Dynamic modulation of intracellular glucose imaged in single cells using a FRET-based glucose nanosensor

To study intracellular glucose homeostasis, the glucose nanosensor FLIPglu-600 microM, which undergoes changes in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) upon interaction with glucose, was expressed in four mammalian cell lines: COS-7, CHO, HEK293, and C2C12. Upon addition of extracellular glucose, the intracellular FRET ratio decreased rapidly as intracellular glucose increased. The kinetics were fast (tau=5 to 15 s) in COS and C2C12 cells and slow (tau=20 to 40 s) in HEK and CHO cells. Upon removal of extracellular glucose, the FRET ratio returned to its initial value at similar rates (tau=15 to 40 s) in all cell types. In all cell types, the glucose uptake FRET signal was blocked by the glucose transporter (GLUTx) inhibitor cytochalasin B and was not affected by the Na/glucose transporter inhibitor phlorizin. Glucose clearance was inhibited by the glycolytic inhibitor iodoacetate. Using beta-escin to permeabilize the cell, we found that the glucose gradient across the membrane was strongly dependent on the rates of glucose uptake versus glucose clearance. With 10 mM extracellular glucose and a high rate of glucose clearance, intracellular glucose level fell below 100 muM when glucose uptake rate was low, whereas it exceeded 0.5 mM when glucose uptake was high. Cells cultured in high glucose maintained lower basal intracellular glucose levels than cells cultured in low glucose, attributed to "reciprocal regulation" of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. Basal glucose level also increased with elevated temperatures. Experiments performed with C2C12 cells demonstrated a shift from fast glucose uptake to slow glucose uptake in the absence of insulin during differentiation.