Live-cell imaging with EosFP and other photoactivatable marker proteins of the GFP family

Fluorescent proteins from the green fluorescent protein family have become indispensable imaging tools for cell biology. A wide variety of these proteins were discovered in nonbioluminescent anthozoa in recent years. Some of them feature exciting new properties, with the possibility to alter their intensity and/or fluorescence color by irradiation with light of specific wavelengths. Fluorescent highlighter proteins enable many interesting applications based on regional optical marking in live cells and tissues. This review provides an overview of photoactivatable marker proteins, with a focus on EosFP, a protein that can be switched from green to red fluorescence by approximately 400-nm light. A variety of applications are presented to illustrate the versatility of EosFP in live-cell imaging.