Multicolor Bioluminescence Imaging of Subcellular Structures and Multicolor Calcium Imaging in Single Living Cells

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2350:229-237. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1593-5_14.

Abstract

The recent development of the bright luciferase NanoLuc (Nluc) has greatly improved the sensitivity of bioluminescence imaging, enabling real-time cellular imaging with high spatial resolution. However, the limited color variants of Nluc have restricted its wider application to multicolor imaging of biological phenomena. To address this issue, we developed five new spectral variants of the bright bioluminescent protein with emissions across the visible spectrum. In this chapter, we describe the following two protocols for single-cell bioluminescence imaging: (a) multicolor bioluminescence imaging of subcellular structures and (b) multicolor calcium imaging in single living cells.

Keywords: Bioluminescence; Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET); Calcium dynamics; Multicolor; NanoLuc.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer Techniques
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Gene Expression
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Humans
  • Luminescent Measurements / methods*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / methods*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*

Substances

  • Calcium