Improved HaloTag ligand enables BRET imaging with NanoLuc

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) from an exceptionally bright luciferase, NanoLuc, to a fluorescent HaloTag ligand is gaining momentum to monitor molecular interactions. The recommended use of HaloTag618 ligand for the NanoLuc-HaloTag BRET pair is versatile for ensemble experiments due to their well-separated emission bands. However, this system is not applicable for single-cell BRET imaging because of its low BRET efficiency and in turn weak acceptor signals. Here we explored the unprecedented potential of rhodamine based HaloTag ligands, containing azetidine rings, as BRET acceptors. Through a comprehensive evaluation of various commercial and Janelia Fluor HaloTag ligands for improved BRET efficiency and minimal donor signal bleed-through, we identified JF525 to be the best acceptor for microscopic BRET imaging. We successfully employed BRET imaging with JF525 to monitor the interaction of protein kinase A catalytic and regulatory subunit. Single-cell BRET imaging with HaloTag JF525 can henceforth open doors to comprehend and interpret molecular interactions.status: publishe

Reproducibility of fluorescent expression from engineered biological constructs in E. coli

We present results of the first large-scale interlaboratory study carried out in synthetic biology, as part of the 2014 and 2015 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competitions. Participants at 88 institutions around the world measured fluorescence from three engineered constitutive constructs in E. coli. Few participants were able to measure absolute fluorescence, so data was analyzed in terms of ratios. Precision was strongly related to fluorescent strength, ranging from 1.54-fold standard deviation for the ratio between strong promoters to 5.75-fold for the ratio between the strongest and weakest promoter, and while host strain did not affect expression ratios, choice of instrument did. This result shows that high quantitative precision and reproducibility of results is possible, while at the same time indicating areas needing improved laboratory practices.Peer reviewe