Structure-guided engineering of a fast genetically encoded sensor for real-time H ₂ O ₂ monitoring

Hydrogen Peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) is a central oxidant in redox biology due to its pleiotropic role in physiology and pathology. However, real-time monitoring of H ₂ O ₂ in living cells and tissues remains a challenge. We address this gap with the development of an optogenetic hydRogen perOxide Sensor (oROS), leveraging the bacterial peroxide binding domain OxyR. Previously engineered OxyR-based fluorescent peroxide sensors lack the necessary sensitivity or response speed for effective real-time monitoring. By structurally redesigning the fusion of Escherichia coli (E. coli) ecOxyR with a circularly permutated green fluorescent protein (cpGFP), we created a novel, green-fluorescent peroxide sensor oROS-G. oROS-G exhibits high sensitivity and fast on-and-off kinetics, ideal for monitoring intracellular H ₂ O ₂ dynamics. We successfully tracked real-time transient and steady-state H ₂ O ₂ levels in diverse biological systems, including human stem cell-derived neurons and cardiomyocytes, primary neurons and astrocytes, and mouse neurons and astrocytes in ex vivo brain slices. These applications demonstrate oROS’s capabilities to monitor H ₂ O ₂ as a secondary response to pharmacologically induced oxidative stress, G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-induced cell signaling, and when adapting to varying metabolic stress. We showcased the increased oxidative stress in astrocytes via Aβ-putriscine-MAOB axis, highlighting the sensor’s relevance in validating neurodegenerative disease models. oROS is a versatile tool, offering a window into the dynamic landscape of H ₂ O ₂ signaling. This advancement paves the way for a deeper understanding of redox physiology, with significant implications for diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases.