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The fate of H2O2 in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has been inferred indirectly from the activity of ER localized thiol oxidases and peroxiredoxins, in vitro, and the consequences of their genetic manipulation, in vivo. Here we report on the development of TriPer, a vital optical probe sensitive to changes in the concentration of H2O2 in the thiol-oxidizing environment of the ER. Consistent with the hypothesized contribution of oxidative protein folding to H2O2 production, ER-localized TriPer detected an increase in the luminal H2O2 signal upon induction of pro-insulin (a disulfide bonded protein of pancreatic β-cells), which was attenuated by the ectopic expression of catalase in the ER lumen. Interfering with glutathione production in the cytosol by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) or enhancing its localized destruction by expression of the glutathione-degrading enzyme ChaC1 in lumen of the ER, enhanced further the luminal H2O2 signal and eroded β-cell viability. Tracking ER H2O2 in live cells points to an unanticipated role for glutathione in H2O2 turnover.Significance statementThe presence of millimolar glutathione in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum has been difficult to understand purely in terms of modulation of protein-based disulphide bond formation in secreted proteins. Over the years hints have suggested that glutathione might have a role in reducing the heavy burden of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produced by the luminal enzymatic machinery for disulphide bond formation. However, limitations in existing in vivo H2O2 probes have rendered them all but useless in the thiol-oxidizing ER, precluding experimental follow-up of glutathione’s role ER H2O2 metabolism.Here we report on the development and mechanistic characterization of an optical probe, TriPer that circumvents the limitations of previous sensors by retaining specific responsiveness to H2O2 in thiol-oxidizing environments. Application of this tool to the ER of an insulin-producing pancreatic b-cells model system revealed that ER glutathione antagonizes locally-produced H2O2 resulting from the oxidative folding of pro-insulin.This study presents an interdisciplinary effort intersecting cell biology and chemistry: An original redox chemistry concept leading to development of a biological tool, broadly applicable for in vivo studies of H2O2 metabolism in the ER. More broadly, the concept developed here sets a precedent for applying a tri-cysteine relay system to discrimination between various oxidative reactants, in complex redox milieux.

In recent years an increasing use has been made of laser based techniques for non-intrusive temperature measurements and analysis of combustion and other hostile environments. Degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) is a single photon resonant process producing a collimated signal which enables spatial discrimination of background and scattered light. Scanning DFWM has been used for detection of several radical species including OH [1] and C2[2] and for thermometry [3]. Of particular use for diagnostics, however, are single-shot temperature measurements, especially for studying rapidly varying environments. The feasibility of single-shot multiplex DFWM thermometry of the hydroxyl radical has been demonstrated[4,5].

This paper describes the first use of novel blue diode lasers to make temperature measurements based on fluorescence. As a demonstration of this principle, indium atoms were seeded as a probe species into flames and the resulting diode laser induced fluorescence allowed an accurate determination of the temperature at a point. This permits spatially resolved measurements to be made, which are impossible to achieve using the established absorption based sensors. The technique opens up a range of application possibilities in dynamic and inhomogeneous reacting flows.