Z-rex Platform
Z-rex Platform - Related Videos
05:49
Mechano-Node-Pore Sensing: A Rapid, Label-Free Platform for Multi-Parameter Single-Cell Viscoelastic Measurements
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Cited by 2 •
2022
Presented here is a method to mechanically phenotype single cells using an electronics-based microfluidic platform called mechano-node-pore sensing (mechano-NPS). This platform maintains moderate throughput of 1-10 cells/s while measuring both the elastic and viscous biophysical properties of cells.
02:35
The Water Maze with Platform Relocation: A Method to Assess Working Memory
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2023
In this video, we describe the Morris water maze test with platform relocation, a navigational task used to study working memory in rodents.
06:25
Time Multiplexing Super Resolving Technique for Imaging from a Moving Platform
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2014
A method for overcoming the optical diffraction limit is presented. The method includes a two-step process: optical phase retrieval using iterative Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, and imaging system shifting followed by repetition of the first step. A synthetically increased lens aperture is generated along the direction of movement, yielding higher imaging resolution.
16:46
A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology
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Cited by 6 •
2014
We present in this article a novel stretching platform that can be used to investigate single cell responses to complex anisotropic biaxial mechanical deformation and quantify the mechanical properties of biological tissues.
05:28
Monitoring On-Target Signaling Responses in Larval Zebrafish - Z-REX Unmasks Precise Mechanisms of Electrophilic Drugs and Metabolites
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2023
Zebrafish targeting reactive electrophiles and oxidants (Z-REX) is a chemical biology-based method for the investigation of reactive small-molecule signaling. This technique can be applied to live fish of different developmental stages. Here, we couple standard assays in zebrafish with Z-REX for signaling pathway analysis.
FAQs
A genetically encoded HaloTag fusion places the zinc-responsive electrophile precursor close to the selected protein. When zinc activates the precursor, the released electrophile forms in that localized chemical environment rather than being positioned independently of the target. This proximity helps connect modification to a particular protein context and supports more spatially controlled perturbation of cellular signaling.
Cysteines are prominent targets because their nucleophilic sulfur can react with the released electrophile, producing protein S-electrophilation. Detecting this modification helps researchers identify proteins whose activity may be sensitive to electrophile exposure. Mapping these events can reveal redox-regulated components and provide a molecular link between chemical modification and altered protein function.
Zinc acts as the activating condition for the electrophile precursor. Its presence releases the reactive electrophile near the HaloTag-positioned target, converting a localized precursor into a chemical perturbant capable of modifying nearby nucleophilic residues. This activation step is central to controlling when the reactive species becomes available and to relating modification events to the selected protein environment.
The platform adds a targeting step by genetically attaching HaloTag to the protein of interest and placing the precursor nearby. That arrangement provides spatial control over electrophile delivery, whereas general exposure would not inherently associate the reactive species with one selected protein context. The distinction helps investigators examine localized modification and its functional consequences in cells.
A typical workflow begins by expressing a HaloTag fusion associated with the protein under study, then introducing the zinc-responsive electrophile precursor. Zinc activation releases the electrophile near that target, after which researchers examine nearby covalent modifications, especially cysteine S-electrophilations, and relate them to protein function or cellular activity. The overview does not specify particular reagents or instruments.
Z-rex studies can map protein S-electrophilations and identify which redox-sensitive signaling components respond to localized electrophile exposure. Researchers can then connect those chemical changes with altered protein function or cellular activity. This combination of modification mapping and functional interpretation helps distinguish molecular targets from downstream biological consequences of electrophile signaling.
The platform is useful when investigators need to study how electrophiles regulate proteins in a spatially controlled way. Its applications include mechanistic analyses of redox regulation, cellular stress responses, and signaling pathways sensitive to electrophile exposure. By linking chemical modification with activity changes, it can also help evaluate proteins and pathways as potential therapeutic targets.