Time-resolved fluorescent proteins towards fluorescence microscopy in the temporal and spectral domains

Abstract

Fluorescence microscopy has been widely applied in life sciences. While steady-state fluorescence intensity is mostly used, the time-resolved detection mode relying on fluorescence lifetime remains underexplored. Herein, we present a family of time-resolved fluorescent proteins (TRFP). Using a strategy that regulates lifetime without affecting spectra of FPs, we have developed different TRFPs that cover the visible spectrum and a wide range of lifetime. TRFPs are employed in the temporal-spectral resolved microscopy, allowing the simultaneous imaging of 9 different proteins in live cells and correlation of multiple activities to cell cycles. Finally, TRFPs are integrated into multiplexing super-resolution microscopy to concurrently visualize 4 proteins in live cells, acquiring a remarkable 50 nm spatial resolution using lifetime as signal. TRFPs represent a transformative toolset towards fluorescence microscopy in both the temporal and spectral domains. Beyond the multiplexing imaging, TRFPs could introduce unprecedented opportunities of system complexity and quantitative accuracy into biological research.