We thank Michael Heymann and Frank Siedler for production of silicon wafers, Core Facility MPI-B for assistance in protein purification and Simon Kretschmer and Leon Harrington for comments on the manuscript.

<ol>
	<li>Soh, S., Byrska, M., Kandere-Grzybowska, K., Grzybowski, B. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reaction-diffusion+systems+in+intracellular+molecular+transport+and+control.">Reaction-diffusion systems in intracellular molecular transport and control.</a> Angew Chemie Int Ed. 49 (25), 4170-4198 (2010).</li><li>Lutkenhaus, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+ParA/MinD+family+puts+things+in+their+place.">The ParA/MinD family puts things in their place.</a> Trends Microbiol. 20 (9), 411-418 (2012).</li><li>Shih, Y. -. L., Zheng, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spatial+control+of+the+cell+division+site+by+the+Min+system+in+Escherichia+coli.">Spatial control of the cell division site by the Min system in Escherichia coli.</a> Environ Microbiol. 15 (12), 3229-3239 (2013).</li><li>Halatek, J., Frey, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Highly+canalized+MinD+transfer+and+MinE+sequestration+explain+the+origin+of+robust+MinCDE-protein+dynamics.">Highly canalized MinD transfer and MinE sequestration explain the origin of robust MinCDE-protein dynamics.</a> Cell Rep. 1 (6), 741-752 (2012).</li><li>Raskin, D. M., De Boer, P. A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=MinDE-dependent+pole-to-pole+oscillation+of+division+inhibitor+MinC+in+Escherichia+coli.">MinDE-dependent pole-to-pole oscillation of division inhibitor MinC in Escherichia coli.</a> J Bacteriol. 181 (20), 6419-6424 (1999).</li><li>Loose, M., Fischer-Friedrich, E., Ries, J., Kruse, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spatial+regulators+for+bacterial+cell+division+self-organize+into+surface+waves+in+vitro.">Spatial regulators for bacterial cell division self-organize into surface waves in vitro.</a> Science. 320 (5877), 789-792 (2008).</li><li>Wu, F., van Schie, B. G. C., Keymer, J. E., Dekker, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Symmetry+and+scale+orient+Min+protein+patterns+in+shaped+bacterial+sculptures.">Symmetry and scale orient Min protein patterns in shaped bacterial sculptures.</a> Nat Nanotechnol. 10 (June), 719-726 (2015).</li><li>Hu, Z., Lutkenhaus, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Topological+regulation+of+cell+division+in+E.+coli:+Spatiotemporal+oscillation+of+MinD+requires+stimulation+of+its+ATPase+by+MinE+and+phospholipid.">Topological regulation of cell division in E. coli: Spatiotemporal oscillation of MinD requires stimulation of its ATPase by MinE and phospholipid.</a> Mol Cell. 7 (6), 1337-1343 (2001).</li><li>Meinhardt, H., de Boer, P. A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pattern+formation+in+Escherichia+coli:+A+model+for+the+pole-to-pole+oscillations+of+Min+proteins+and+the+localization+of+the+division+site.">Pattern formation in Escherichia coli: A model for the pole-to-pole oscillations of Min proteins and the localization of the division site.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 98 (25), 14202-14207 (2001).</li><li>Zieske, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reconstitution+of+self-organizing+protein+gradients+as+spatial+cues+in+cell-free+systems.">Reconstitution of self-organizing protein gradients as spatial cues in cell-free systems.</a> Elife. 3, e03949 (2014).</li><li>Roberts, M. A. J., Wadhams, G. H., Hadfield, K. A., Tickner, S., Armitage, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=ParA-like+protein+uses+nonspecific+chromosomal+DNA+binding+to+partition+protein+complexes.">ParA-like protein uses nonspecific chromosomal DNA binding to partition protein complexes.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109 (17), 6698-6703 (2012).</li><li>Vecchiarelli, A. G., Mizuuchi, K., Funnell, B. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surfing+biological+surfaces:+Exploiting+the+nucleoid+for+partition+and+transport+in+bacteria.">Surfing biological surfaces: Exploiting the nucleoid for partition and transport in bacteria.</a> Mol Microbiol. 86 (3), 513-523 (2012).</li><li>Thanbichler, M., Shapiro, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=MipZ,+a+spatial+regulator+coordinating+chromosome+segregation+with+cell+division+in+Caulobacter.">MipZ, a spatial regulator coordinating chromosome segregation with cell division in Caulobacter.</a> Cell. 126 (1), 147-162 (2006).</li><li>Lim, H. C., Surovtsev, I. V., Beltran, B. G., Huang, F., Bewersdorf, J., Jacobs-Wagner, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evidence+for+a+DNA-relay+mechanism+in+ParABS-mediated+chromosome+segregation.">Evidence for a DNA-relay mechanism in ParABS-mediated chromosome segregation.</a> Elife. 3, e02758 (2014).</li><li>Mileykovskaya, E., Fishov, I., Fu, X., Corbin, B. D., Margolin, W., Dowhan, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+phospholipid+composition+on+MinD-membrane+interactions+in+vitro+and+in+vivo.">Effects of phospholipid composition on MinD-membrane interactions in vitro and in vivo.</a> J Biol Chem. 278 (25), 22193-22198 (2003).</li><li>Renner, L. D., Weibel, D. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cardiolipin+microdomains+localize+to+negatively+curved+regions+of+Escherichia+coli+membranes.">Cardiolipin microdomains localize to negatively curved regions of Escherichia coli membranes.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 108 (15), 6264-6269 (2011).</li><li>Ivanov, V., Mizuuchi, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multiple+modes+of+interconverting+dynamic+pattern+formation+by+bacterial+cell+division+proteins.">Multiple modes of interconverting dynamic pattern formation by bacterial cell division proteins.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107 (18), 8071-8078 (2010).</li><li>Caspi, Y., Dekker, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mapping+out+Min+protein+patterns+in+fully+confined+fluidic+chambers.">Mapping out Min protein patterns in fully confined fluidic chambers.</a> Elife. 5, e19271 (2016).</li><li>Vecchiarelli, A. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Membrane-bound+MinDE+complex+acts+as+a+toggle+switch+that+drives+Min+oscillation+coupled+to+cytoplasmic+depletion+of+MinD.">Membrane-bound MinDE complex acts as a toggle switch that drives Min oscillation coupled to cytoplasmic depletion of MinD.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113 (11), E1479-E1488 (2016).</li><li>Kretschmer, S., Zieske, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Large-scale+modulation+of+reconstituted+Min+protein+patterns+and+gradients+by+defined+mutations+in+MinE's+membrane+targeting+sequence.">Large-scale modulation of reconstituted Min protein patterns and gradients by defined mutations in MinE's membrane targeting sequence.</a> PLoS One. 12 (6), e0179582 (2017).</li><li>Schweizer, J., Loose, M., Bonny, M., Kruse, K., Monch, I., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Geometry+sensing+by+self-organized+protein+patterns.">Geometry sensing by self-organized protein patterns.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci. 109 (38), 15283-15288 (2012).</li><li>Martos, A., Raso, A., Jim&#233;nez, M., Petr&#225;&#353;ek, Z., Rivas, G., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=FtsZ+polymers+tethered+to+the+membrane+by+ZipA+are+susceptible+to+spatial+regulation+by+min+waves.">FtsZ polymers tethered to the membrane by ZipA are susceptible to spatial regulation by min waves.</a> Biophys J. 108 (9), 2371-2383 (2015).</li><li>Vecchiarelli, A. G., Li, M., Mizuuchi, M., Mizuuchi, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Differential+affinities+of+MinD+and+MinE+to+anionic+phospholipid+influence+Min+patterning+dynamics+in+vitro.">Differential affinities of MinD and MinE to anionic phospholipid influence Min patterning dynamics in vitro.</a> Mol Microbiol. 93 (3), 453-463 (2014).</li><li>Glock, P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optical+control+of+a+biological+reaction-diffusion+system.">Optical control of a biological reaction-diffusion system.</a> Angew Chemie Int Ed. 57 (9), 2362-2366 (2018).</li><li>Zieske, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reconstitution+of+pole-to-pole+oscillations+of+min+proteins+in+microengineered+polydimethylsiloxane+compartments.">Reconstitution of pole-to-pole oscillations of min proteins in microengineered polydimethylsiloxane compartments.</a> Angew Chemie Int Ed. 52 (1), 459-462 (2013).</li><li>Miyagi, A., Ramm, B., Schwille, P., Scheuring, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-Speed+Atomic+Force+Microscopy+Reveals+the+Inner+Workings+of+the+MinDE+Protein+Oscillator.">High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals the Inner Workings of the MinDE Protein Oscillator.</a> Nano Lett. 18 (1), 288-296 (2017).</li><li>Ramirez, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Treadmilling+analysis+reveals+new+insights+into+dynamic+FtsZ+ring+architecture.">Treadmilling analysis reveals new insights into dynamic FtsZ ring architecture.</a> PLoS Biol. 16 (5), e2004845 (2018).</li><li>Vogel, S. K., Petrasek, Z., Heinemann, F., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Myosin+motors+fragment+and+compact+membrane-bound+actin+filaments.">Myosin motors fragment and compact membrane-bound actin filaments.</a> Elife. 2, e00116 (2013).</li><li>Zieske, K., Schweizer, J., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surface+topology+assisted+alignment+of+Min+protein+waves.">Surface topology assisted alignment of Min protein waves.</a> FEBS Lett. 588 (15), 2545-2549 (2014).</li><li>Loose, M., Fischer-Friedrich, E., Herold, C., Kruse, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Min+protein+patterns+emerge+from+rapid+rebinding+and+membrane+interaction+of+MinE.">Min protein patterns emerge from rapid rebinding and membrane interaction of MinE.</a> Nat Struct Mol Biol. 18 (5), 577-583 (2011).</li><li>Zieske, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reconstituting+geometry-modulated+protein+patterns+in+membrane+compartments.">Reconstituting geometry-modulated protein patterns in membrane compartments.</a> Methods Cell Biol. 128, 149-163 (2015).</li><li>Gruenberger, A., Probst, C., Heyer, A., Wiechert, W., Frunzke, J., Kohlheyer, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microfluidic+picoliter+bioreactor+for+microbial+single-cell+analysis:+fabrication,+system+setup,+and+operation.">Microfluidic picoliter bioreactor for microbial single-cell analysis: fabrication, system setup, and operation.</a> J Vis Exp. (82), e50560 (2013).</li><li>Schindelin, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fiji:+An+open-source+platform+for+biological-image+analysis.">Fiji: An open-source platform for biological-image analysis.</a> Nat Methods. 9 (7), 676-682 (2012).</li><li>Loose, M., Kruse, K., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Protein+self-organization:+Lessons+from+the+min+system.">Protein self-organization: Lessons from the min system.</a> Annu Rev Biophys. 40, 315-336 (2011).</li><li>Arumugam, S., Petra&#353;ek, Z., Schwille, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=MinCDE+exploits+the+dynamic+nature+of+FtsZ+filaments+for+its+spatial+regulation.">MinCDE exploits the dynamic nature of FtsZ filaments for its spatial regulation.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 111 (13), E1192-E1200 (2014).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

