Bioluminescent system for dynamic imaging of cell and animal behavior

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Mar 9;419(2):188-93. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.01.141. Epub 2012 Feb 5.

Abstract

The current utility of bioluminescence imaging is constrained by a low photon yield that limits temporal sensitivity. Here, we describe an imaging method that uses a chemiluminescent/fluorescent protein, ffLuc-cp156, which consists of a yellow variant of Aequorea GFP and firefly luciferase. We report an improvement in photon yield by over three orders of magnitude over current bioluminescent systems. We imaged cellular movement at high resolution including neuronal growth cones and microglial cell protrusions. Transgenic ffLuc-cp156 mice enabled video-rate bioluminescence imaging of freely moving animals, which may provide a reliable assay for drug distribution in behaving animals for pre-clinical studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / analysis
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Behavior, Animal*
  • Cells / chemistry
  • Cells / metabolism*
  • Embryo, Mammalian / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Luciferases / analysis
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Luminescence*
  • Luminescent Proteins / analysis
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Neural Crest / cytology
  • Neural Crest / metabolism
  • Neural Stem Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria
  • Luciferases