Photoconvertible fluorescent protein-based live imaging of mitochondrial fusion

Methods Mol Biol. 2015:1313:237-46. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2703-6_18.

Abstract

Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that undergo fusion and fission on a relatively fast time scale. Here, a straightforward method is described for capturing mitochondrial fusion events in real time using a photoconvertible fluorescent protein and a far-field fluorescence microscope equipped with appropriate image acquisition and analysis software. The Kaede photoconvertible fluorescent protein is tagged with a mitochondrial targeting sequence and delivered to primary neurons by lentiviral transduction, which ensures efficient low copy number transgene insertion, as well as stable transgene expression.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Culture Techniques
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mitochondrial Dynamics*
  • Molecular Imaging* / methods
  • Neuroglia / metabolism
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Transduction, Genetic

Substances

  • Luminescent Proteins