We have described a protocol for the in vitro reconstitution of MinCDE self-organization on planar supported lipid bilayers and in lipid bilayer covered 3D structures, using the example of rod-shaped PDMS microstructures. In order to obtain valuable data from these assays, the most important factors to control are protein and membrane quality.
To ensure protein quality, protein mass should be confirmed using SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, it should be verified that proteins are soluble and not aggregated, by using analytical gel filtration or dynamic light scattering. Gel filtration can be used to remove any aggregated fraction of proteins. Careful pH adjustment and quality of added nucleotides is critical, as the addition of non-adjusted or partially degraded nucleotide to protein stocks or self-organizing assays is sufficient to eliminate protein activity, therefore abolishing self-organization.
Next to protein quality, membrane quality is most critical, and improper membrane formation is most often the cause for defective self-organization and the origin of artefactual surface structures.
When performing the protocol for the first time, it is helpful to label the supported lipid bilayers by including labeled lipids such as Atto-655-DOPE or DiI at low molar percentages (0.05%). Thereby the properties and quality of the membrane can be judged directly. Using FRAP, the fluidity of the membrane can be assessed. Furthermore, one can directly assess the quality of washing of the SLB, as there will either be too many vesicles, no fluid membrane, or no membrane at all, if it has been washed off. The open chamber approach allows to rigorously wash the membrane, and hence also to remove vesicles that are sticking on the surface of the SLB. The most crucial factors for obtaining fluid and homogenous supported lipid bilayers are the cleaning and hydrophilicity of the support surface and the correct size and homogeneity of the SUVs. It can be helpful to check SUV size and size distribution using dynamic light scattering. For narrow size distributions, we recommend extruding the vesicles rather than sonicating them. Other methods of cleaning coverslips, e.g., treatments with strong bases, basic detergents, or using coverslips directly after rinsing with water, may yield good results, depending on the application and lipid mixture.
The first half of the protocol presented here, in vitro reconstitution on planar supported lipid bilayers in open chambers, has the advantage of rendering the surface accessible for optical microscopies, such as TIRF microscopy30, FRAP analysis6, single-particle tracking34, as well as surface probe techniques such as atomic force microscopy26. The large homogeneous area allows for better statistics at defined concentrations. Furthermore the open chamber approach allows to precisely control protein concentration and a rapid and simple addition of further components, hence permitting to titrate protein concentration in a single chamber20. The assay can also be expanded by addition of other bacterial divisome components such as FtsZ22,35, ZipA22 or the chimeric protein FtsZ-YFP-MTS10,35.
Other groups have taken a similar approach to reconstituting the Min system in vitro, but use a flow-cell instead of an open chamber17,18,19. Flow-cells have certain advantages, in particular when a fully enclosed 3D environment is needed18, the influence of flow17,19,23 or membrane composition23 on MinCDE patterns is investigated, or if protein patterns are to be observed under protein limiting conditions19. Nonetheless, local control of molecular concentrations is more difficult. Protein components, especially MinD, strongly bind to the membrane they first encounter18,19. In our experience, the proteins frequently exhibit non-specific binding to tubing, inlets, syringes and other microfluidic parts. Hence, local protein concentrations differ from input concentrations18 and also vary over the length of the flow-cell, resulting in a variety of different protein patterns on the membrane between inlet and outlet, as observed by others19.
The second half of the protocol presented here, the in vitro reconstitution in rod-shaped microstructures re-using the open chamber approach on a patterned support covered by lipid bilayers allows for a simple mimic of in vivo protein behavior even though precise control over protein concentrations is lost due to buffer removal. Note that because the wavelength of MinDE is about one order of magnitude larger in vitro than in vivo the rod-shaped microcompartments are also about one order of magnitude larger (10 x 30 &#181;m) than a rod-shaped E. coli cell.
Overall, this protocol allows for the precise control of all conditions including protein concentration, buffer composition and membrane properties. The use of 3D structured supports enables the reaction to be studied under spatial confinement, mimicking in vivo behavior without the need for complex microfluidics equipment.

Spatiotemporal patterns are essential in nature, regulating complex tasks both on the multicellular and cellular level, from morphogenesis to regulated cell division1,2. Reaction-diffusion systems play an important role in establishing these patterns, but are still not well understood. A prime example of a reaction-diffusion system and the best characterized biological system so far is the Escherichia coli MinCDE system3,4,5,6,7. The MinCDE system oscillates from cell pole to cell pole in E. coli to determine the middle of the cell as the future division site. This system is based on the ATPase MinD, the&#160;ATPase activating protein MinE, and the membrane as a spatial reaction matrix8. MinC is not part of the pattern formation mechanism, but is the actual functional agent: an inhibitor of the main divisome protein FtsZ5,6. MinC binds to MinD and therefore follows the oscillations, resulting in a time-averaged protein concentration gradient that is maximal at the cell poles and minimal at the cell middle, only allowing FtsZ to polymerize at midcell9,10. The MinCDE system is part of the larger family of Walker A ATPases that are key to the spatiotemporal organization in bacteria2, for positioning and transporting protein complexes11 and plasmids12 and for regulating cell division13 and chromosome segregation14. Hence, the MinCDE reaction-diffusion system not only represents an archetypal reaction-diffusion system, but has also attracted attention because of its relevance for the spatiotemporal organization in bacteria.
Detailed functional studies of the MinCDE system in vivo are complicated, as manipulation of proteins and gene deletion typically result in cell division defects. Furthermore, changing the membrane composition or the properties of the cytosol in vivo is very challenging15,16. Changes to the system and influencing factors are hard to interpret in the complex environment of the cell, even more so if it is disturbed in such an essential function as cell division. We and others have therefore turned to an in vitro reconstitution approach, reducing the system to its core components: MinD, MinE, ATP as an energy source, and the supported lipid bilayer as a reaction matrix6,17,18. This bottom-up approach allows to probe the mechanism of self-organization in detail without the complexity of a living cell. The proteins form traveling surface waves6 and other kinds of patterns17,19 under these conditions, albeit with a wavelength that is usually about a magnitude larger than in vivo. The use of an open chamber facilitates precise control over all aspects influencing pattern formation: protein concentrations6, protein properties20, membrane composition10, buffer composition, and ATP concentration6, as well as addition of other factors such as crowding agents21 and other divisome proteins22. In comparison, the in vitro reconstitution of the MinCDE system in a flow-cell18,19,23 can be used to probe the influence of flow17,23, protein limiting conditions19, membrane composition19 and full 3D confinement18 on protein patterns, but renders an exact control of protein/component concentration and sequential component addition much more complicated.
Using this open chamber, we also patterned the support of the planar lipid bilayers by which one can probe how geometrical boundaries influence pattern formation21, a phenomenon that has recently also been investigated in vivo using bacteria molded into microstructures7. We also employed this assay to investigate how defined mutations in MinE affect pattern formation of the system20. Furthermore, the same basic assay format has been employed to investigate how pattern formation can be controlled by light, introducing an azobenzene-crosslinked MinE peptide into the assay, and imaging with TIRF microscopy24.
We found that, in order to replicate the MinDE pattern formation observed in vivo in an in vitro system, confinement was key. Using rod-shaped microcompartments, with dimensions adjusted to the larger wavelength of MinDE in vitro (10 x 30 &#181;m), clad with a supported lipid bilayer allowed the reconstitution of MinDE pole-to-pole oscillations and protein gradient formation10,25. In this assay, the supported lipid bilayers are deposited on a patterned PDMS substrate that contains several hundred replicas of rod-shaped microcompartments that remain open on the top. By this, the reaction can be set up in an open chamber, and subsequently the buffer is lowered to the rim of the microcompartments, thereby confining the reaction&#160;to a small volume. Even though these compartments have an air-buffer interface on one side and hence do not represent a full 3D confinement by membrane, the protein dynamics mimicked in vivo oscillations10,25. Compared to full 3D confinement, which shows very similar results18, the open microstructures assay is relatively simple and easy to handle and can also be performed by laboratories that are not equipped with specialized microfluidics equipment and clean-room facilities.
Here, we present an experimental protocol for reconstituting MinCDE pattern formation on supported lipid bilayers in vitro using an open chamber that allows for control of all components and easy access by optical microscopy and, with minor modifications, is also adaptable for surface-probe techniques26. Next to planar supported lipid bilayers, we also show how protein confinement can be obtained using simple patterned supported lipid bilayers on rod-shaped PDMS microstructures. These assays, although optimized for the MinCDE system, can also be transferred to other protein systems that interact in a similar way with the membrane, such as FtsZ27 or a minimal actin cortex28.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4">Reagents</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DOPC</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>850375</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DOPG</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>840475</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>E.coli polar lipid extract</td>
			<td>Avanti Polar Lipids</td>
			<td>100600</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adenosine 5&#8242;-triphosphate disodium salt trihydrate</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Adenosine 5&#8242;-diphosphate monopotassium salt dihydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A5285-1G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium chloride</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>27810.295</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium chloride</td>
			<td>Roth</td>
			<td>6781.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-base</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>T1503-1kg</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hydrochloric acid</td>
			<td>Roth</td>
			<td>9277.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TCEP-HCl</td>
			<td>Termo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>20491</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetate</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>1.08418.1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sulfuric Acid 98%</td>
			<td>Applichem</td>
			<td>173163.1611</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hydrogen Peroxide 50%</td>
			<td>Applichem</td>
			<td>147064.1211</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Biomol</td>
			<td>05288.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>102950</td>
			<td>Uvasol</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glycerol 86%</td>
			<td>Roth</td>
			<td>4043.1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TB medium</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isopropyl &#946;-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)</td>
			<td>Roth</td>
			<td>2316.x</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Atto-655-DOPE</td>
			<td>Atto Tec</td>
			<td>AD 655-161</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ni-NTA agarose</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>30210</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PDMS base</td>
			<td>Dow Corning Corporation</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>SYLGARD 184</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PDMS crosslinker</td>
			<td>Dow Corning Corporation</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4">Materials</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>UV Glue</td>
			<td>Norland Products</td>
			<td>6801</td>
			<td>#68 and #63 both work well</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Coverslips #1.5 24x24 mm</td>
			<td>Menzel Gl&#228;ser</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Coverslips #1 24x24 mm</td>
			<td>Menzel Gl&#228;ser</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>used only for PDMS microstructures</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.5 ml reaction tube</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>&#160;0030123301</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>culture flask 2L</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>e.g. 734-1905</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>His-Trap HP</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare Life Sciences</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gelfiltration column: HiLoad Superdex 75 PG or 200 PG</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare Life Sciences</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Econo-Pac 10DG desalting column prepacked column</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td>7322010</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>dialysis device: Slide-A-Lyzer Dialysis Cassettes, 3.5K MWCO, 0.1 - 0.5 mL or 0.5-3 mL</td>
			<td>Termo Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>66333 or 66330</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>razor blade</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4">Instruments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ultrapure water: Milli-Q Type 1 Ultrapure Water Systems</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>automated protein purification system: &#196;kta Pure</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare Life Sciences</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bath sonicator</td>
			<td>Branson</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>e.g. Model 1510</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ARE-250 mixer</td>
			<td>Thinky Corporation</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plasma cleaner Zepto</td>
			<td>Diener electronic</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>use oxygen as process gas</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>positive displacement pipettes</td>
			<td>Brand</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Transferpettor models with glass tips</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LSM780 confocal laser scanning microscope</td>
			<td>Zeiss</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Fitted with Zeiss C-Apochromat 40X/1.20 water-immersion objective</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="4">Plasmids</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET28a-His-MinD_MinE</td>
			<td>Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, MPI of Biochemistry, Prof. Schwille</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>plasmid encoding His-MinD and non-tagged MinE to improve yield</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET28a-His-MinE</td>
			<td>Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, MPI of Biochemistry, Prof. Schwille</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>plasmid encoding His-MinE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET28a-His-EGFP-MinD</td>
			<td>Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, MPI of Biochemistry, Prof. Schwille</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>plasmid encoding His-EGFP-MinD</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET28a-His-mRuby3-MinD</td>
			<td>Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, MPI of Biochemistry, Prof. Schwille</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>plasmid encoding His-mRuby3-MinD</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pET28a-His- MinC</td>
			<td>Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, MPI of Biochemistry, Prof. Schwille</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>plasmid encoding His-MinC</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

