Due to the spectral overlapping of the excitation and emission wavelengths of NADH and fura-2 analogs, the signal interference from both chemicals in live cells is unavoidable during quantitative measurement of [Ca2+]. Thus, a novel online correction method of NADH signal interference to measure [Ca2+] was developed.
To measure [Ca2+] quantitatively, fura-2 analogs, which are ratiometric fluoroprobes, are frequently used. However, dye usage is intrinsically limited in live cells because of autofluorescence interference, mainly from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). More specifically, this is a major obstacle when measuring the mitochondrial [Ca2+] quantitatively using fura-2 analogs because the majority of NADH is in the mitochondria. If the fluorescent dye concentration is the same, a certain excitation intensity should produce the same emission intensity. Therefore, the emission intensity ratio of two different excitation wavelengths should be constant. Based on this principle, a novel online correction method of NADH signal interference to measure [Ca2+] was developed, and the real signal intensity of NADH and fura-2 can be obtained. Further, a novel equation to calculate [Ca2+] was developed with isosbestic excitation or excitation at 400 nm. With this method, changes in mitochondrial [Ca2+] could be successfully measured. In addition, with a different set of the excitation and emission wavelengths, multiple parameters, including NADH, [Ca2+], and pH or mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm), could be simultaneously measured. Mitochondrial [Ca2+] and Ψm or pH were measured using fura-2-FF and tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE) or carboxy-seminaphtorhodafluor-1 (carboxy-SNARF-1).
The significant role of intracellular Ca2+ is widely known1. The quantification of [Ca2+] is essential to understand the processes of the cellular physiological functions. Fura-2 analogs are quite useful because they are excited in the UV range (<400 nm), and the ratiometric method can be applied for the quantitative measurement. Therefore, other physiological parameters such as pH, membrane potential, etc., can be measured with other fluorescent dyes. The mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]m) range was reportedly 0.08−20 μM2,3,4,5. Among fura-2 analogs, fura-2-FF is appropriate for measuring this range of [Ca2+]. However, the live cells unfortunately contain NADH/NADPH for their metabolic processes, and NADH generates signal interference because of the overlapping excitation and emission spectra with the fura-2 analog. This interference greatly limits the use of fura-2 analogs. Specifically, if the analog is applied to measure mitochondrial [Ca2+], this interference is the biggest obstacle because the highest amount of NADH is in the mitochondria. This is further complicated by NADH changes being related to the mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm) and the change of Ψm affects [Ca2+]m6,7,8,9. Furthermore, for studying [Ca2+]m dynamics, it is essential to know the status of other mitochondrial parameters, such as NADH, Ψm, and pH.
The emissions at 450 nm and 500 nm with excitations at 353 nm, 361 nm, and 400 nm contain the signals from NADH and fura-2-FF, and the equations are as follows. Herein, 353 nm and 361 nm are the isosbestic points of fura-2-FF for emissions at 450 nm and at 500 nm, respectively.
F361,450 = F361,450,NADH + F361,450,Fura Equation 1
F353,500 = F353,500,NADH + F353,500,Fura Equation 2
F400,500 = F400,500,NADH + F400,500,Fura Equation 3
where Fx,y is the measured emission intensity at y-nm by x-nm excitation, Fx,y,NADH represents the pure NADH-dependent emission intensity, and Fx,y,Fura represents the pure fura-2-FF-dependent emission intensity. Under the same concentration of the fluorescent dye, a certain excitation intensity should produce the same emission intensity. Therefore, the emission intensity ratio of two different excitation wavelengths should be constant. Ca2+ and fura-2 did not affect NADH fluorescence characteristics; therefore, the ratio of the emission at 450 nm and at 500 nm of NADH was constant at any excitation wavelength. The same rule can be used for fura-2-FF based on the assumption that NADH or [Ca2+] does not affect the emission and excitation spectra of fura-2-FF. However, Ca2+ caused a spectral shift of the fura-2-FF emission. Therefore, to remove the effect of Ca2+, isosbestic excitation, which is independent of Ca2+, needs to be used. Each emission wavelength (i.e., 450 nm and 500 nm) has a different isosbestic point, and from our experimental setup, 353 nm at 500 nm and 361 nm at 450 nm were chosen. From these, the following equations are valid10.
Rf = F361,450,Fura/F353,500,Fura Equation 4
RN1 = F400,500,NADH/F361,450,NADH Equation 5
RN2 = F353,500,NADH/F361,450,NADH Equation 6
With these constants, the following equations from (Equation 1) (Equation 2), and (Equation 3) are valid.
F361,450 = F361,450,NADH + Rf × F353,500,Fura Equation 7
F353,450 = RN2 × F361,450,NADH + F353,500,Fura Equation 8
F400,500 = RN1 × F361,450,NADH + F400,500,Fura Equation 9
From these equations, if Rf, RN1, and RN2 are known, pure signals of NADH and fura-2 can be obtained as follows.
F361,450,NADH = (F361,450 – Rf × F353,500)/(1 − Rf × RN2) Equation 10
F353,500,Fura = (RN2 × F361,450 − F353,500)/(Rf × RN2 − 1) Equation 11
F400,500,Fura = F400,500 − RN1 × F361,450,NADH Equation 12
RFura = F353,500,Fura/F400,500,Fura Equation 13
The Ca2+-bound form of fura-2-FF was practically non-fluorescent at the 400 nm excitation wavelength. Based on this property, the following new calibration equation can be derived.
[Ca2+] = Kd ∙ (F400,500,max/F353,500,max) × (RFura − Rmin) Equation 14
where Kd is a dissociation constant, F400,500,max and F353,500,max are the maximum values of the emitted signals at 500 nm with excitations at 400 nm and 353 nm, respectively, and Rmin is the minimum RFura in Ca2+-free condition. Since the isosbestic excitations were used, the equation can be simplified further as follows.
[Ca2+] = Kd ∙ (1 / Rmin) ∙ (RFura − Rmin) Equation 15
Therefore, only Kd and Rmin values are required to calculate [Ca2+].
All experimental protocols were approved by the local institutional animal care and use committee.
1. Solution preparation
2. Fluoroprobe loading procedure into the mitochondria
3. Introduction of the multiparametric measurement system
NOTE: Figure 1 shows a diagram of the whole system.
4. NADH correction methods with a multiparametric measurement system
5. Selection of the excitation and the emission light for TMRE or carboxy-SNARF-1
6. Selection of Kd value of fura-2-FF
Mitochondrial Ca2+ changes due to correction10
Figure 4 shows the changes in [Ca2+]m before and after the correction. The results clearly showed the substantial changes in [Ca2+]m. The mitochondrial resting calcium concentration without cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]c) was 1.03 ± 0.13 µM (mean ± S.E., n = 32), and the maximum [Ca2+]m at 1-µM [Ca2+]c was 29.6 ± 1.61 µM (mean ± S.E., n = 33) (Figure 5).
Simultaneous measurement of NADH, [Ca2+], and Ψm10
A positively charged TMRE can be distributed in a membrane potential-dependent manner. Membrane potential can be calculated using the Nernst’s equation with the concentration in each compartment. The mitochondrial TMRA was monitored with the perfusion of 2-nM TMRE. The initial Ψm was assumed to be −150 mV, and the change of Ψm was calculated based on that. The application of Ca2+ decreased NADH but affected Ψm only negligibly (Figure 6).
Mitochondrial pH changes by the change in [Ca2+]m10
The mitochondrial pH with the additional loading of carboxy-SNARF-1 was monitored following Ca2+ changes (Figure 7). The mitochondrial pH was not affected by the increase in [Ca2+]m. The resting mitochondrial pH was 7.504 ± 0.047 (mean ± S.E., n = 13). From these results, 5.28 µM was the chosen Kd value of fura-2-FF at pH 7.5.
Figure 1: A microfluorometry system for multiparametric measurement
The schematic diagram of the microfluorometry system was shown. The mounted cells were visualized via a CCD camera. Four different emission lights were detected with four PMTs via a photon counting system. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2: Identification of isosbestic points
(A) The red arrow points to the isosbestic point at the 450 nm emission wavelength. Fura-2 FF in the non-bound state is shown with a dotted line and in the Ca2+ bound state with a solid line. (B) The red arrow is pointed to the isosbestic point at the 500 nm emission wavelength. (C) The subtracted data of the signal at 450 nm in Ca2+-free conditions from Ca2+-free saturated conditions are shown. (D) The subtracted data of the signal at 500 nm in Ca2+-free conditions from Ca2+-free saturated conditions are shown. (E) Standard deviation data from graph C are shown. (F) Standard deviation data from graph D are shown. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3: Measurement of RN factors.
