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Updated: Sep 28, 2026
Imaging Protein-protein Interactions in vivo
Published on: October 10, 2010
Noninvasive imaging of protein-protein interactions in living subjects by using reporter protein complementation and
R Paulmurugan1, Y Umezawa, S S Gambhir
1Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles-Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, 90095-1770, USA.
Abstract:
In this study we have developed bioluminescence-imaging strategies to noninvasively and quantitatively image protein-protein interactions in living mice by using a cooled charge-coupled device camera and split reporter technology. We validate both complementation and intein-mediated reconstitution of split firefly luciferase proteins driven by the interaction of two strongly interacting proteins, MyoD and Id. We use transient transfection of cells and image MyoD-Id interaction after induction of gene expression in cell culture and in cells implanted into living mice. Techniques to study protein-protein interactions in living subjects will allow the study of cellular networks, including signal transduction pathways, as well as development and optimization of pharmaceuticals for modulating protein-protein interactions.
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