Spectrally-Resolved Response Properties of the Three Most Advanced FRET Based Fluorescent Protein Voltage Probes
2009

Advanced Fluorescent Protein Voltage Probes

Sample size: 15 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Mutoh Hiroki, Perron Amelie, Dimitrov Dimitar, Iwamoto Yuka, Akemann Walther, Chudakov Dmitriy M., Knöpfel Thomas

Primary Institution: RIKEN Brain Science Institute

Hypothesis

The study aims to quantitatively compare the response properties of three advanced variants of fluorescent protein voltage probes.

Conclusion

The three fluorescent probes exhibited surprisingly similar voltage-dependent fluorescence changes despite differences in their design.

Supporting Evidence

  • The study compared three variants of fluorescent protein voltage sensors.
  • All three probes showed similar voltage-dependent fluorescence changes.
  • The differences in response properties were modest despite the different designs.

Takeaway

Scientists created special proteins that change color when they sense electricity in cells, and they found that three different versions of these proteins work similarly.

Methodology

The study involved expressing three variants of fluorescent protein voltage sensors in PC12 cells and measuring their fluorescence response to voltage changes using spectrally resolved measurements.

Limitations

The study notes that the Mermaid variant has a relatively low fluorescence quantum yield and high bleaching rate, which may limit its application.

Participant Demographics

The experiments were conducted using PC12 cells, which are derived from a rat pheochromocytoma.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004555

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