Imaging protein-protein interactions by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy

Curr Protoc Neurosci. 2006 Feb:Chapter 5:Unit 5.22. doi: 10.1002/0471142301.ns0522s34.

Abstract

Detection of specific protein-protein interactions has long been restricted to bulk biochemical methods such as immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. Even more sensitive methods using general immunofluorescence are limited, and it is difficult to infer protein-protein interactions from the results of these tests. Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) is a photophysical process that can be exploited to obtain highly sensitive information about such interactions. It can sense the presence of acceptor fluorophores in the vicinity of a donor fluorophore within a separation distance that is the size of a single protein molecule. This unit details FRET microscopy based on release of quenched donor fluorescence after acceptor photobleaching, microinjection of reagents into the nucleus or cytosol, and labeling of antibodies for these procedures.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbocyanines / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / instrumentation
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / methods*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Transfection / methods

Substances

  • Carbocyanines
  • Proteins
  • cyanine dye 3
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins