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Heat shock triggers a transient and ubiquitous response, the function of which is to protect cells against stress-induced damage. The heat-shock response is controlled by a key transcription factor known as heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). We have developed a multiconfocal fluorescence correlation spectroscopy setup to measure the dynamics of HSF1 during the course of the heat-shock response. The system combines a spatial light modulator, to address several points of interest, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupled camera for fast multiconfocal recording of the photon streams. Autocorrelation curves with a temporal resolution of 14 μs were analyzed before and after heat shock on eGFP and HSF1-eGFP-expressing cells. Evaluation of the dynamic parameters of a diffusion-and-binding model showed a slower HSF1 diffusion after heat shock. It is also observed that the dissociation rate decreases after heat shock, whereas the association rate is not affected. In addition, thanks to the multiconfocal fluorescence correlation spectroscopy system, up to five spots could be simultaneously located in each cell nucleus. This made it possible to quantify the intracellular variability of the diffusion constant of HSF1, which is higher than that of inert eGFP molecules and increases after heat shock. This finding is consistent with the fact that heat-shock response is associated with an increase of HSF1 interactions with DNA and cannot be explained even partially by heat-induced modifications of nuclear organization., (Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We present a comprehensive and analytical treatment of continuous photobleaching in a compartment, under single photon excitation. In the very short time regime (t<0.1 ms), the diffusion does not play any role. After a transition (or short time regime), one enters in the long time regime (t>0.1-5 s), for which the diffusion and the photobleaching balance each other. In this long time regime, the diffusion is either fast (i.e., the photobleaching probability of a molecule diffusing through the laser beam is low) so that the photobleaching rate is independent of the diffusion constant and dependent only of the laser power, or the diffusion is slow (i.e., the photobleaching probability is high) and the photobleaching rate is mainly dependent on the diffusion constant. We illustrate our theory by using giant unilamellar vesicles ranging from approximately 10 to 100 microm in diameter, loaded with molecules of various diffusion constants (from 20 to 300 microm2/s) and various photobleaching cross sections, illuminated under laser powers between 3 and 100 microW. We also demonstrated that information about compartmentation can be obtained by this method in living cells expressing enhanced green fluorescent proteins or that were loaded with small FITC-dextrans. Our quantitative approach shows that molecules freely diffusing in a cellular compartment do experience a continuous photobleaching. We provide a generic theoretical framework that should be taken into account when studying, under confocal microscopy, molecular interactions, permeability, etc.

Heterogeneity of ADP diffusion and regulation of respiration were studied in permeabilized cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibers in situ and in silico. Regular arrangement of mitochondria in cells was altered by short-time treatment with trypsin and visualized by confocal microscopy. Manipulation of matrix volumes by changing K(+) and sucrose concentrations did not affect the affinity for ADP either in isolated heart mitochondria or in skinned fibers. Pyruvate kinase (PK)-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) were used to trap ADP generated in Ca,MgATPase reactions. Inhibition of respiration by PK-PEP increased 2-3 times after disorganization of regular mitochondrial arrangement in cells. ADP produced locally in the mitochondrial creatine kinase reaction was not accessible to PK-PEP in intact permeabilized fibers, but some part of it was released from mitochondria after short proteolysis due to increased permeability of outer mitochondrial membrane. In in silico studies we show by mathematical modeling that these results can be explained by heterogeneity of ADP diffusion due to its restrictions at the outer mitochondrial membrane and in close areas, which is changed after proteolysis. Localized restrictions and heterogeneity of ADP diffusion demonstrate the importance of mitochondrial functional complexes with sarcoplasmic reticulum and myofibrillar structures and creatine kinase in regulation of oxidative phosphorylation.