2001-2002

2002-2003
Seth Robia, Ph.D.

Intrasequence GFP in class I MHC molecules, a rigid probe for fluorescence anisotropy measurements of the membrane environment.

Rocheleau, J. V., M. Edidin, and D. W. Piston. 
Biophysical Journal 84:4078-4086 (2003).

A recent paper by Rocheleau et al. describes the use of an intrasequence green fluorescent protein (GFP) rigidly fused to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules as an anisotropic tag for measuring clustering of MHC. Assembly of tagged MHC-I molecules results in Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) between proximate GFPs, detected as a decreased anisotropy of the fluorescence emission. This study demonstrates the utility of polarized fluorescence imaging as a tool for in vivo structural biology. I will discuss this paper in the context of some of our recent experiments in the Thomas lab, in which we investigate the quaternary conformation of phospholamban pentamers by in-gel anisotropy. 

Date: December 15th
Time: Noon to 1
Place: BSBE 4-101

Building