Genetically encoded fluorescent-iron ferritin nanoparticle probes for detecting an intracellular target by fluorescent and electron microscopy
AssigneeThe Salk Institute for Biological Studies
InventorsClodagh O'Shea, Jingwen Yin
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Abstract
Disclosed are probes that are expressed in a cell to label an intracellular target (such as protein or DNA) for both light and electron microscopy. The probes comprise a targeting domain that specifically binds to the intracellular target, a detection tag that can be used to detect the intracellular location of the probe using light microscopy, and a ferritin nanoparticle ferritin nanoparticle with ferroxidase activity and that stores ferric oxide. Also disclosed are nucleic acids encoding the fusion proteins and methods of their use.
Claims30
An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a fusion protein, the fusion protein comprising:
- in an N- to C-terminal direction:
- a nuclear localization sequence;
- a targeting domain that specifically binds to an intracellular target antigen;
- a detection tag;
- and
- a horse ferritin heavy chain subunit;
- and
- wherein the horse ferritin heavy chain subunit in the fusion protein self-assembles in mammalian cells to form a globular ferritin nanoparticle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.