Measuring in vivo protein half-life

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• In Vivo Imaging

Background:

• Protein turnover is crucial for biological functions but challenging to measure in vivo.
• Existing methods for assessing protein half-life in living organisms are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a chemical labeling strategy for measuring protein half-life in vivo.
• To enable noninvasive imaging and quantification of protein dynamics in living mice.

Main Methods:

• Utilized SNAP-tag fusion proteins for specific in vivo labeling with chemical substrates.
• Employed near-infrared probes for noninvasive imaging of labeled proteins in tumors.
• Applied SNAP-mediated chemical pulse-chase labeling to determine protein half-life.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated wide bioavailability and specific in vivo labeling of SNAP-tag fusion proteins in mice.
• Successfully performed noninvasive imaging of in vivo-labeled tumors.
• Measured the in vivo half-life of various intracellular and extracellular proteins.

Conclusions:

• The developed SNAP-tag labeling method provides a powerful tool for assessing protein turnover in vivo.
• This approach opens new avenues for studying protein function and dynamics in living animals.
• Facilitates research in areas like drug development and disease mechanisms.