in vitro reconstitution of self-organizing protein patterns on supported lipid bilayers

Many aspects of the fundamental spatiotemporal organization of cells are governed by reaction-diffusion type systems. In vitro reconstitution of such systems allows for detailed studies of their underlying mechanisms which would not be feasible in vivo. Here, we provide a protocol for the in vitro reconstitution of the MinCDE system of Escherichia coli, which positions the cell division septum in the cell middle. The assay is designed to supply only the components necessary for self-organization, namely a membrane, the two proteins MinD and MinE and energy in the form of ATP. We therefore fabricate an open reaction chamber on a coverslip, on which a supported lipid bilayer is formed. The open design of the chamber allows for optimal preparation of the lipid bilayer and controlled manipulation of the bulk content. The two proteins, MinD and MinE, as well as ATP, are then added into the bulk volume above the membrane. Imaging is possible by many optical microscopies, as the design supports confocal, wide-field and TIRF microscopy alike. In a variation of the protocol, the lipid bilayer is formed on a patterned support, on cell-shaped PDMS microstructures, instead of glass. Lowering the bulk solution to the rim of these compartments encloses the reaction in a smaller compartment and provides boundaries that allow mimicking of in vivo oscillatory behavior. Taken together, we describe protocols to reconstitute the MinCDE system both with and without spatial confinement, allowing researchers to precisely control all aspects influencing pattern formation, such as concentration ranges and addition of other factors or proteins, and to systematically increase system complexity in a relatively simple experimental setup.

Protein purification following our protocol should yield Min proteins of adequate purity. As a reference, Figure 1 provides an SDS-PAGE image of MinD, fluorescently labelled MinD, MinE, and MinC. The individual steps of the procedure to perform a MinDE self-organization assay on non-patterned supported lipid bilayers are described in Figure 2. Using this protocol, regular MinDE traveling surface waves can be observed throughout the chamber (Figure 3). The wavelength can vary slightly within the chamber, but in general patterns look similar. The edges of the chamber should not be used for quantitative comparisons, as membranes that form on the UV glue seem to have different properties than on the glass surface (see Figure 3C). The traveling surface waves can be analyzed by plotting the intensity along the propagation direction (Figure 3B). While MinD fluorescence plateaus rather fast from the leading edge of the wave and then sharply decreases at the trailing edge, MinE fluorescence increases almost linearly from the start of the MinD wave and reaches its maximum after MinD at the trailing edge, where it falls off markedly6.
Next to protein quality, the quality of the supported lipid bilayers is most critical for a regular self-organization of MinCDE. On the one hand if the membrane is washed too excessively or the underlying surface has been cleaned and thus charged too strongly, holes can form in the membrane (Figure 6A, top). On the other hand if the membrane is not washed properly or the underlying surface is not cleaned/hydrophilized, vesicles will stick to the membrane or the membrane fluidity will be compromised (Figure 6A, bottom). Even though not as apparent as when observing the membrane directly via labeled lipids, these problems can also be detected from the MinD fluorescence signal, as patterns are not regular and the fluorescence in the maxima is not homogenous but contains &#34;holes&#34; or bright spots as shown in the middle panel of Figure 6A.
For the MinDE self-organization in rod-shaped PDMS microstructures the procedure is summarized in Figure 4. Several protocol steps do not need to be repeated, as proteins and lipids can be reused. Like on non-patterned substrates, the substrate is cleaned and hydrophilized (by plasma-cleaning), a supported lipid bilayer is formed on the PDMS and the self-organization assay is set up in a volume of 200 &#181;L. To check that a proper membrane has formed and MinDE self-organizes on the membrane, the chambers are imaged. When a proper membrane has been formed, MinDE forms regular traveling surface waves on the surface of the PDMS between the individual microstructures and also self-organizes at the bottom of the microstructures as the waves can freely move over the entire membrane-covered surface (Figure 5A). After buffer removal, the surface between the compartments should not show any propagating MinDE patterns (Figure 5B), as it should be entirely dry. If MinDE patterns are still moving, more buffer needs to be removed. The proteins are now confined in the rod-shaped microcompartments by the membrane-clad PDMS and by air on the upper interface (Figure 5C), in which they will self-organize. Under these conditions the two proteins can perform pole-to-pole oscillations as shown in Figure 5D. As a fraction of MinD and MinE is always membrane-bound, also during buffer removal, the concentrations after buffer removal are not comparable to input concentrations. Due to this effect the concentrations also vary between individual microstructures on the same coverslip as they depend on the position of the patterns before buffer removal. Silicon wafer production or PDMS molding from the silicon wafer can result in incomplete microstructures that cannot be used for analysis (Figure 6B). Furthermore, due to the buffer removal microstructures might dry out during the process, and hence, should be excluded from further analysis&#160;(Figure 6B). As a result only a fraction of the microstructures in one chamber shows the desired pole-to-pole oscillations. To analyze protein dynamics in the microstructures, a kymograph can be obtained by drawing a selection over the entire structure (Figure 5E). When MinCDE oscillate from pole-to-pole, MinC and MinD will show a time-averaged concentration gradient with maximum&#160;concentration at the compartment poles and minimal concentration in the middle of the compartment&#160; (Figure 5F).
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig1.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: SDS-PAGE showing the final products of protein purifications. His-MinD (33.3 kDa), His-eGFP-MinD (60.1 kDa), His-mRuby3-MinD (59.9 kDa), His-MinE (13.9 kDa) and His-MinC (28.3 kDa) are shown in order. <a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig1large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 2" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig2.jpg" /> 
Figure 2: Process flow diagram showing the individual steps and timing of the protocol for a self-organization on non-patterned supported lipid bilayers (Steps 1-6). Dashed boxes indicate that one of these two options can be used for cleaning. Arrows marked by circles indicate where the protocol can be paused and resumed later. <a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig2large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 3" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig3.jpg" /> 
Figure 3: Imaging of MinDE assay by confocal microscopy. A) Regular Min spiral, from which wave propagation speed, intensity plot and speed measurements can be obtained. Concentrations used: 0.6 &#181;M MinD (30% eGFP-MinD), 1.8 &#181;M His-MinE (30% His-MinE-Alexa647) B) Example normalized intensity plot for the region marked in A. C) Overview of entire assay chamber (scale bar: 1 mm, same protein concentrations as above). Spirals turning either direction as well as target patterns can be observed. The magnified region shows how wave patterns differ on the UV-glue. <a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig3large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 4" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig4.jpg" /> 
Figure 4: Process flow diagram showing the individual steps and timing of the protocol for&#160;self-organization in rod-shaped microstructures (Steps 1-5, 7, 8). Grey boxes indicate steps where products can be reused from the protocol on non-patterned supported lipid bilayers. Arrows marked by circles indicate where the protocol can be paused and resumed later. <a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig4large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 5" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig5.jpg" /> 
Figure 5: Representative results for MinDE pattern formation in rod-shaped PDMS microcompartments. A) MinDE self-organize on the surface of the PDMS forming traveling surface waves (1 &#181;M MinD (30% EGFP-MinD), 2 &#181;M MinE and 2.5 mM ATP). B) After the buffer is lowered to the height of the microstructures, the protein self-organization stops on the planar surface between the microcompartments. C) Schematic of one rod-shaped microcompartment. D) Representative images of MinDE pole-to-pole oscillations after buffer removal. E) Kymograph of the oscillations along the highlighted line shown in D). F) Image and profile of the average fluorescence intensity of the time-series shown in D) clearly showing the protein gradient that is maximal at microcompartment poles and minimal at compartment middle. <a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig5large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 6" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig6.jpg" /> 
Figure 6: Examples of negative experimental outcomes. A) Over-washed membranes accumulate holes, while suboptimal vesicle preparations and lipid compositions lead to sticking vesicles. The two center panels show a combination of both problems and how they become visible when observing Min oscillations. Membranes were labelled with 0.05% Atto655-DOPE. (scale bars: 50 &#181;m) B) Top panel: Dried out microcompartments can be caused by too much buffer removal or when the buffer evaporates over time. Bottom panel: Incomplete compartments can be formed during wafer production or PDMS molding. (scale bars: 30 &#181;m) <a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/58139fig6large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
Supplementary File 1:&#160;Plasmid map for His-MinD.&#160;<a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/01_pET28a-MinD-MinE.gb " target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>
Supplementary File 2:&#160;Plasmid map for His-EGFP-MinD.&#160;<a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/02_pET28a-EGFP-MinD.gb" target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>
Supplementary File 3:&#160;Plasmid map for His-mRuby3-MinD.&#160;<a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/03_pET28a-mRuby3-MinD.gb" target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>
Supplementary File 4:&#160;Plasmid map for His-MinE.&#160;<a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/04_pET28a-MinE.gb" target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>
Supplementary File 5:&#160;Plasmid map for His-MinC.&#160;<a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/05_pET28a-MinC.gb" target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>
Supplementary File 6:&#160;CAD file for silicon wafer of rod-shaped microcompartments.&#160;<a href="https://www-jove-com.remotexs.ntu.edu.sg/files/ftp_upload/58139/JoVe_wafer_rod-like-structures_3x3.dwg" target="_blank">Please click here to download this file.</a>

