Organisms on the earth convert and store the energy obtained by decomposing nutrients into the form of ATP.It extracts energy from ATP as needed, allows various chemical reactions in cells to proceed smoothly, and operates a system that transports necessary substances to where they are needed.Fluorescence imaging technology is one of the most powerful methods for understanding the intracellular distribution of ATP.This is a technique for observing living cells using a fluorescence microscope by introducing a fluorescent ATP sensor into the cells that converts information on changes in the ATP concentration in the cells into fluorescent signals (intensity of fluorescence brightness).

　The research team connects a protein that specifically binds to the target ATP (a part of ATP synthase) and a fluorescent protein containing a fluorescent dye with a peptide linker, and determines the length and types of amino acids that make up the linker. We have developed a blue, green, and red fluorescent ATP sensor by optimizing it with our own method.With this flexible combination of fluorescent ATP sensors, "simultaneous observation of ATP dynamics at different locations within the same cell" and "dynamics of signals and proteins other than ATP", which was extremely difficult in principle with conventional technology, and "dynamics of signals and proteins other than ATP" "Simultaneous observation with" has become possible.

　The series of fluorescent ATP sensors developed this time is expected to accelerate development research by adding a new perspective of visual evidence of signal transduction pathways related to ATP to drug discovery and medical technology development as a highly versatile research tool. Will be done.

Paper information:[Angewandte Chemie International Edition] RGB-color intensiometric indicators to visualize spatiotemporal dynamics of ATP in single cells