Improving membrane voltage measurements using FRET with new fluorescent proteins

We used two new coral fluorescent proteins as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) donor and acceptor to develop a voltage sensor, named Mermaid, that displays ∼40% changes in emission ratio per 100 mV, allowing for direct visualization of electrical activities in cultured excitable cells. Notably, Mermaid has fast on-off kinetics at warm (∼33 °C) temperatures and can report voltage spikes comparable to action potentials.

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