(A) Changes in the NADH signal without fluorescent dye by applying various mitochondrial substrates were measured at 361 nm excitation and 450 nm emission wavelengths. (B) The NADH interference in the fura-2-FF signals, F400,500 (∙∙∙) and F353,500 (—), were simultaneously monitored. (C) The relationships between F361,450,NADH and F400,500,NADH (○)and between F361,450,NADH and F353,500,NADH (●) are shown. The obtained slopes are represented as RN1 and RN2, respectively. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4: Results of NADH and fura-2-FF interference correction
The change of the signals from before the correction (shown in the left panels) to after the correction (shown in the right panels). (A) NADH signals at the 450 nm emission wavelength. (B) Fura-2-FF signals at the 500 nm emission wavelength. The figure shows F400,500 (− −), F353,500 (—-), and the ratio of fura-2-FF (—). (C) The mitochondrial calcium concentration. The red dotted line indicates the zero. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 5: Resting [Ca2+]m without cytosolic Ca2+ and maximal steady state [Ca2+]m at 1 µM cytosolic Ca2+
Mitochondria were energized with the perfusion of malate-pyruvate solution. The steady state [Ca2+]m in a Ca2+-free conditions and in 1 µM Ca2+ conditions were shown. The addition of 5 mM Na+ recovered NADH and reduced [Ca2+]m to the baseline. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 6: Simultaneous measurement of NADH, [Ca2+]m, and Ψm
Mitochondria were energized with the perfusion of malate-pyruvate solution. The changes of NAHD, [Ca2+]m and Ψm were shown. The addition of 1 µM Ca2+ decreased NAHD and increased [Ca2+]m but Ψm was not changed significantly. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 7: Simultaneous measurement of NADH, [Ca2+]m, and pH
The repeated application of Ca2+ could induce the decrease of NADH and the increase of [Ca2+]m but the mitochondrial pH was not affected by the application of Ca2+. The addition of Na+ could return the NADH and [Ca2+]m to the baseline. This figure has been reproduced with permission from The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology10. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Name of Solutions | Concentration (mM) | |||||||||
KCl | HEPES | EGTA | CaCl2 | M | P | R | FCCP | ADP | Saponin | |
Ca2+-free | 150 | 10 | 1 | |||||||
NADH-free | 150 | 10 | 1 | 0.01 | 0.1 | |||||
Ca2+-free | ||||||||||
NADH-free | 135 | 10 | 1 | 0.01 | 0.1 | |||||
Ca2+-Saturated | ||||||||||
Saponin | 150 | 10 | 1 | 0.1mg/ml | ||||||
Malate | 145 | 10 | 1 | 5 | ||||||
Pyruvate | 145 | 10 | 1 | 5 | ||||||
Malate-pyruvate | 140 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |||||
Rotenone | 140 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0.01 | ||||
Culture Medium | Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) | |||||||||
Dye-loading | Add an 1mM Fura-2-FF-AM stock(16 mL) in the Culture medium (2 mL) |
Table 1: Solutions
The interference correction method was successfully developed for measuring the signals of NADH and fura-2 analogs. Exact measurement of the signals is essential for exact correction. However, the inherent nature of the fluorescent device produces a background signal unrelated to that of NADH of fura-2. The highest quality band-pass filter can only pass up to 10−8 of the unwanted wavelengths of the light. However, the fluorescent signal from a single cell is very small, and the reflection of the excitation light after the band-pass filter is still strong enough to contaminate the actual fluorescent signals. Therefore, careful correction of the background signal is necessary.
Fura-2 has a loading problem to measure mitochondrial Ca2+. First, it is not easy to load the dye specifically into the mitochondria, and nonspecific loading into another organelle could be erroneous. Mitochondrial Ca2+ concentration is generally higher than that of the cytosol, and the use of fura-2-FF with a high Kd value could avoid the contamination of cytosolic Ca2+ changes. The other problematic organelle is the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). However, the distribution volume differences (SR 3.5% vs. mitochondria 34%−36% in rat ventricular myocytes)13,14 and the removal of ATP in experiments could compensate for the contamination from SR.
Our calibration equation (Equation 14 and 15) has many advantageous characteristics over Grynkiewicz’s equation15 as follows:
1) It requires only three parameters: Kd, F400,500,max/F353,500,max, and Rmin.
2) There is linearity of the ratio value to the Ca2+ concentration at a constant pH.
