A FRET pair for quantitative and superresolution imaging of amyloid fibril formation

The presence of neuritic plaques and amyloid fibrils arising from the misfolding certain proteins is principal molecular indicator neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Parkinson's disease. Methodologies for studying early stages aggregation are rapidly to provide a better understanding mechanism fibrillization cytotoxicity identify potential targets diagnosis therapy. method presented here involves simultaneous use two different fluorophores, quinolimide derivative Nile Blue A. These capable interacting with reporting on formation preamyloid aggregates apoferritin through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), which occurs between them, thus maximizing contrast in detection quantitative information species by using multidimensional lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM).