Development of a Single Fluorescent Protein-Based Green Glucose Indicator by Semirational Molecular Design and...

Advances in live-cell imaging have been accelerated by the development of various fluorescent indicators. However, indicators that are suitable for multicolor imaging remain a challenge to develop. Herein, we have developed a single fluorescent protein (FP)-based indicator using a semirational molecular design and a molecular evolution approach. We first inserted a ligand-binding domain into the vicinity of an FP chromophore to convert the conformational change induced by ligand binding into a change in fluorescence intensity. We then optimized the linker regions between the FP and the ligand-binding domain to greatly expand the dynamic range (F/F₀) of the indicator. Our design and optimization methods are highly versatile and can be used to develop any single FP-based indicators, which will further advance the utility of live-cell imaging.