Specific DNA duplex formation at an artificial lipid bilayer: towards a new DNA biosensor technology.

A novel technique is described which comprises a base-specific DNA duplex formation at a lipid bilayer-H(2) O-phase boundary layer. Two different probes of oligonucleotides both carrying a double-tailed lipid at the 5'-terminus were incorporated into stable artificial lipid bilayers separating two compartments (cis/trans-channel) of an optically transparent microfluidic sample carrier with perfusion capabilities. Both the cis- and trans-channels are filled with saline buffer. Injection of a cyanine-5-labeled target DNA sequence, which is complementary to only one of the oligonucleotide probes, into the cis-channel, followed by a thorough perfusion, leads to an immobilization of the labeled complementary oligonucleotide on the membrane as detected by single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. In the case of fluorescent but non-complementary DNA sequences, no immobilized fluorescent oligonucleotide duplex could be detected on the membrane. This clearly verifies a specific duplex formation at the membrane interface.

Endogenous ADP-ribose enables calcium-regulated cation currents through TRPM2 channels in neutrophil granulocytes.

TRPM2 (transient receptor potential melastatin 2) is a Ca2+-permeable cation channel gated by ADPR (ADP-ribose) from the cytosolic side. To test whether endogenous concentrations of intracellular ADPR are sufficient for TRPM2 gating in neutrophil granulocytes, we devised an HPLC method to determine ADPR contents in HClO4 cell extracts. The reversed-phase ion-pair HPLC method with an Mg2+-containing isocratic eluent allows baseline resolution of one ADPR peak. Intracellular ADPR concentrations were approx. 5 muM in granulocytes and not significantly altered by stimulation with the chemoattractant peptide fMLP (N-formylmethionyl-leucylphenylalanine). We furthermore determined intracellular concentrations of cADPR (cyclic ADPR) with a cyclase assay involving enzymatic conversion of cADPR into NAD+ and fluorimetric determination of NAD+. Intracellular cADPR concentrations were approx. 0.2 microM and not altered by fMLP. In patch-clamp experiments, ADPR (0.1-100 microM) was dialysed into granulocytes to analyse its effects on whole-cell currents characteristic for TRPM2, in the presence of a low (<10 nM) or a high (1 microM) intracellular Ca2+ concentration. TRPM2 currents were significantly larger at high than at low [Ca2+] (e.g. -225+/-27.1 versus -7+/-2.0 pA/pF at 5 muM ADPR), but no currents at all were observed in the absence of ADPR (ADPR concentration < or =0.3 microM). cADPR (0.1, 0.3 and 10 microM) was without effect even in the presence of subthreshold ADPR (0.1 microM). We conclude that ADPR enables an effective regulation of TRPM2 by cytosolic Ca2+. Thus ADPR and Ca2+ in concert behave as a messenger system for agonist-induced influx of Ca2+ through TRPM2 in granulocytes.

Regulation of TRPM2 channels in neutrophil granulocytes by ADP-ribose: a promising pharmacological target.

TRPM2 channels play an important role in the activation process of neutrophil granulocytes. One mechanism of TRPM2 channel gating is the binding of intracellular ADP ribose (ADPR) to the Nudix box domain in the C-terminal tail of TRPM2. Intracellular Ca(2+), although not an activator of TRPM2 by its own, significantly enhances TRPM2 gating by ADPR. Stimulation of neutrophil granulocytes with the chemoattractant peptide N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) induces release of Ca(2+) ions from intracellular stores which in cooperation with endogenous ADPR levels enable Ca(2+) influx through TRPM2. Stimulation of the ectoenzyme CD38, a membrane-associated glycohydrolase with ADPR as main product, and uptake of ADPR into the cell may contribute to the effects of fMLP. Inhibition of ADPR production, of uptake and of binding to TRPM2 are all potential pharmacological principles by which a modulation of neutrophil function may become possible in future.

Role and regulation of TRP channels in neutrophil granulocytes.

Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family for which mRNA can be demonstrated in neutrophil granulocytes with RT-PCR include TRPC6 (as only "short" TRP), TRPM2, TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV5 and TRPV6. When these are analyzed in heterologous overexpression experiments, TRPM2 is the only cation channel with characteristic properties that can be used as fingerprint to provide functional evidence for its expression in neutrophil granulocytes. As cells transfected with TRPM2, neutrophil granulocytes display non-selective cation currents and typical channel activity evoked by intracellular ADP-ribose and NAD. Thus, stimulation of TRPM2 is likely to occur after activation of CD38 (producing ADP-ribose) and during the oxidative burst (enhancing the NAD concentration). This novel mode of cation entry regulation may be of particular importance for the response of granulocytes to chemoattractants. TRPV6 is a likely but not exclusive candidate as subunit of the channels mediating store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). Evidence for SOCE in granulocytes has been presented with the fura-2 technique but not with electrophysiological methods although Ca2+-selective store-operated currents can be demonstrated in HL-60 cells, a cell culture model of neutrophil granulocytes.

Action potential characterization of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes using automated patch-clamp technology.

Recent progress in embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) research led to high-purity preparations of human cardiomyocytes (CMs) differentiated from these two sources-suitable for tissue regeneration, in vitro models of disease, and cardiac safety pharmacology screening. We performed a detailed characterization of the effects of nifedipine, cisapride, and tetrodotoxin (TTX) on Cor.4U(®) human iPSC-CM, using automated whole-cell patch-clamp recordings with the CytoPatch™ 2 equipment, within a complex assay combining multiple voltage-clamp and current-clamp protocols in a well-defined sequence, and quantitative analysis of several action potential (AP) parameters. We retrieved three electrical phenotypes based on AP shape: ventricular, atrial/nodal, and S-type (with ventricular-like depolarization and lack of plateau). To suppress spontaneous firing, present in many cells, we injected continuously faint hyperpolarizing currents of -10 or -20 pA. We defined quality criteria (both seal and membrane resistance over 1 GΩ), and focused our study on cells with ventricular-like AP. Nifedipine induced marked decreases in AP duration (APD): APD90 (49.8% and 40.8% of control values at 1 and 10 µM, respectively), APD50 (16.1% and 12%); cisapride 0.1 µM increased APD90 to 176.2%; and tetrodotoxin 10 µM decreased maximum slope of phase to 33.3% of control, peak depolarization potential to 76.3% of control, and shortened APD90 on average to 80.4%. These results prove feasibility of automated voltage- and current-clamp recordings on human iPSC-CM and their potential use for in-depth drug evaluation and proarrhythmic liability assessment, as well as for diagnosis and pharmacology tests for cardiac channelopathy patients.

Activation of the cation channel long transient receptor potential channel 2 (LTRPC2) by hydrogen peroxide. A splice variant reveals a mode of activation independent of ADP-ribose.

LTRPC2 is a cation channel recently reported to be activated by adenosine diphosphate-ribose (ADP-ribose) and NAD. Since ADP-ribose can be formed from NAD and NAD is elevated during oxidative stress, we studied whole cell currents and increases in the intercellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in long transient receptor potential channel 2 (LTRPC2)-transfected HEK 293 cells after stimulation with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Cation currents carried by monovalent cations and Ca(2+) were induced by H(2)O(2) (5 mm in the bath solution) as well as by intracellular ADP-ribose (0.3 mm in the pipette solution) but not by NAD (1 mm). H(2)O(2)-induced currents developed slowly after a characteristic delay of 3-6 min and receded after wash-out of H(2)O(2). [Ca(2+)](i) was rapidly increased by H(2)O(2) in LTRPC2-transfected cells as well as in control cells; however, in LTRPC2-transfected cells, H(2)O(2) evoked a second delayed rise in [Ca(2+)](i). A splice variant of LTRPC2 with a deletion in the C terminus (amino acids 1292-1325) was identified in neutrophil granulocytes. This variant was stimulated by H(2)O(2) as the wild type. However, it did not respond to ADP-ribose. We conclude that activation of LTRPC2 by H(2)O(2) is independent of ADP-ribose and that LTRPC2 may mediate the influx of Na(+) and Ca(2+) during oxidative stress, such as the respiratory burst in granulocytes.

Expression profile of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family in neutrophil granulocytes: evidence for currents through long TRP channel 2 induced by ADP-ribose and NAD.

An early key event in the activation of neutrophil granulocytes is Ca(2+) influx. Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family may be held responsible for this. The aim of the present study is to analyse the expression pattern of TRP mRNA and identify characteristic currents unambiguously attributable to particular TRP channels. mRNA was extracted from human neutrophils, isolated by gradient centrifugation and also by magnetically labelled CD15 antibodies. The presence of mRNA was demonstrated using reverse transcriptase-PCR in neutrophils (controlled to be CD5-negative) as well as in human leukaemic cell line 60 (HL-60) cells, for the following TRP species: the long TRPC2 (LTRPC2), the vanilloid receptor 1, the vanilloid receptor-like protein 1 and epithelial Ca(2+) channels 1 and 2. TRPC6 was specific for neutrophils, whereas only in HL-60 cells were TRPC1, TRPC2, TRPC3, melastatin 1 and melastatin-related 1 found. Patch-clamp measurements in neutrophils revealed non-selective cation currents evoked by intracellular ADP-ribose and by NAD(+). Both these modes of activation have been found to be characteristic of LTRPC2. Furthermore, single-channel activity was resolved in neutrophils and it was indistinguishable from that in LTRPC2-transfected HEK-293 cells. The results provide evidence that LTRPC2 in neutrophil granulocytes forms an entry pathway for Na(+) and Ca(2+), which is regulated by ADP-ribose and the redox state.