Journal
NATURE METHODS
Volume 11, Issue 5, Pages 572-578Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/NMETH.2888
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Funding
- Center for Biological Imaging at Stanford
- US National Institutes of Health (NIH) [1R01NS076860-01, T32 HD007249, 5R01AG020961-08]
- Florida State University Research Foundation
- Chambers Family Foundation
- Pachyonychia Congenita Project
- Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Cancer Research Institute
- University of Hawaii
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- Rita Allen Foundation
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A method for non-invasive visualization of genetically labeled cells in animal disease models with micrometer-level resolution would greatly facilitate development of cell-based therapies. Imaging of fluorescent proteins (FPs) using red excitation light in the 'optical window' above 600 nm is one potential method for visualizing implanted cells. However, previous efforts to engineer FPs with peak excitation beyond 600 nm have resulted in undesirable reductions in brightness. Here we report three new red-excitable monomeric FPs obtained by structure-guided mutagenesis of mNeptune. Two of these, mNeptune2 and mNeptune2.5, demonstrate improved maturation and brighter fluorescence than mNeptune, whereas the third, mCardinal, has a red-shifted excitation spectrum without reduction in brightness. We show that mCardinal can be used to non-invasively and longitudinally visualize the differentiation of myoblasts into myocytes in living mice with high anatomical detail.
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