Dimerization between aequorea fluorescent proteins does not affect interaction between tagged estrogen receptors in living cells

Eric M. Kofoed; Martin Guerbadot; Fred Schaufele

doi:10.1117/1.2940366

1 May 2008 Dimerization between aequorea fluorescent proteins does not affect interaction between tagged estrogen receptors in living cells

Eric M. Kofoed, Martin Guerbadot, Fred Schaufele

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Journal of Biomedical Optics, Vol. 13, Issue 3, 031207 (May 2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2940366

Abstract

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) detection of protein interaction in living cells is commonly measured following the expression of interacting proteins genetically fused to the cyan (CFP) and yellow (YFP) derivatives of the Aequorea victoria fluorescent protein (FP). These FPs can dimerize at mM concentrations, which may introduce artifacts into the measurement of interaction between proteins that are fused with the FPs. Here, FRET analysis of the interaction between estrogen receptors (alpha isoform, ERα) labeled with "wild-type" CFP and YFP is compared with that of ERα labeled with "monomeric" A206K mutants of CFP and YFP. The intracellular equilibrium dissociation constant for the hormone-induced ERα-ERα interaction is similar for ERα labeled with wild-type or monomeric FPs. However, the measurement of energy transfer measured for ERα-ERα interaction in each cell is less consistent with the monomeric FPs. Thus, dimerization of the FPs does not affect the kinetics of ERα-ERα interaction but, when brought close together via ERα-ERα interaction, FP dimerization modestly improves FRET measurement.

©(2008) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

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Eric M. Kofoed, Martin Guerbadot, and Fred Schaufele "Dimerization between aequorea fluorescent proteins does not affect interaction between tagged estrogen receptors in living cells," Journal of Biomedical Optics 13(3), 031207 (1 May 2008). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.2940366

Published: 1 May 2008

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