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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Visualizing the Conformational Dynamics of Membrane Receptors Using Single-Molecule FRET
Published on: August 17, 2022
Single-Molecule FRET Detection of Early-Stage Conformations in α-Synuclein Aggregation
Mahdi Muhammad Moosa1, Josephine C Ferreon1, Allan Chris M Ferreon2
1Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract:
Misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein are linked to many neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Despite intense research efforts, detailed structural characterization of early conformational transitions that initiate and drive α-synuclein aggregation remains elusive often due to the low sensitivity and ensemble averaging of commonly used techniques. Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) provides unique advantages in detecting minor conformations that initiate protein pathologic aggregation. In this chapter, we describe an smFRET-based method for characterizing early conformational conversions that are responsible for α-synuclein self-assembly and aggregation.
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