Biomaterial Database

Detecting protein-protein interactions in vivo with FRET using multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). 2007

David Llères, and Samuel Swift, and Angus I Lamond

Wellcome Trust Biocentre, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, United Kingdom.

Protein interactions are critical for many processes in mammalian cells. Such interactions include the stable association of proteins within multi-subunit complexes and the transient association of regulatory proteins. Information about protein interactions in cells has previously come from either in vitro analyses using recombinant expressed proteins, or from yeast 2-hybrid studies. A limitation of this approach is that the protein interaction is studied in isolation, without regard to the many competing protein interactions that can occur within cells. This unit presents a light microscopy approach for detecting protein-protein interactions in vivo based on the measurement of FRET using the multiphoton fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) technique. By using the FLIM-FRET technique, the spatial organization and quantification of such interactions in a living cell can be characterized. A detailed protocol describing the complete microscope procedure and the choice of the appropriate experimental controls as well as the FRET calculations is also included.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007091	Image Processing, Computer-Assisted	A technique of inputting two-dimensional or three-dimensional images into a computer and then enhancing or analyzing the imagery into a form that is more useful to the human observer.	Biomedical Image Processing,Computer-Assisted Image Processing,Digital Image Processing,Image Analysis, Computer-Assisted,Image Reconstruction,Medical Image Processing,Analysis, Computer-Assisted Image,Computer-Assisted Image Analysis,Computer Assisted Image Analysis,Computer Assisted Image Processing,Computer-Assisted Image Analyses,Image Analyses, Computer-Assisted,Image Analysis, Computer Assisted,Image Processing, Biomedical,Image Processing, Computer Assisted,Image Processing, Digital,Image Processing, Medical,Image Processings, Medical,Image Reconstructions,Medical Image Processings,Processing, Biomedical Image,Processing, Digital Image,Processing, Medical Image,Processings, Digital Image,Processings, Medical Image,Reconstruction, Image,Reconstructions, Image
D008853	Microscopy	The use of instrumentation and techniques for visualizing material and details that cannot be seen by the unaided eye. It is usually done by enlarging images, transmitted by light or electron beams, with optical or magnetic lenses that magnify the entire image field. With scanning microscopy, images are generated by collecting output from the specimen in a point-by-point fashion, on a magnified scale, as it is scanned by a narrow beam of light or electrons, a laser, a conductive probe, or a topographical probe.	Compound Microscopy,Hand-Held Microscopy,Light Microscopy,Optical Microscopy,Simple Microscopy,Hand Held Microscopy,Microscopy, Compound,Microscopy, Hand-Held,Microscopy, Light,Microscopy, Optical,Microscopy, Simple
D008856	Microscopy, Fluorescence	Microscopy of specimens stained with fluorescent dye (usually fluorescein isothiocyanate) or of naturally fluorescent materials, which emit light when exposed to ultraviolet or blue light. Immunofluorescence microscopy utilizes antibodies that are labeled with fluorescent dye.	Fluorescence Microscopy,Immunofluorescence Microscopy,Microscopy, Immunofluorescence,Fluorescence Microscopies,Immunofluorescence Microscopies,Microscopies, Fluorescence,Microscopies, Immunofluorescence
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
D021122	Protein Subunits	Single chains of amino acids that are the units of multimeric PROTEINS. Multimeric proteins can be composed of identical or non-identical subunits. One or more monomeric subunits may compose a protomer which itself is a subunit structure of a larger assembly.	Protomers,Protein Subunit,Protomer,Subunit, Protein,Subunits, Protein
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