Control of subcellular localization is an important mechanism for regulating the function and signaling activity of many proteins. For example, protein translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus or protein recruitment to the plasma membrane can be key events in signaling pathway activation. Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) can be used to monitor subcellular protein localization, allowing direct visualization of protein dynamics in living cells without the need for repeated sample excitation.
The NanoLuc® reporter is well-suited for use as a protein tag in BLI studies. The extreme brightness means that exposure times can be reduced to only a few seconds, compared to the minutes required for other luminescent reporter proteins. Also, the small size of NanoLuc® makes it less likely to perturb the normal biology or functionality of the fusion partner. New Nano-Glo® Extended Live Cell Substrates provide options for long-term imaging studies.