The biarsenical dye Lumio exhibits a reduced ability to specifically detect tetracysteine-containing proteins within live cells

J Fluoresc. 2007 Nov;17(6):593-7. doi: 10.1007/s10895-007-0225-x. Epub 2007 Sep 6.

Abstract

Investigating the localisation of proteins within live cells via fluorescence microscopy typically involves the fusion of the protein of interest to a large fluorescent protein such as green fluorescent protein (GFP). Alternate fluorescent labelling technologies such as the fluorescent biarsenical dye molecules (e.g. FlAsH, ReAsH) are preferable to the use of large fusion proteins in many respects and allow greater flexibility in terms of the location of the labelling site. We assessed the ability of the FlAsH-derived biarsenical dye molecule Lumio to label a range of tetracysteine containing proteins within live cells and report that although in some circumstances Lumio is capable of positively detecting such proteins, the sensitivity and specificity of labelling is significantly reduced, making the Lumio-labelling system unsuitable for the detection of a wide range of protein within live cells.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arsenicals*
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Fluoresceins*
  • Fluorescent Dyes*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / analysis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / chemistry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Organometallic Compounds*
  • Oxazines
  • Proteins / analysis*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / analysis
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence

Substances

  • 4',5'-bis(1,3,2-dithioarsolan-2-yl)fluorescein
  • Arsenicals
  • Fluoresceins
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Oxazines
  • Proteins
  • ReAsH-EDT2 compound
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Cysteine