生物大分子相互作用检测技术新进展———三色荧光级联荧光共振能量转移技术

荧光共振能量转移(fluorescenceresonanceenergytransfer,FRET),是指能量从一种受激发的荧光基团(fluorophore)以非辐射的方式转移到另一种荧光基团的物理现象.FRET的能量转移效率是两个荧光基团间距离的函数,并对此距离十分敏感,它的有效响应距离一般在1～10nm之间,因而可被用于测定原子间及分子间的距离.这一特点使FRET技术在大分子构象变化、大分子之间相互作用、细胞信号通路等研究中发挥重要作用,成为生物医学研究中的重要方法.但细胞内的生物学过程常常涉及多于两个的大分子间相互作用,二色荧光基团的FRET技术不能满足这种生物学研究的需求.最近,两个研究小组在这方面取得突破,建立了分别基于共聚焦显微镜和流式细胞仪的三色荧光级联FRET技术.这一技术的出现将会极大地促进生物学及相关研究领域的发展.

A Progress in Detection of Interactions Between Macromolecules: Linked FRET Using Three Color Fluorophore

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is the energy transfer from an activated donor fluorophore to a receiving fluorophore. The efficiency of the energy transfer is the function of the distance between the two fluorophores, and is very sensitive to the distance. Its effective response distance is between 1~10 nm, thus it can be used to measure the distance between atoms or molecules. The feature of FRET is very useful in researches on conformational changes, interaction between macromolecules and signal transductions within live cells, and FRET has become a powerful tool in biomedical investigations. However, biological processes often involve interactions between more than two macromolecules, and FRET using two color fluorophores cannot meet the research demand. Recently, two research groups made breakthrough, establishing a novel FRET technique using three color fluorophores based on confocol microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. The invention will significantly advance researches in biological and related fields.