Voltage Imaging
Optical imaging of membrane voltage offers several advantages over traditional patch clamp recording techniques. We created a palette of fluorescent voltage-indicating proteins that span much of the visible spectrum. These sensors are based on a novel voltage-sensing mechanism called electrochromic FRET (eFRET). In eFRET, a fluorescent protein is the FRET donor and the retinal chromophore in a rhodopsin protein is the FRET acceptor. Membrane voltage shifts the absorption spectrum of the retinal chromophore, thereby modulating the FRET efficiency. By measuring the changes in fluorescent protein emission, we could detect membrane action potential spikes in neurons via fluorescence microscopy.
Voltage Imaging
Optical imaging of membrane voltage offers several advantages over traditional patch clamp recording techniques. We created a palette of fluorescent voltage-indicating proteins that span much of the visible spectrum. These sensors are based on a novel voltage-sensing mechanism called electrochromic FRET (eFRET). In eFRET, a fluorescent protein is the FRET donor and the retinal chromophore in a rhodopsin protein is the FRET acceptor. Membrane voltage shifts the absorption spectrum of the retinal chromophore, thereby modulating the FRET efficiency. By measuring the changes in fluorescent protein emission, we could detect membrane action potential spikes in neurons via fluorescence microscopy.
