title: Engineering and characterization of an enhanced fluorescent protein voltage sensor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fluorescent proteins have been used to generate a variety of biosensors to optically monitor biological phenomena in living cells. Among this class of genetically encoded biosensors, reporters for membrane potential have been a particular challenge. The use of presently known voltage sensor proteins is limited by incorrect subcellular localization and small or absent voltage responses in mammalian cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we report on a fluorescent protein voltage sensor with superior targeting to the mammalian plasma membrane and high responsiveness to membrane potential signaling in excitable cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This biosensor, which we termed VSFP2.1, is likely to lead to new methods of monitoring electrically active cells with cell type specificity, non-invasively and in large numbers, simultaneously.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Neuronal Circuit Dynamics, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Dimitar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dimitrov
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mutoh
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Akemann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Knöpfel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D017931:DNA Primers; D005453:Fluorescence; D016716:PC12 Cells; D015202:Protein Engineering; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers