tetracycline and 3-5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzylidene-imidazolinone

Fluorescence-based tools are invaluable in studying cellular functions. Traditional small molecule or protein-based fluorescent sensors have been widely used for the cellular imaging, but the choice of targets is still limited. Recently, fluorogenic RNA-based sensors gained lots of attention. This novel sensor system can function as a general platform for various cellular targets. Here, we describe the steps to rationally design, optimize, and apply fluorogenic RNA-based sensors, using the intracellular imaging of tetracycline in living E. coli cells as an example.

Topics: Allosteric Regulation; Aptamers, Nucleotide; Benzyl Compounds; Biosensing Techniques; Cloning, Molecular; Computer Simulation; Drug Design; Escherichia coli; Fluorescent Dyes; Imidazolines; Intravital Microscopy; Molecular Structure; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Tetracycline