Imaging protein-protein interactions in living cells

Plant Mol Biol. 2002 Dec;50(6):871-83. doi: 10.1023/a:1021282619035.

Abstract

The complex organization of plant cells makes it likely that the molecular behaviour of proteins in the test tube and the cell is different. For this reason, it is essential though a challenge to study proteins in their natural environment. Several innovative microspectroscopic approaches provide such possibilities, combining the high spatial resolution of microscopy with spectroscopic techniques to obtain information about the dynamical behaviour of molecules. Methods to visualize interaction can be based on FRET (fluorescence detected resonance energy transfer), for example in fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Another method is based on fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) by which the diffusion rate of single molecules can be determined, giving insight into whether a protein is part of a larger complex or not. Here, both FRET- and FCS-based approaches to study protein-protein interactions in vivo are reviewed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Plant Cells
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plants / genetics
  • Plants / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence / methods*

Substances

  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins