Peptide-PAINT Super-Resolution Imaging Using Transient Coiled Coil Interactions

Super-resolution microscopy is transforming research in the life sciences by enabling the visualization of structures and interactions on the nanoscale. DNA-PAINT is a relatively easy-to-implement single-molecule-based technique, which uses the programmable and transient interaction of dye-labeled oligonucleotides with their complements for super-resolution imaging. However, similar to many imaging approaches, it is still hampered by the subpar performance of labeling probes in terms of their large size and limited labeling efficiency. To overcome this, we here translate the programmability and transient binding nature of DNA-PAINT to coiled coil interactions of short peptides and introduce Peptide-PAINT. We benchmark and optimize its binding kinetics in a single-molecule assay and demonstrate its super-resolution capability using self-assembled DNA origami structures. Peptide-PAINT outperforms classical DNA-PAINT in terms of imaging speed and efficiency. Finally, we prove the suitability of Peptide-PAINT for cellular super-resolution imaging by visualizing the microtubule and vimentin network in fixed cells.