Recent advances in fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

• Published in: Current Opinion in Structural Biology 2002-10, Vol.12 (5), p.634-641
• Main Authors: Thompson, Nancy L, Lieto, Alena M, Allen, Noah W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell-surface receptors; cross-correlation; fluorescence intensity distribution analysis; GFP; Green Fluorescent Proteins; image correlation spectroscopy; intracellular dynamics; Luminescent Proteins - chemistry; phospholipid membranes; photon counting histogram; Photons; Proteins - chemistry; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrometry, Fluorescence - instrumentation; Spectrometry, Fluorescence - methods; Spectrometry, Fluorescence - trends; total internal reflection; two-photon excitation
• ISSN: 0959-440X; 1879-033X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0959-440X(02)00368-8

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is a method in which fluctuations in the fluorescence arising from a very small sample volume are correlated to obtain information about the processes giving rise to the fluctuations. Recent progress has been made in methodologies such as two-photon excitation, photon counting histogram analysis, cross-correlation, image correlation and evanescent excitation. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy techniques have been applied to several biological processes, including fluorescent protein photodynamics, binding equilibria and kinetics, protein oligomerization, nucleic acid interactions, and membrane and intracellular dynamics. Various applications and development studies indicate the likelihood that fluorescence correlation spectroscopy will prove to be broadly applicable not only for characterizing processes in solution but also for examining processes in membranes and intact cells