Development of a method to evaluate caspase-3 activity in a single cell using a nanoneedle and a fluorescent probe

A method to detect an enzymatic reaction in a single living cell using an atomic force microscope equipped with an ultra-thin needle (a nanoneedle) and a fluorescent probe molecule was developed. The nanoneedle enables the low-invasive delivery of molecules attached onto its surface directly into a single cell. We hypothesized that an enzymatic reaction in a cell could be profiled by monitoring a probe immobilized on a nanoneedle introduced into the cell. In this study, a new probe substrate (NHGcas546) for caspase-3 activity based on fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) was constructed and fixed on a nanoneedle. The NHGcas546-modified nanoneedle was inserted into apoptotic cells, in which caspase-3 is activated after apoptosis induction, and a change in the emission spectrum of the immobilized probe could be observed on the surface of the nanoneedle. Thus, we have developed a successful practical method for detecting a biological phenomenon in a single cell. We call the method MOlecular MEter with Nanoneedle Technology (MOMENT).