Probing the oligomeric state of abundant molecules, such as membrane proteins in intact cells, is essential, but has not been straightforward. We address this challenge with a simple counting strategy that is capable of reporting the oligomeric state of dense, membrane-bound protein complexes. It is based on single-molecule localization microscopy to super-resolve protein structures in intact cells and basic quantitative evaluation. We validate our method with membrane-bound monomeric CD86 and dimeric cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein as model proteins and confirm their oligomeric states. We further detect oligomerization of CD80 and vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein and propose coexistence of monomers and dimers for CD80 and trimeric assembly of the viral protein at the cell membrane. This approach should prove valuable for researchers striving for reliable molecular counting in cells.

The localization precision is a crucial and important parameter for single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) and directly influences the achievable spatial resolution. It primarily depends on experimental imaging conditions and the registration potency of the algorithm used. We propose a new and simple routine to estimate the average experimental localization precision in SMLM, based on the nearest neighbor analysis. By exploring different experimental and simulated targets, we show that this approach can be generally used for any 2D or 3D SMLM data and that reliable values for the localization precision σ SMLM are obtained. Knowing σ SMLM is a prerequisite for consistent visualization or any quantitative structural analysis, e.g., cluster analysis or colocalization studies.

Fluorophore blinking statistics assumes a universal functional form independent of the photophysics. This makes it possible to determine accurate molecule counts from fluorophore intensity traces obtained by single-molecule localization microscopy, as demonstrated for mEos2-tagged membrane proteins.

Ubiquitination of invading Salmonella Typhimurium triggers autophagy of cytosolic bacteria and restricts their spread in epithelial cells. Ubiquitin (Ub) chains recruit autophagy receptors such as p62/SQSTM1, NDP52/CALCOCO and optineurin (OPTN), which initiate the formation of double-membrane autophagosomal structures and lysosomal destruction in a process known as xenophagy. Besides this, the functional consequences and mechanistic regulation of differentially linked Ub chains at the host-Salmonella interface have remained unexplored. Here, we show, for the first time, that distinct Ub chains on cytosolic S. Typhimurium serve as a platform triggering further signalling cascades. By using single-molecule localization microscopy, we visualized the balance and nanoscale distribution pattern of linear (M1-linked) Ub chain formation at the surface of cytosolic S. Typhimurium. In addition, we identified the deubiquitinase OTULIN as central regulator of these M1-linked Ub chains on the bacterial coat. OTULIN depletion leads to enhanced formation of linear Ub chains, resulting in local recruitment of NEMO, activation of IKKα/IKKβ and ultimately NF-κB, which in turn promotes secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and restricts bacterial proliferation. Our results establish a role for the linear Ub coat around cytosolic S. Typhimurium as the local NF-κB signalling platform and provide insights into the function of OTULIN in NF-κB activation during bacterial pathogenesis.

Ligand-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) activation controls nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling, cell proliferation, programmed cell death, and survival and is crucially involved in inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and cancer progression. Despite the relevance of TNFR1 clustering for signaling, oligomerization of ligand-free and ligand-activated TNFR1 remains controversial. At present, models range from ligand-independent receptor predimerization to ligand-induced oligomerization. Here, we used quantitative, single-molecule superresolution microscopy to study TNFR1 assembly directly in native cellular settings and at physiological cell surface abundance. In the absence of its ligand TNFα, TNFR1 assembled into monomeric and dimeric receptor units. Upon binding of TNFα, TNFR1 clustered predominantly not only into trimers but also into higher-order oligomers. A functional mutation in the preligand assembly domain of TNFR1 resulted in only monomeric TNFR1, which exhibited impaired ligand binding. In contrast, a form of TNFR1 with a mutation in the ligand-binding CRD2 subdomain retained the monomer-to-dimer ratio of the unliganded wild-type TNFR1 but exhibited no ligand binding. These results underscore the importance of ligand-independent TNFR1 dimerization in NF-κB signaling.