Monitoring cellular movement in vivo with photoconvertible fluorescence protein "Kaede" transgenic mice

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Aug 5;105(31):10871-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0802278105. Epub 2008 Jul 28.

Abstract

Kaede is a photoconvertible fluorescence protein that changes from green to red upon exposure to violet light. The photoconversion of intracellular Kaede has no effect on cellular function. Using transgenic mice expressing the Kaede protein, we demonstrated that movement of cells with the photoconverted Kaede protein could be monitored from lymphoid organs to other tissues as well as from skin to the draining lymph node. Analysis of the kinetics of cellular movement revealed that each subset of cells in the lymph node, such as CD4(+) T, CD8(+) T, B, and dendritic cells, has a distinct migration pattern in vivo. Thus, the Kaede transgenic mouse system would be an ideal tool to monitor precise cellular movement in vivo at different stages of immune response to pathogens as well as in autoimmune diseases.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Movement / immunology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Immune System / cytology*
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic

Substances

  • Kaede protein, Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
  • Luminescent Proteins