Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Single-cell measurements of two-dimensional binding affinity across cell contacts

Chouliara, Manto LU ; Junghans, Victoria LU ; Dam, Tommy LU ; Santos, Ana Mafalda ; Davis, Simon J. and Jönsson, Peter LU (2021) In Biophysical Journal 120(22). p.5032-5040
Abstract

The two-dimensional (2D) affinity between protein molecules across contacting cells is a key parameter regulating and initiating several cellular processes. However, measuring 2D affinity can be challenging, and experimental data are limited. In addition, the obtained 2D affinities are typically averaged over the cell population. We here present a method to measure 2D affinity on single cells binding to polyhistidine-tagged fluorescent ligands anchored to a supported lipid bilayer (SLB). By decreasing the density of ligands in the SLB using imidazole, a new steady-state accumulation in the contact is obtained, and from this change, both the 2D affinity and the number of receptors on the cell can be determined. The method was validated... (More)

The two-dimensional (2D) affinity between protein molecules across contacting cells is a key parameter regulating and initiating several cellular processes. However, measuring 2D affinity can be challenging, and experimental data are limited. In addition, the obtained 2D affinities are typically averaged over the cell population. We here present a method to measure 2D affinity on single cells binding to polyhistidine-tagged fluorescent ligands anchored to a supported lipid bilayer (SLB). By decreasing the density of ligands in the SLB using imidazole, a new steady-state accumulation in the contact is obtained, and from this change, both the 2D affinity and the number of receptors on the cell can be determined. The method was validated on an SLB containing rat CD2 binding to the rat CD48 mutant T92A expressed on Jurkat T cells. The addition of imidazole did not influence the average 2D affinity (1/Kd), and the spread in affinities within the cell population was low, Kd = 4.9 ± 0.9 molecules/μm2 (mean ± SD), despite an order of magnitude spread in ligand accumulation because of differences in receptor density. It was also found that cell contact size increased both with ligand density and with the number of receptors per cell but that the contact size stayed approximately constant when lowering the ligand density, above a density of around 10 rat CD2 molecules/μm2, after the contact first had formed, indicative of a heterogeneous process. In summary, this method not only allows for single-cell affinities to be measured, but it can also reduce measurement and analysis time and improve measurement accuracy. Because of the low spread in 2D Kd within the cell population, the analysis can further be restricted to the cells showing the strongest binding, paving the way for using this method to study weak binding events.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Biophysical Journal
volume
120
issue
22
pages
5032 - 5040
publisher
Cell Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85117727149
  • pmid:34653390
ISSN
0006-3495
DOI
10.1016/j.bpj.2021.10.010
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Biophysical Society
id
eefecab6-82e5-43ba-890b-4f5f7c6908fe
date added to LUP
2021-11-18 11:08:44
date last changed
2024-06-15 20:35:38
@article{eefecab6-82e5-43ba-890b-4f5f7c6908fe,
  abstract     = {{<p>The two-dimensional (2D) affinity between protein molecules across contacting cells is a key parameter regulating and initiating several cellular processes. However, measuring 2D affinity can be challenging, and experimental data are limited. In addition, the obtained 2D affinities are typically averaged over the cell population. We here present a method to measure 2D affinity on single cells binding to polyhistidine-tagged fluorescent ligands anchored to a supported lipid bilayer (SLB). By decreasing the density of ligands in the SLB using imidazole, a new steady-state accumulation in the contact is obtained, and from this change, both the 2D affinity and the number of receptors on the cell can be determined. The method was validated on an SLB containing rat CD2 binding to the rat CD48 mutant T92A expressed on Jurkat T cells. The addition of imidazole did not influence the average 2D affinity (1/K<sub>d</sub>), and the spread in affinities within the cell population was low, K<sub>d</sub> = 4.9 ± 0.9 molecules/μm<sup>2</sup> (mean ± SD), despite an order of magnitude spread in ligand accumulation because of differences in receptor density. It was also found that cell contact size increased both with ligand density and with the number of receptors per cell but that the contact size stayed approximately constant when lowering the ligand density, above a density of around 10 rat CD2 molecules/μm<sup>2</sup>, after the contact first had formed, indicative of a heterogeneous process. In summary, this method not only allows for single-cell affinities to be measured, but it can also reduce measurement and analysis time and improve measurement accuracy. Because of the low spread in 2D K<sub>d</sub> within the cell population, the analysis can further be restricted to the cells showing the strongest binding, paving the way for using this method to study weak binding events.</p>}},
  author       = {{Chouliara, Manto and Junghans, Victoria and Dam, Tommy and Santos, Ana Mafalda and Davis, Simon J. and Jönsson, Peter}},
  issn         = {{0006-3495}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{22}},
  pages        = {{5032--5040}},
  publisher    = {{Cell Press}},
  series       = {{Biophysical Journal}},
  title        = {{Single-cell measurements of two-dimensional binding affinity across cell contacts}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2021.10.010}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.bpj.2021.10.010}},
  volume       = {{120}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}