Stepwise Dosing Protocol for Increased Throughput in Label-Free Impedance-Based GPCR Assays

Summary

This protocol demonstrates real-time recording of full dose-response relationships for agonist-induced GPCR activation from a single cell layer grown on a single microelectrode using label-free impedance measurements. The new dosing scheme significantly increases throughput without loss in time resolution.

Abstract

Label-free impedance-based assays are increasingly used to non-invasively study ligand-induced GPCR activation in cell culture experiments. The approach provides real-time cell monitoring with a device-dependent time resolution down to several tens of milliseconds and it is highly automated. However, when sample numbers get high (e.g., dose-response studies for various different ligands), the cost for the disposable electrode arrays as well as the available time resolution for sequential well-by-well recordings may become limiting. Therefore, we here present a serial agonist addition protocol which has the potential to significantly increase the output of label-free GPCR assays. Using the serial agonist addition protocol, a GPCR agonist is added sequentially in increasing concentrations to a single cell layer while continuously monitoring the sample's impedance (agonist mode). With this serial approach, it is now possible to establish a full dose-response curve for a GPCR agonist from just one single cell layer. The serial agonist addition protocol is applicable to different GPCR coupling types, G_q G_i/0 or G_s and it is compatible with recombinant and endogenous expression levels of the receptor under study. Receptor blocking by GPCR antagonists is assessable as well (antagonist mode).

Introduction

This report presents a detailed description of a serial addition protocol developed for the quantification of ligand-induced G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation in adherently grown cells by label-free impedance measurements. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in a multitude of physiological functions and human diseases¹. Because of this and their good accessibility at the cell surface, GPCRs are one of the most important drug targets. This assessment is reflected in an estimated number of ~700 approved drugs targeting GPCRs, equivalent to a ~35% share on all marketed drugs².

Protocol

1. Cell seeding on electrode arrays

NOTE: Selection of electrode layout is a trade-off between sensitivity and number of cells under study. The smaller the electrode, the more sensitive is the measurement but the smaller is the number of cells under study. For cells showing strong impedance fluctuations over time under baseline conditions, bigger or interdigitated electrodes are preferable.

1. Pre-warm all solutions needed for standard cell passaging and seeding in a 37 °C water bath. For assays with human U-373 MG cells it takes: phosphate buffered saline (PBS) without calcium and magnesium, 0.05% (w/v) trypsin, cell culture mediu....

Results

A typical scheme for preparing the various agonist solutions is shown for an experiment using 8-well electrode arrays with histamine as agonist in Tables 1-4. Table 1 and Table 2 present volumes and concentrations for an experiment using addition mode 1 (cf., Figure 1), while Table 3 and Table 4 present volumes and concentrations for an experiment following addition mode 2 (.......

Discussion

This protocol describes a method for label-free impedance measurements to determine the dose-response relationship of agonist-induced GPCR activation in absence or presence of specific antagonists for the same receptor. The proof of concept of this method was presented in a recent publication¹². To our knowledge it is the first study describing the establishment of a full dose-response curve of agonist-mediated GPCR activation using a single cell layer in vitro. The approach inevitably requires th.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Bürker counting chamber	Marienfeld (Lauda-Königshofen, Germany)	640210
cell culture flasks 25 cm2	Greiner bio-one (Frickenhausen, Germany)	690175
Cell incubator (Heraeus Function Line BB15)	Thermo Scientific (Darmstadt, Germany)	\
Centrifuge (Heraeus 1S-R)	Thermo Scientific (Darmstadt, Germany)	\
Diphenhydramine hydrochloride	Sigma Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)	D3630
Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium with 4.5 g/L D-Glucose and 2.2 g/L NaHCO3	Sigma Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)	D5671
Impedance Instrument (ECIS Zθ)	Applied BioPhysics Inc. (Troy, NY, USA)	\
8-well electrode Arrays (8W1E PET)	Applied BioPhysics Inc. (Troy, NY, USA)	\	PET base with 0.049 mm2 working electrode and ~50 mm2 counter electrode (gold)
96-well electrode arrays (96W1E+ PET)	Applied BioPhysics Inc. (Troy, NY, USA)	\	PET base with two electrodes (gold) with 0.256 mm2 total electrode area
Fetal calf serum (FCS)	Biochrom (Berlin, Germany)	S0615
Histamine dihydrochloride	Carl Roth (Karlsruhe, Germany)	4017.1
Laminar flow hood (Herasafe, KS 12)	Thermo Scientific (Darmstadt, Germany)	51022515	class II safety cabinet
Leibovitz' L-15 medium	Thermo Scientific (Darmstadt, Germany)	21083-027
L-glutamine	Sigma Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)	G7513
Micropipette large (100 - 1000 µL)	Brandt (Wertheim, Germany)	704780
Micropipette large (20 - 200 µL)	Brandt (Wertheim, Germany)	704778
Microscope (phase contrast, Nikon Diaphot)	Nikon (Düsseldorf, Germany)
Penicillin/streptomycin	Sigma Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)	P0781
Phosphate buffered saline (PBS)	Sigma Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)	D8537
Pipette, serological	Greiner bio-one (Frickenhausen, Germany)	607 180
Pipettor (accu-jet pro)	Brandt (Wertheim, Germany)	26300
Trypsin	Sigma Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)	T4174	in PBS with 1 mM EDTA
Tube, 15 mL	Greiner bio-one (Frickenhausen, Germany)	188 271
Tube, 50 mL	Greiner bio-one (Frickenhausen, Germany)	210 261
U-373 MG cells	ATCC (Rockville, MD, USA)	ATCC HTB-17
water bath (TW21)	Julabo (Seelbach, Germany)	\