Fluorescent Translocation Reporters for Sub-plasma Membrane cAMP Imaging

A wide range of fluorescent sensors with different properties have been developed for imaging of cAMP signals in living cells and tissues. Most cAMP reporters have been designed to undergo changes in fluorescence resonance energy transfer but there are alternative techniques with advantages for certain applications. Here, we describe protocols for cAMP recordings in the sub-plasma membrane space based on detection of translocation of engineered, fluorescent protein-tagged protein kinase A subunits between the plasma membrane and the cytoplasm. Changes in reporter localization can be detected with either confocal or total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy but signal changes are more robust and image analyses less complicated with the latter technique. We show how translocation reporters can be used to study sub-plasma membrane cAMP signals, including oscillations, in insulin-secreting β-cells stimulated with glucose and G-protein-coupled receptor agonists. We also demonstrate how translocation reporters can be combined with other sensors for simultaneous recordings of the cytosolic Ca²⁺ concentration, protein kinase A activity or plasma-membrane binding of the cAMP effector protein Epac2. Fluorescent translocation reporters thus provide a versatile complement to the growing cAMP imaging toolkit for elucidating sub-plasma membrane cAMP signals in various types of cells.