD inclusion complex, indicating formation of one or two types of inclusion complex in the presence of $\alpha$-CD or $\beta$-CD, respectively. These results are attributed to the CD cavity size dependence on patterns of complexation between CDs and DMABA. The CD size dependences of the TICT fluorescence properties with the orientation of the guest molecule demonstrate that the specific hydrogen bonding between the carboxylic acid group and water plays an important role in the excited-state TICT.

• 세라미스트
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.281-300
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• 2019

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was first discovered in 1974 by an unexpected Raman signal increase from Pyridine adsorbed on rough Ag electrode surfaces by the M. Fleishmann group. M. Moskovits group suggested that this phenomenon could be caused by surface plasmon resonance (SPR), which is a collective oscillation of free electrons at the surface of metal nanostructures by an external light source. After about 40 years, the SERS study has attracted great attention as a biomolecule analysis technology, and more than 2500 new papers and 500 review papers related to SERS topic have been published each year in recently. The advantages of biomaterials analysis using SERS are as follows; ① Molecular level analysis is possible based on unique fingerprint information of biomolecule, ② There is no photo-bleaching effect of the Raman reporters, allowing long-term monitoring of biomaterials compared to fluorescence microscopy, ③ SERS peak bandwidth is approximately 10 to 100 times narrower than fluorescence emission from organic phosphor or quantum dot, resulting in higher analysis accuracy, ④ Single excitation wavelength allows analysis of various biomaterials, ⑤ By utilizing near-infrared (NIR) SERS-activated nanostructures and NIR excitation lasers, auto-fluorescence noise in the visible wavelength range can be avoided from in vivo experiment and light damage in living cells can be minimized compared to visible lasers, ⑥ The weak Raman signal of the water molecule makes it easy to analyze biomaterials in aqueous solutions. For this reason, SERS is attracting attention as a next-generation non-invasive medical diagnostic device as well as substance analysis. In this review, the principles of SERS and various biomaterial analysis principles using SERS analysis will be introduced through recent research papers.