Fluorescence-Based Detection of Proteins and Their Interactions in Live Cells

Recentadvances in fluorescence-based microscopy techniques, suchas single molecule fluorescence, Fo''rster resonance energy transfer(FRET), fluorescence intensity fluctuations analysis, and super-resolutionmicroscopy have expanded our ability to study proteins in greaterdetail within their native cellular environment and to investigatethe roles that protein interactions play in biological functions,such as inter- and intracellular signaling and cargo transport. Inthis Perspective, we provide an up-to-date overview of the currentstate of the art in fluorescence-based detection of proteins and theirinteractions in living cells with an emphasis on recent developmentsthat have facilitated the characterization of the spatial and temporalorganization of proteins into oligomeric complexes in the presenceand absence of natural and artificial ligands. Further advancementsin this field will only deepen our understanding of the underlyingmechanisms of biological processes and help develop new therapeutictargets.