Fluorescent proteins are quite versatile imaging probes and have been successfully employed in virtually every biological discipline ranging from microbiology to systems physiology. These ubiquitous probes are extremely useful as reporters for gene expression studies in cultured cells, excised tissues, and whole animals. In live cells, fluorescent proteins are most commonly used to track the localization and dynamics of proteins, organelles, and other cellular compartments. For most investigators who want to track a specific protein, the application of fluorescent proteins consists of fusing the gene for the cDNA of the target gene to that of a fluorescent protein of choice followed by transferring the resulting recombinant vector into a host cell or whole organism. The images in this gallery demonstrate localization of fusions between a variety of fluorescent proteins and targeting peptides or proteins.
- Cytoplasm
TagRFP-C1 cloning vector - Paxillin
EGFP fused to chicken paxillin - Lamin B1
mTurquoise fused to human lamin B1 - alpha-Tubulin
mEmerald fused to human alpha-tubulin - Zyxin
mTFP1 fused to human zyxin - Mitochondria
mEGFP fused to a mitochondrial targeting peptide - Microtubule End-Binding Protein EB3
mTFP1 fused to EB3 - Inner Membrane
mKO2 targeted to the inner membrane - Clathrin Vesicles
tdTomato fused to human light chain clathrin - Fibrillarin
mTurquoise fused to human fibrillarin - Gap Junctions
YPet fused to rat connexin Cx43 - Golgi Complex
mTagRFP-T highlighting the Golgi complex - beta-Actin
mTFP1 fused to human beta-actin - Vinculin
mCherry fused to human vinculin - Endoplasmic Reticulum
mEmerald fused to an ER targeting peptide - Cytokeratin
mTurquoise fused to human cytokeratin - Vimentin
mCherry fused to human vimentin - Peroxisomes
mEmerald fused to a peroxisomal targeting signal - Endosomes
TagRFP-T highlighting the endosomes - alpha-Actinin
mKate2 fused to human alpha-actinin - Annexin
mApple fused to human annexin A4 - Lysosomes
mKate2 fused to LAMP1 - Vasodilator-Stimulated Phosphoprotein
mTurquoise fused to VASP - Nucleus
mAzami Green with a nuclear targeting signal - Talin
mVenus fused to mouse talin 1 - Profilin
mKusabira Orange fused to mouse profilin - Cadherin
mEGFP fused to human VE cadherin - Myosin
mApple fused to mouse myosin light chain - Centromere Binding Protein B
EGFP fused to a centromere binding protein - Human Tyrosine Kinase C-Src
mCerulean fused to C-Src - Focal Adhesion Kinase
mCherry fused to human focal adhesion kinase - Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
mTagBFP2 fused to PCNA - beta-Catenin
EGFP fused to human beta-catenin - Rab5a
tdTomato fused to Rab5a - Myotilin
mEmerald fused to human myotilin - gamma-Tubulin
mCherry fused to human gamma-tubulin - Histones
mCerulean fused to human histone H2B - Human Growth Hormone Factor 1
EYFP fused to Pit-1 - Targeting Protein for Xklp2
EGFP fused to TPX2 - Desmin
mCherry fused to human desmin
The fluorescent protein fusions illustrated in this gallery were expressed either in the epithelial cell lines: HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), MDCK (Madin-Darby canine kidney), LLC-PK1 (pig kidney), and U2OS (human osteosarcoma); or the fibroblast cell line fox lung (FoLu). Images were recorded using live or fixed cells. Live cells were imaged using a Bioptechs Delta-T chamber in Hank's basal salt solution or a mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 medium with 10 percent Cosmic Calf Serum. Fixed cells were transfected and grown for 36 hours on 25-millimeter coverslips, fixed with 2 percent paraformaldehyde, washed with 0.1 M glycine, and mounted with gelvatol.