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers at JoVE.com

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

We provide a protocol for in vitro self-organization assays of MinD and MinE on a supported lipid bilayer in an open chamber. Additionally, we describe how to enclose the assay in lipid-clad PDMS microcompartments to mimic in vivo conditions by reaction confinement.

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Many aspects of the fundamental spatiotemporal organization of cells are governed by reaction-diffusion type systems. In vitro reconstitution of such ...

in-vitro-reconstitution-self-organizing-protein-patterns-on-supported

Nanyang Technological University

Research

JoVE Journal

Biochemistry

12.1K Views.  Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. We provide a protocol for in vitro self-organization assays of MinD and MinE on a supported lipid bilayer in an open chamber. Additionally, we describe how to enclose the assay in lipid-clad PDMS microcompartments to mimic in vivo conditions by reaction confinement.

Video: In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

Studies of integral membrane proteins in vitro are frequently complicated by the presence of a hydrophobic transmembrane domain. Further complicating these studies, reincorporation of detergent-solubilized membrane proteins into liposomes is a stochastic process where protein topology is impossible to enforce. This paper offers an alternative method to these challenging techniques that utilizes a liposome-based scaffold. Protein solubility is enhanced by deletion of the transmembrane domain, and these amino acids are replaced with a tethering moiety, such as a His-tag. This tether interacts with an anchoring group (Ni2+ coordinated by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA(Ni2+)) for His-tagged proteins), which enforces a uniform protein topology at the surface of the liposome. An example is presented wherein the interaction between Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) with an integral membrane protein, Mitochondrial Fission Factor (Mff), was investigated using this scaffold liposome method. In this work, we have demonstrated the ability of Mff to efficiently recruit soluble Drp1 to the surface of liposomes, which stimulated its GTPase activity. Moreover, Drp1 was able to tubulate the Mff-decorated lipid template in the presence of specific lipids. This example demonstrates the effectiveness of scaffold liposomes using structural and functional assays and highlights the role of Mff in regulating Drp1 activity.

Using Scaffold Liposomes to Reconstitute Lipid-proximal Protein-protein Interactions In Vitro

This paper describes a method for assessing the interactions and assemblies of integral membrane proteins in vitro with various partner factors in a lipid-proximal environment.

Studies of integral membrane proteins in vitro are frequently complicated by the presence of a hydrophobic transmembrane domain. Further complicating ...

Time-resolved ElectroSpray Ionization Hydrogen-deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry for Studying Protein Structure and Dynamics

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have long been a challenge to structural biologists due to their lack of stable secondary structure elements. Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange (HDX) measured at rapid time scales is uniquely suited to detect structures and hydrogen bonding networks that are briefly populated, allowing for the characterization of transient conformers in native ensembles. Coupling of HDX to mass spectrometry offers several key advantages, including high sensitivity, low sample consumption and no restriction on protein size. This technique has advanced greatly in the last several decades, including the ability to monitor HDX labeling times on the millisecond time scale. In addition, by incorporating the HDX workflow onto a microfluidic platform housing an acidic protease microreactor, we are able to localize dynamic properties at the peptide level. In this study, Time-Resolved ElectroSpray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TRESI-MS) coupled to HDX was used to provide a detailed picture of residual structure in the tau protein, as well as the conformational shifts induced upon hyperphosphorylation.

Conformational flexibility plays a critical role in protein function. Herein, we describe the use of time-resolved electrospray ionization mass spectrometry coupled to hydrogen-deuterium exchange for probing the rapid structural changes that drive function in ordered and disordered proteins.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have long been a challenge to structural biologists due to their lack of stable secondary structure elements. ...

In Vitro Polymerization of F-actin on Early Endosomes

Many early endosome functions, particularly cargo protein sorting and membrane deformation, depend on patches of short F-actin filaments nucleated onto the endosomal membrane. We have established a microscopy-based in vitro assay that reconstitutes the nucleation and polymerization of F-actin on early endosomal membranes in test tubes, thus rendering this complex series of reactions amenable to genetic and biochemical manipulations. Endosomal fractions are prepared by floatation in sucrose gradients from cells expressing the early endosomal protein GFP-RAB5. Cytosolic fractions are prepared from separate batches of cells. Both endosomal and cytosolic fractions can be stored frozen in liquid nitrogen, if needed. In the assay, the endosomal and cytosolic fractions are mixed, and the mixture is incubated at 37 &#176;C under appropriate conditions (e.g., ionic strength, reducing environment). At the desired time, the reaction mixture is fixed, and the F-actin is revealed with phalloidin. Actin nucleation and polymerization are then analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. Here, we report that this assay can be used to investigate the role of factors that are involved either in actin nucleation on the membrane, or in the subsequent elongation, branching, or crosslinking of F-actin filaments.

In Vitro Polymerization of F-actin on Early Endosomes

Early endosome functions depend on F-actin polymerization. Here, we describe a microscopy-based in vitro assay that reconstitutes the nucleation and polymerization of F-actin on early endosomal membranes in test tubes, thus rendering this complex series of reactions amenable to biochemical and genetic manipulations.

Many early endosome functions, particularly cargo protein sorting and membrane deformation, depend on patches of short F-actin filaments nucleated onto ...

Detergent-free Ultrafast Reconstitution of Membrane Proteins into Lipid Bilayers Using Fusogenic Complementary-charged Proteoliposomes.

Detergents are indispensable for delivery of membrane proteins into 30-100 nm small unilamellar vesicles, while more complex, larger model lipid bilayers are less compatible with detergents.
Here we describe a strategy for bypassing this fundamental limitation using fusogenic oppositely charged liposomes bearing a membrane protein of interest. Fusion between such vesicles occurs within 5 min in a low ionic strength buffer. Positively charged fusogenic liposomes can be used as simple shuttle vectors for detergent-free delivery of membrane proteins into biomimetic target lipid bilayers, which are negatively charged. We also show how to reconstitute membrane proteins into fusogenic proteoliposomes with a fast 30-min protocol.
Combining these two approaches, we demonstrate a fast assembly of an electron transport chain consisting of two membrane proteins from E. coli, a primary proton pump bo3-oxidase and F1Fo ATP synthase, in membranes of vesicles of various sizes, ranging from 0.1 to &#62;10 microns, as well as ATP production by this chain.

Here we present two ultrafast protocols for reconstitution of membrane proteins into fusogenic proteoliposomes, and fusion of such proteoliposomes with target lipid bilayers for detergent-free delivery of these membrane proteins into the postfusion bilayer. The combination of these approaches enables fast and easily controlled assembly of complex multi-component membrane systems.

Detergents are indispensable for delivery of membrane proteins into 30-100 nm small unilamellar vesicles, while more complex, larger model lipid bilayers ...

Dissipative Microgravimetry to Study the Binding Dynamics of the Phospholipid Binding Protein Annexin A2 to Solid-supported Lipid Bilayers Using a Quartz Resonator

The dissipative quartz crystal microbalance technique is a simple and label-free approach to measure simultaneously the mass uptake and viscoelastic properties of the absorbed/immobilized mass on sensor surfaces, allowing the measurements of the interaction of proteins with solid-supported surfaces, such as lipid bilayers, in real-time and with a high sensitivity. Annexins are a highly conserved group of phospholipid-binding proteins that interact reversibly with the negatively charged headgroups via the coordination of calcium ions. Here, we describe a protocol that was employed to quantitatively analyze the binding of annexin A2 (AnxA2) to planar lipid bilayers prepared on the surface of a quartz sensor. This protocol is optimized to obtain robust and reproducible data and includes a detailed step-by-step description. The method can be applied to other membrane-binding proteins and bilayer compositions.

Here, we present an experimental protocol that can be employed to determine the binding affinities and mode of interaction of label-free phospholipid-binding protein annexin A2 with immobilized solid-supported bilayers (SLB) by simultaneously measuring the mass uptake and the viscoelastic properties of the protein annexin A2.

The dissipative quartz crystal microbalance technique is a simple and label-free approach to measure simultaneously the mass uptake and viscoelastic ...

Analysis of Protein Folding, Transport, and Degradation in Living Cells by Radioactive Pulse Chase

Radioactive pulse-chase labeling is a powerful tool for studying the conformational maturation, the transport to their functional cellular location, and the degradation of target proteins in live cells. By using short (pulse) radiolabeling times (&lt;30 min) and tightly controlled chase times, it is possible to label only a small fraction of the total protein pool and follow its folding. When combined with nonreducing/reducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoprecipitation with (conformation-specific) antibodies, folding processes can be examined in great detail. This system has been used to analyze the folding of proteins with a huge variation in properties such as soluble proteins, single and multi-pass transmembrane proteins, heavily N- and O-glycosylated proteins, and proteins with and without extensive disulfide bonding. Pulse-chase methods are the basis of kinetic studies into a range of additional features, including co- and posttranslational modifications, oligomerization, and polymerization, essentially allowing the analysis of a protein from birth to death. Pulse-chase studies on protein folding are complementary with other biochemical and biophysical methods for studying proteins in vitro by providing increased temporal resolution and physiological information. The methods as described within this paper are adapted easily to study the folding of almost any protein that can be expressed in mammalian or insect-cell systems.

Here we describe a protocol for a general pulse-chase method that allows the kinetic analysis of folding, transport, and degradation of proteins to be followed in live cells.

Radioactive pulse-chase labeling is a powerful tool for studying the conformational maturation, the transport to their functional cellular location, and ...

