Biomaterial Database

Imaging protein molecules using FRET and FLIM microscopy. 2005

Horst Wallrabe, and Ammasi Periasamy

Keck Center for Cellular Imaging, Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Gilmer Hall, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA.

Förster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET) and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) have moved center stage and are increasingly forming part of multifaceted imaging approaches. They are complementary methodologies that can be applied to advanced quantitative analyses. The widening application of FRET and FLIM has been driven by the availability of suitable fluorophores, increasingly sophisticated microscopy systems, methodologies to correct spectral bleed-through, and the ease with which FRET can be combined with other techniques. FRET and FLIM have recently found use in several applications: in the analysis of protein-protein interactions with high spatial and temporal specificity (e.g. clustering), in the study of conformational changes, in the analysis of binding sequences, and in applications such as high-throughput screening.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011506	Proteins	Linear POLYPEPTIDES that are synthesized on RIBOSOMES and may be further modified, crosslinked, cleaved, or assembled into complex proteins with several subunits. The specific sequence of AMINO ACIDS determines the shape the polypeptide will take, during PROTEIN FOLDING, and the function of the protein.	Gene Products, Protein,Gene Proteins,Protein,Protein Gene Products,Proteins, Gene
D013050	Spectrometry, Fluorescence	Measurement of the intensity and quality of fluorescence.	Fluorescence Spectrophotometry,Fluorescence Spectroscopy,Spectrofluorometry,Fluorescence Spectrometry,Spectrophotometry, Fluorescence,Spectroscopy, Fluorescence
D025941	Protein Interaction Mapping	Methods for determining interaction between PROTEINS.	Interaction Mapping, Protein,Interaction Mappings, Protein,Mapping, Protein Interaction,Mappings, Protein Interaction,Protein Interaction Mappings
D031541	Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer	A type of FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY using two FLUORESCENT DYES with overlapping emission and absorption spectra, which is used to indicate proximity of labeled molecules. This technique is useful for studying interactions of molecules and PROTEIN FOLDING.	Forster Resonance Energy Transfer
D036641	Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton	Fluorescence microscopy utilizing multiple low-energy photons to produce the excitation event of the fluorophore (endogenous fluorescent molecules in living tissues or FLUORESCENT DYES). Multiphoton microscopes have a simplified optical path in the emission side due to the lack of an emission pinhole, which is necessary with normal confocal microscopes. Ultimately this allows spatial isolation of the excitation event, enabling deeper imaging into optically thick tissue, while restricting photobleaching and phototoxicity to the area being imaged.	Fluorescence Microscopy, Multiphoton,Multiphoton Fluorescence Microscopy,Multiphoton Excitation Microscopy,Excitation Microscopies, Multiphoton,Excitation Microscopy, Multiphoton,Microscopies, Multiphoton Excitation,Microscopy, Multiphoton Excitation,Microscopy, Multiphoton Fluorescence,Multiphoton Excitation Microscopies