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BAX and BAK are key apoptosis regulators that mediate the decisive step of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. However, the mechanism by which they assemble the apoptotic pore remains obscure. Here, we report that BAX and BAK present distinct oligomerization properties, with BAK organizing into smaller structures with faster kinetics than BAX. BAK recruits and accelerates BAX assembly into oligomers that continue to grow during apoptosis. As a result, BAX and BAK regulate each other as they co-assemble into the same apoptotic pores, which we visualize. The relative availability of BAX and BAK molecules thereby determines the growth rate of the apoptotic pore and the relative kinetics by which mitochondrial contents, most notably mtDNA, are released. This feature of BAX and BAK results in distinct activation kinetics of the cGAS/STING pathway with implications for mtDNA-mediated paracrine inflammatory signaling., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Interferometric single-molecule localization microscopy (iPALM, 4Pi-SMS) uses multiphase interferometry to localize single fluorophores and achieves nanometer isotropic resolution in 3D. The current data analysis workflow, however, fails to reach the theoretical resolution limit due to the suboptimal localization algorithm. Here, we develop a method to fit an experimentally derived point spread function (PSF) model to the interference 4Pi-PSF. As the interference phase is not fixed with respect to the shape of the PSF, we decoupled the phase term in the model from the 3D position of the PSF. The fitter can reliably infer the interference period even without introducing astigmatism, reducing the complexity of the microscope. Using a spline-interpolated experimental PSF model and by fitting all phase images globally, we show on simulated data that we can achieve the theoretical limit of 3D resolution, the Cramér-Rao lower bound (CRLB), also for the 4Pi microscope.

Here we describe the use of an organotypic hippocampal slice model for studying α-synuclein aggregation and inter-neuronal spreading initiated by microinjection of pre-formed α-synuclein fibrils (PFFs). PFF injection at dentate gyrus (DG) templates the formation of endogenous α-synuclein aggregates in axons and cell bodies of this region that spread to CA3 and CA1 regions. Aggregates are insoluble and phosphorylated at serine-129, recapitulating Lewy pathology features found in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. The model was found to favor anterograde spreading of the aggregates. Furthermore, it allowed development of slices expressing only serine-129 phosphorylation-deficient human α-synuclein (S129G) using an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector in α-synuclein knockout slices. The processes of aggregation and spreading of α-synuclein were thereby shown to be independent of phosphorylation at serine-129. We provide methods and highlight crucial steps for PFF microinjection and characterization of aggregate formation and spreading. Slices derived from genetically engineered mice or manipulated using viral vectors allow testing of hypotheses on mechanisms involved in the formation of α-synuclein aggregates and their prion-like spreading.

Quantitative fluorescence and superresolution microscopy are often limited by insufficient data quality or artifacts. In this context, it is essential to have biologically relevant control samples to benchmark and optimize the quality of microscopes, labels and imaging conditions. Here, we exploit the stereotypic arrangement of proteins in the nuclear pore complex as in situ reference structures to characterize the performance of a variety of microscopy modalities. We created four genome edited cell lines in which we endogenously labeled the nucleoporin Nup96 with mEGFP, SNAP-tag, HaloTag or the photoconvertible fluorescent protein mMaple. We demonstrate their use (1) as three-dimensional resolution standards for calibration and quality control, (2) to quantify absolute labeling efficiencies and (3) as precise reference standards for molecular counting. These cell lines will enable the broader community to assess the quality of their microscopes and labels, and to perform quantitative, absolute measurements.

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is one of the largest and most complex protein assemblies in the cell and, among other functions, serves as the gatekeeper of nucleocytoplasmic transport. Unraveling its molecular architecture and functioning has been an active research topic for decades with recent cryogenic electron microscopy and super-resolution studies advancing our understanding of the architecture of the NPC complex. However, the specific and direct visualization of single copies of NPC proteins is thus far elusive. Herein, we combine genetically-encoded self-labeling enzymes such as SNAP-tag and HaloTag with DNA-PAINT microscopy. We resolve single copies of nucleoporins in the human Y-complex in three dimensions with a precision of circa 3 nm, enabling studies of multicomponent complexes on the level of single proteins in cells using optical fluorescence microscopy., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Lesions and mutations of the DISC1 (Disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1) gene have been linked to major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism, but the influence of DISC1 on synaptic transmission remains poorly understood. Using two independent genetic approaches-RNAi and a DISC1 KO mouse-we examined the impact of DISC1 on the synaptic vesicle (SV) cycle by population imaging of the synaptic tracer vGpH in hippocampal neurons. DISC1 loss-of-function resulted in a marked decrease in SV exocytic rates during neuronal stimulation and was associated with reduced Ca(2+) transients at nerve terminals. Impaired SV release was efficiently rescued by elevation of extracellular Ca(2+), hinting at a link between DISC1 and voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. Accordingly, blockade of N-type Cav2.2 channels mimics and occludes the effect of DISC1 inactivation on SV exocytosis, and overexpression of DISC1 in a heterologous system increases Cav2.2 currents. Collectively, these results show that DISC1-dependent enhancement of SV exocytosis is mediated by Cav2.2 and point to aberrant glutamate release as a probable endophenotype of major psychiatric disorders.

STIMs (STIM1 and STIM2 in mammals) are transmembrane proteins that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and regulate store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE). The function of STIMs in the brain is only beginning to be explored, and the relevance of SOCE in nerve cells is being debated. Here we identify STIM2 as a central organizer of excitatory synapses. STIM2, but not its paralogue STIM1, influences the formation of dendritic spines and shapes basal synaptic transmission in excitatory neurons. We further demonstrate that STIM2 is essential for cAMP/PKA-dependent phosphorylation of the AMPA receptor (AMPAR) subunit GluA1. cAMP triggers rapid migration of STIM2 to ER-plasma membrane (PM) contact sites, enhances recruitment of GluA1 to these ER-PM junctions, and promotes localization of STIM2 in dendritic spines. Both biochemical and imaging data suggest that STIM2 regulates GluA1 phosphorylation by coupling PKA to the AMPAR in a SOCE-independent manner. Consistent with a central role of STIM2 in regulating AMPAR phosphorylation, STIM2 promotes cAMP-dependent surface delivery of GluA1 through combined effects on exocytosis and endocytosis. Collectively our results point to a unique mechanism of synaptic plasticity driven by dynamic assembly of a STIM2 signaling complex at ER-PM contact sites., (© 2015 Garcia-Alvarez et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).)

Self-amplification of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is believed to regulate asymmetric membrane extension and cell migration, but the molecular organization of the underlying feedback circuit is elusive. Here we use an inducible approach to synthetically activate PI3K and interrogate the feedback circuitry governing self-enhancement of 3'-phosphoinositide (3-PI) signals in NIH3T3 fibroblasts. Synthetic activation of PI3K initially leads to uniform production of 3-PIs at the plasma membrane, followed by the appearance of asymmetric and highly amplified 3-PI signals. A detailed spatiotemporal analysis shows that local self-amplifying 3-PI signals drive rapid membrane extension with remarkable directional persistence and initiate a robust migratory response. This positive feedback loop is critically dependent on the small GTPase HRas. Silencing of HRas abrogates local amplification of 3-PI signals upon synthetic PI3K activation and results in short-lived protrusion events that do not support cell migration. Finally, our data indicate that this feedback circuit is likely to operate during platelet-derived growth factor-induced random cell migration. We conclude that positive feedback between PI3K and HRas is essential for fibroblasts to spontaneously self-organize and generate a productive migratory response in the absence of spatial cues.