Cell-type and activation-specific labelling of leukocytes through bioorthogonal tagging in vivo

Principal investigators: Andrea Rentmeister, Henning Mootz
Project number: CRC 1450 A01
Project term: 01/2021–12/2024

Graphical abstract
© CRC inSight

Imaging of different leukocyte populations in vivo is key to understand their dynamics and role in inflammation. To overcome current limitations, we will develop new methods to label immune cells (1) within a longer time window, i.e., from initiation of inflammation to resolution. We will establish a flexible and modular platform applicable to different imaging modalities, such as fluorescence, scintigraphic or photoacoustic imaging. ER-HoxB8 cells (2) will be genetically tagged ex vivo with self-labelling enzymes or epitopes for antibody fragments (3). After differentiation and re-injection, in vivo labelling (4) will be achieved by administering tag-specific, functionalized labels to selectively visualize the respective cell population. Novel approaches will be initially evaluated in a cutaneous granuloma mouse model and then expanded to other disease models in CRC projects.

Team

Principal investigators

Project members

Publications

The names of the principal investigators in our network have been bolded. Publications released prior to 2021, when funding for our network commenced, represent previous project-related work.

2024

Pasch T, Baumer N, Baumer S, Buchholz F, Mootz HD. Towards targeted Cas9 (CRISPR-Cas) delivery: Preparation of IgG antibody-Cas9 conjugates using a split intein. J Pept Sci 2024Abstract

2022

Rosner L, Konken CP, Depke DA, Rentmeister A, Schafers M. Covalent labeling of immune cells. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022;68: 102144. Abstract

2021

Depke DA, Konken CP, Rosner L, Hermann S, Schafers M, Rentmeister A. A novel (18)F-labeled clickable substrate for targeted imaging of SNAP-tag expressing cells by PET in vivo. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021;57: 9850-9853. Abstract
Reille-Seroussi M, Meyer-Ahrens P, Aust A, Feldberg A-L, Mootz HD. Genetic Encoding and Enzymatic Deprotection of a Latent Thiol Side Chain to Enable New Protein Bioconjugation Applications. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021;60: 15972-15979. Abstract

2020

Jedlitzke B, Yilmaz Z, Dorner W, Mootz HD. Photobodies: Light-Activatable Single-Domain Antibody Fragments. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020;59: 1506-1510. Abstract
Westerich KJ, Chandrasekaran KS, Gross-Thebing T, Kueck N, Raz E, Rentmeister A. Bioorthogonal mRNA labeling at the poly(A) tail for imaging localization and dynamics in live zebrafish embryos. Chem. Sci. 2020;11: 3089-3095. Abstract

2019

Anhauser L, Huwel S, Zobel T, Rentmeister A. Multiple covalent fluorescence labeling of eukaryotic mRNA at the poly(A) tail enhances translation and can be performed in living cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2019;47: e42. Abstract
Bhagawati M, Terhorst TME, Fusser F, Hoffmann S, Pasch T, Pietrokovski S, Mootz HD. A mesophilic cysteine-less split intein for protein trans-splicing applications under oxidizing conditions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019;116: 22164-22172. Abstract

2018

Konken CP, Haufe G, Brömmel K, Wünsch B, Schäfers M, Wagner S, Hugenberg V. Development of symmetric O-BODIPYs with different optical properties as building blocks for the synthesis of ligands for multimodal imaging. Dyes Pigment. 2018;158: 88-96. Abstract
Pirzer T, Becher K-S, Rieker M, Meckel T, Mootz HD, Kolmar H. Generation of Potent Anti-HER1/2 Immunotoxins by Protein Ligation Using Split Inteins. ACS Chem Biol 2018;13: 2058-2066. Abstract

2017

Bachmann A-L, Mootz HD. N-terminal chemical protein labeling using the naturally split GOS-TerL intein. J Pept Sci 2017;23: 624-630. Abstract
Muttach F, Muthmann N, Reichert D, Anhäuser L, Rentmeister A. A benzylic linker promotes methyltransferase catalyzed norbornene transfer for rapid bioorthogonal tetrazine ligation. Chem. Sci. 2017;8: 7947-7953. Abstract