Visualization of an ATP wave in the brain. Image credit: Nami Kitajima (CC BY 4.0)
Biologists often refer to a small molecule called adenosine triphosphate – or ATP for short – as ‘the currency of life’. This molecule carries energy all through the body, and most cells and proteins require ATP to perform their various roles.
Nerve cells (also known as neurons) in the brain release ATP when activated, and use this molecule to send signals to other active neurons or other cells in the brain. But ATP can also signal danger in the brain. A molecule derived from ATP is involved in transmitting the pain signals of migraines and severe headaches; and ATP levels can become imbalanced after strokes, when parts of the brain are deprived of blood.
Despite its importance, ATP remains difficult to visualize in the body, and monitoring the molecule in the active brain in real time is challenging. To address this issue, Kitajima et al. designed an optical sensor that could monitor ATP in the healthy brain, and was sensitive enough to detect when and where it was released. First, Kitajima et al. made several potential sensors by attaching various fluorescent tags to different locations on a protein that binds ATP. Next each sensor was tested to determine whether it could bind ATP tightly and get bright upon binding. This is important because previous sensors could not detect ATP release in the brains of living animals.
To illustrate the new sensors’ potential, Kitajima et al. used the sensor to image ATP in the brains of live mice. A ‘wave’ of ATP was seen spreading through the brain after neurons were stimulated with a small electric pulse, mimicking a sudden migraine or stroke.
The results confirm that this new sensor is suitable for imaging how ATP signals in the brain, and it may help resolve the underlying mechanisms of migraines and strokes. This sensor could also be used to understand other cellular process which rely on ATP to carry out their role.
