Patent ID: 6342379
Filing Date: 2002-01-29
Classification: C07D,C07F,C07K,C09B,G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for detecting electrical potential across cellular membranes in at least one cell, comprising;a) contacting said at least one cell with a first reagent, comprising: a mobile hydrophobic molecule, wherein said mobile hydrophobic molecule is a FRET acceptor or FRET donor of a second reagent, wherein said mobile hydrophobic molecule redistributes from one side of said cellular membrane to a second side of said cellular membrane, or redistributes out of said cellular membrane in response to electrical potential across said cellular membrane, b) providing said at least one cell with said second reagent, comprising: a luminescent or fluorescent component, wherein said providing comprises either contacting said at least one cell with said second reagent or transfecting said at least one cell with a nucleic acid coding for expression of said luminescent or fluorescent component, wherein said luminescent or fluorescent component is targetable to said cellular membrane, and wherein said second reagent undergoes energy transfer with said first reagent or quenches light emission of said first reagent, and wherein the efficiency of energy transfer between said first reagent and said second reagent is dependent on said electrical potential across said cellular membrane, c) detecting light emission from said first reagent or said second reagent, d) relating said detected light emission to said electrical potential across said cellular membrane.