A technique is provided to visualize microtubules in live cells that does not require genetic manipulation or microinjection. Moreover, this method also avoids perturbation of the endogenous microtubule network that occurs with taxol treatment. This technique exploits tyrosination and detyrosination of tubulin, a posttranslational modification cycle specific to the C-terminus of α-tubulin. Specifically, cells are grown in medium supplemented with a tyrosine derivative possessing a reactive functional group. The cellular enzyme tubulin tyrosine ligase attaches the unnatural amino acid to a single site on tubulin. Addition of fresh medium containing a suitably derivatized fluorophore then yields fluorescent tubulin, which incorporate into cellular microtubules. Importantly, the tubulin labeling approach demonstrated here does not detrimentally affect microtubule network or cell morphology. Thus we present a simple, robust labeling technique that allows microscopic analysis of microtubules in live cells.
本研究提供了一种无需
基因操作或显微注射即可观察活细胞中微管的技术。此外,这种方法还避免了
紫杉醇处理对内源性微管网络的干扰。这种技术利用了微管蛋白的
酪氨酸化和脱
酪氨酸化,这是一种针对α-微管蛋白C末端的翻译后修饰周期。具体来说,细胞在添加了具有活性官能团的
酪氨酸衍
生物的
培养基中生长。细胞中的微管蛋白
酪氨酸连接酶将非天然
氨基酸连接到微管蛋白上的一个位点上。然后加入含有适当衍生荧光团的新鲜
培养基,产生荧光小管蛋白,并与细胞微管结合。重要的是,这里展示的微管蛋白标记方法不会对微管网络或细胞形态产生不利影响。因此,我们提出了一种简单、稳健的标记技术,可以对活细胞中的微管进行显微分析。