3) There is a relative error-free parameter in F400,500,max/F353,500,max compared with Sf2/Sb215.
4) In Equation 15, only Kd and Rmin are required if isosbestic excitation is used.
5) The calibration procedure to obtain the parameter is much simpler with Equation 15.
However, there is a limitation because Ca2+-saturated fura-2-FF generates a very small emission. It causes an error. The new equation can be applied to [Ca2+] concentrations up to 50x that of Kd.
In conclusion, a protocol was developed to successfully solve the existing problem of NADH and fura-2-FF interference. This method can measure Ca2+ dynamics more accurately. Multiparametric measurement system, particularly in the mitochondria, will help understand the mitochondrial physiology in a quantitative way.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was partially supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2018R1A6A3A01011832), by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (NRF-2016M3C1A6936606) and by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (10068076).
2 mL eppendorf tube | Axygen | MCT-200-C | 2 mL Tube |
AD/DA converter | Instrutech | ITC-18 | Equipment |
ADP, Adenosine 5′-diphosphate monopotassium salt dihydrate | Sigma-aldrich | A5285 | Chemicals |
Band pass filter | Ealing Electro-Optics, Inc | 35-3920 | Equipment, 640±11nm |
Band pass filter | Omega Optical | 690-9823 | Equipment, 590±15nm |
Band pass filter | Omega Optical | 500DF20-9916 | Equipment, 500±20nm |
Band pass filter | Chroma Technology Corp. | 60685 | Equipment, 450±30nm |
Calcium chloride solution | Sigma-aldrich | 21114 | Chemicals |
carboxy-SNARF-1(AM) | Invitrogen | C1272 | Chemicals |
Charge-coupled device (CCD) camera | Philips | FTM1800NH/HGI | Equipment |
Dichroic mirror | Chroma Technology Corp. | 86009 | Equipment, Multiband dichroic mirror, Reflection : <400nm, 490±10, 560±10, Transmission : 460±15, 510±20, >580nm |
Dichroic mirror | Chroma Technology Corp. | 567DCXRU | Equipment, Reflection : <560nm, Transmission : > 580 nm |
Dichroic mirror | Chroma Technology Corp. | 480dclp | Equipment, Reflection : <470nm, Transmission : > 490 nm |
Dichroic mirror | Chroma Technology Corp. | 20728 | Equipment, Multiband dichroic mirror, Reflection : <405nm, 470±30, Transmission : 430nm~520nm, > 640 nm |
Dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) | Sigma-aldrich | 154938 | Chemicals |
DMEM, Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium | Sigma-aldrich | D5030 | Chemicals |
EGTA, Egtazic acid, Ethylene-bis(oxyethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid, Glycol ether diamine tetraacetic acid | Sigma-aldrich | E4378 | Chemicals |
FCCP, Mesoxalonitrile 4-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone | Sigma-aldrich | 21857 | Chemicals |
field diaphragm | Nikon | 86506 | Equipment |
Fura-2-FF(AM) | TEFLABS | 137 | chemicals |
Green tube | DWM | test tube | |
HEPES, 4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-ethanesulfonic acid, N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N′-(2-ethanesulfonic acid) | Sigma-aldrich | H3375 | Chemicals |
High-speed counter | National Instruments | NI-6022 | Equipment |
Hot mirror | Chroma Technology Corp. | 21002 | Equipment, 50:50 |
Inverted microscope | Nikon | TE-300 | Equipment |
Malate | Sigma-aldrich | 27606 | Chemicals |
Near infrared filter | Chroma Technology Corp. | D750/100X | Equipment, 750±100nm |
Oil immersion lens | Nikon | MRF01400 | 40x, NA 1.3; Equipment |
Photon counter unit | Hamamatsu | C3866 | Equipment |
Photon multiplier tube | Hamamatsu | R2949 | Equipment |
Polychrome II | Till Photonics | SA3/MG04 | Equipment |
Potassium chloride | Merck | 1.04936 | Chemicals |
Potassium hydroxide solution | Sigma-aldrich | P4494 | Chemicals |
Pyruvate | Sigma-aldrich | 107360 | Chemicals |
Rotenone | Sigma-aldrich | R8875 | Chemicals |
Saponin | Sigma-aldrich | S4521 | Chemicals |
TMRE, Tetramethylrhodamine, ethyl ester | Molecular probes | T669 | Chemicals |