Detergent-assisted Reconstitution of Recombinant Drosophila Atlastin into Liposomes for Lipid-mixing Assays

Membrane fusion is a crucial process in the eukaryotic cell. Specialized proteins are necessary to catalyze fusion. Atlastins are endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident proteins implicated in homotypic fusion of the ER. We detail here a method for purifying a glutathione S-transferase (GST) and poly-histidine tagged Drosophila atlastin by two rounds of affinity chromatography. Studying fusion reactions in vitro requires purified fusion proteins to be inserted into a lipid bilayer. Liposomes are ideal model membranes, as lipid composition and size may be adjusted. To this end, we describe a reconstitution method by detergent removal for Drosophila atlastin into preformed liposomes. While several reconstitution methods are available, reconstitution by detergent removal has several advantages that make it suitable for atlastins and other similar proteins. The advantage of this method includes a high reconstitution yield and correct orientation of the reconstituted protein. This method can be extended to other membrane proteins and for other applications that require proteoliposomes. Additionally, we describe a FRET based lipid mixing assay of proteoliposomes used as a measurement of membrane fusion.

Detergent-assisted Reconstitution of Recombinant Drosophila Atlastin into Liposomes for Lipid-mixing Assays

Biological membrane fusion is catalyzed by specialized fusion proteins. Measuring the fusogenic properties of proteins can be achieved by lipid mixing assays. We present a method for purifying recombinant Drosophila atlastin, a protein that mediates homotypic fusion of the ER, reconstituting it to preformed liposomes, and testing for fusion capacity.

Membrane fusion is a crucial process in the eukaryotic cell. Specialized proteins are necessary to catalyze fusion. Atlastins are endoplasmic reticulum ...

Use of Microscale Thermophoresis to Measure Protein-Lipid Interactions

The ability to determine the binding affinity of lipids to proteins is an essential part of understanding protein-lipid interactions in membrane trafficking, signal transduction and cytoskeletal remodeling. Classic tools for measuring such interactions include surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). While powerful tools, these approaches have setbacks. ITC requires large amounts of purified protein as well as lipids, which can be costly and difficult to produce. Furthermore, ITC as well as SPR are very time consuming, which could add significantly to the cost of performing these experiments. One way to bypass these restrictions is to use the relatively new technique of microscale thermophoresis (MST). MST is fast and cost effective using small amounts of sample to obtain a saturation curve for a given binding event. There currently are two types of MST systems available. One type of MST requires labeling with a fluorophore in the blue or red spectrum. The second system relies on the intrinsic fluorescence of aromatic amino acids in the UV range. Both systems detect the movement of molecules in response to localized induction of heat from an infrared laser. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Label-free MST can use untagged native proteins; however, many analytes, including pharmaceuticals, fluoresce in the UV range, which can interfere with determination of accurate KD values. In comparison, labeled MST allows for a greater diversity of measurable pairwise interactions utilizing fluorescently labeled probes attached to ligands with measurable absorbances in the visible range as opposed to UV, limiting the potential for interfering signals from analytes.

Microscale thermophoresis obtains binding constants quickly at low material cost. Either labeled or label free microscale thermophoresis is commercially available; however, label free thermophoresis is not capable of the diversity of interaction measurements that can be performed using fluorescent labels. We provide a protocol for labeled thermophoresis measurements.

The ability to determine the binding affinity of lipids to proteins is an essential part of understanding protein-lipid interactions in membrane ...

Isolation of Active Caenorhabditis elegans Nuclear Extract and Reconstitution for In Vitro Transcription

Caenorhabditis elegans has been an important model system for biological research since it was introduced in 1963. However, C. elegans has not been fully utilized in the biochemical study of biological reactions using its nuclear extracts such as in vitro transcription and DNA replication. A significant hurdle for using C. elegans in biochemical studies is disrupting the nematode&#39;s thick outer cuticle without sacrificing the activity of the nuclear extract. While several methods are used to break the cuticle, such as Dounce homogenization or sonication, they often lead to protein instability. There are no established protocols for isolating active nuclear proteins from larva or adult C. elegans for in vitro reactions. Here, the protocol describes in detail the homogenization of larval stage 4 C. elegans using a Balch homogenizer. The Balch homogenizer uses pressure to slowly force the animals through a narrow gap breaking the cuticle in the process. The uniform design and precise machining of the Balch homogenizer allow for consistent grinding of animals between experiments. Fractionating the homogenate obtained from the Balch homogenizer yields functionally active nuclear extract that can be used in an in vitro method for assaying transcription activity of C. elegans.

Isolation of Active Caenorhabditis elegans Nuclear Extract and Reconstitution for In Vitro Transcription

Here, we describe a detailed protocol for isolating active nuclear extract from larval stage 4 C. elegans and visualizing transcription activity in an in vitro system.

Caenorhabditis elegans has been an important model system for biological research since it was introduced in 1963. However, C. elegans has not been fully ...

An Integrated Workflow of Identification and Quantification on FDR Control-Based Untargeted Metabolome

Untargeted metabolomics techniques are being widely used in recent years. However, the rapidly increasing throughput and number of samples create an enormous amount of spectra, setting challenges for quality control of the mass spectrometry spectra. To reduce the false positives, false discovery rate (FDR) quality control is necessary. Recently, we developed a software for FDR control of untargeted metabolome identification that is based on a Target-Decoy strategy named XY-Meta. Here, we demonstrated a complete analysis pipeline that integrates XY-Meta and metaX together. This protocol shows how to use XY-meta to generate a decoy database from an existing reference database and perform FDR control using the Target-Decoy strategy for large-scale metabolome identification on an open-access dataset. The differential analysis and metabolites annotation were performed after running metaX for metabolites peaks detection and quantitation. In order to help more researchers, we also developed a user-friendly cloud-based analysis platform for these analyses, without the need for bioinformatics skills or any computer languages.

We constructed an untargeted metabolomic workflow that integrated XY-Meta and metaX together. In this protocol, we displayed how to use XY-Meta to generate a decoy spectral library from open access spectra reference, and then performed FDR control and used the metaX to quantitate the metabolites after identifying the metabolomics spectra.

Untargeted metabolomics techniques are being widely used in recent years. However, the rapidly increasing throughput and number of samples create an ...