FRCaMP, a Red Fluorescent Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicator Based on Calmodulin from Schizosaccharomyces Pombe Fungus

Red fluorescent genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have expanded the available pallet of colors used for the visualization of neuronal calcium activity in vivo. However, their calcium-binding domain is restricted by calmodulin from metazoans. In this study, we developed red GECI, called FRCaMP, using calmodulin (CaM) from Schizosaccharomyces pombe fungus as a calcium binding domain. Compared to the R-GECO1 indicator in vitro, the purified protein FRCaMP had similar spectral characteristics, brightness, and pH stability but a 1.3-fold lower Delta F/F calcium response and 2.6-fold tighter calcium affinity with K-d of 441 nM and 2.4-6.6-fold lower photostability. In the cytosol of cultured HeLa cells, FRCaMP visualized calcium transients with a Delta F/F dynamic range of 5.6, which was similar to that of R-GECO1. FRCaMP robustly visualized the spontaneous activity of neuronal cultures and had a similar Delta F/F dynamic range of 1.7 but 2.1-fold faster decay kinetics vs. NCaMP7. On electrically stimulated cultured neurons, FRCaMP demonstrated 1.8-fold faster decay kinetics and 1.7-fold lower Delta F/F values per one action potential of 0.23 compared to the NCaMP7 indicator. The fungus-originating CaM of the FRCaMP indicator version with a deleted M13-like peptide did not interact with the cytosolic environment of the HeLa cells in contrast to the metazoa-originating CaM of the similarly truncated version of the GCaMP6s indicator with a deleted M13-like peptide. Finally, we generated a split version of the FRCaMP indicator, which allowed the simultaneous detection of calcium transients and the heterodimerization of bJun/bFos interacting proteins in the nuclei of HeLa cells with a Delta F/F dynamic range of 9.4 and a contrast of 2.3-3.5, respectively.

Automated summary

The development of red fluorescent genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) has expanded the range of colors available for visualizing neuronal calcium activity in vivo, with the newly developed FRCaMP showing higher calcium affinity. In cellular experiments, FRCaMP exhibited similar performance to R-GECO1, and could robustly visualize neuronal activity.