Fluorescence-Based Biosensors for the Detection of the Unfolded Protein Response

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a highly conserved protein quality control mechanism of eukaryotic cells. Aberrations in this response have been linked to several human diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa and several cancers, and have been shown to have a drastic impact on recombinant protein yields in fungal, insect, and mammalian cell lines. Here, we describe the use of in vivo biosensors to measure and characterize this dynamic cellular response, specifically for detecting the UPR induced by protein overproduction stress in the model cell factory Saccharomyces cerevisiae.