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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Utilizing pHluorin-tagged Receptors to Monitor Subcellular Localization and Trafficking
Published on: March 16, 2017
Dynamic visualization of membrane-inserted fraction of pHluorin-tagged channels using repetitive acidification
Serguei S Khiroug1, Evgeny Pryazhnikov, Sarah K Coleman
1Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland. sekhirug@mappi.helsinki.fi
Background:
Changes in neuronal excitability, synaptic efficacy and generally in cell signaling often result from insertion of key molecules into plasma membrane (PM). Many of the techniques used for monitoring PM insertion lack either spatial or temporal resolution.
Results:
We improved the imaging method based on time-lapse total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy and pHluorin tagging by supplementing it with a repetitive extracellular acidification protocol. We illustrate the applicability of this method by showing that brief activation of NMDA receptors ("chemical LTP") in cultured hippocampal neurons induced a persistent PM insertion of glutamate receptors containing the pHluorin-tagged GluR-A(flip) subunits.
Conclusion:
The repetitive acidification technique provides a more accurate way of monitoring the PM-inserted fraction of fluorescently tagged molecules and offers a good temporal and spatial resolution.
