Membrane-targeted Indicators
Membrane-targeted Indicators - Related Videos
11:33
Dissection of Local Ca2+ Signals in Cultured Cells by Membrane-targeted Ca2+ Indicators
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Cited by 5 •
2019
Here we present a protocol for Ca2+ imaging in neurons and glial cells, which enables the dissection of Ca2+ signals at subcellular resolution. This process is applicable to all cell types that allow the expression of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators.
02:39
Indicators
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2020
Certain organic substances change color in dilute solution when the hydronium ion concentration reaches a particular value. For example, phenolphthalein is a colorless substance in any aqueous solution with a hydronium ion concentration greater than 5.0 × 10−9 M (pH < 8.3). In more basic solutions where the hydronium ion concentration is less than 5.0 × 10−9 M (pH > 8.3), it is red or pink. Substances such as phenolphthalein, which can be used to determine the pH of a solution, are called...
12:19
Mapping Molecular Diffusion in the Plasma Membrane by Multiple-Target Tracing (MTT)
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Cited by 4 •
2012
Multiple-Target Tracing is a homemade algorithm developed for tracking individually labeled molecules within the plasma membrane of living cells. Efficiently detecting, estimating and tracing molecules over time at high-density provide a user-friendly, comprehensive tool to investigate nanoscale membrane dynamics.
08:17
Water Quality Analysis via Indicator Organisms
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Dr. Ian Pepper and Dr. Charles Gerba -The University of Arizona Demonstrating Author: Luisa Ikner Water quality analysis monitors anthropogenic influences such as pollutants, nutrients, pathogens, and any other constituent that can impact the water’s integrity as a resource. Fecal contamination contributes microbial pathogens that threaten plant, animal, and human health with disease or illness. Increasing water demands and strict quality standards require that water...
01:23
Synergistic Antimicrobial Effect of Membrane-Targeting Compounds on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
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2026
Take suspensions of an antibiotic-resistant strain of a pathogenic bacterium.Treat one suspension with a short, membrane-disrupting antibiotic compound and the other with both the short compound and a longer, membrane-intercalating compound.Incubate both suspensions with agitation. These compounds mimic the lipid bilayer structure, enabling their spontaneous insertion into bacterial membranes.The short compound spans only part of the membrane’s thickness, creating a structural mismatch. This...
FAQs
Each strategy localizes the indicator through a different membrane-association mechanism. Lipidation signals attach the probe to membrane-associated lipid groups, transmembrane domains provide a membrane-spanning anchor, and membrane-binding sequences promote direct association with the membrane. This choice affects where the sensor concentrates and helps investigators match probe localization to the neuronal compartment or signaling event under study.
Fluorescence can change when an analyte binds the indicator, when the sensor undergoes a protein conformational change, or when membrane potential shifts. These mechanisms convert local chemical or electrical activity into an optical signal. In neurons, the resulting fluorescence changes can report calcium dynamics, voltage changes, or signaling processes occurring close to the plasma membrane.
Concentrating the probe near the plasma membrane links the measured fluorescence more closely to events at that boundary rather than to signals distributed throughout the cell. This localization supports finer spatial discrimination between cellular compartments and helps separate activity at neuronal membranes, synapses, and other regions. It is especially valuable when rapid, localized signaling must be distinguished from broader cellular changes.
The targeting design determines which membrane-associated region contributes most strongly to the recorded signal. A probe anchored at the plasma membrane can emphasize local electrical or molecular events, whereas targeting a synaptic membrane region can help resolve signaling associated with neuronal communication. Thus, localization is not merely a positioning step; it shapes the biological interpretation of fluorescence.
Researchers select an indicator whose sensing mechanism matches the event of interest, such as calcium binding, voltage change, or a conformational response. They then rely on its membrane-localizing sequence to concentrate detection near the neuronal plasma membrane and record fluorescence changes. The measurements can reveal when and where membrane-associated activity occurs across neurons or synaptic regions.
They are particularly useful when the research question concerns signaling at a membrane boundary, including calcium dynamics, electrical excitability, or synaptic activity. Their localized fluorescence can distinguish events in separate cellular compartments and map activity associated with neuronal communication. This makes them relevant for examining how membrane signals contribute to individual neuron behavior and larger circuit function.