High-density single-particle tracking: quantifying molecule organization and dynamics at the nanoscale

1. Histochem Cell Biol. 2014 Jun;141(6):587-95. doi: 10.1007/s00418-014-1214-1. Epub
2014 Mar 27.

High-density single-particle tracking: quantifying molecule organization and
dynamics at the nanoscale.

Sibarita JB(1).

Author information:
(1)Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, CNRS UMR 5297, University of
Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France, .

The organization and dynamics of proteins are fundamental parameters for cellular
function. Their study, at the single-molecule level, provides precise information
on molecular interactions. Over the last 30 years, the single-particle tracking
imaging technique has proven its capability to efficiently quantify such
parameters in many biological systems, with nanometric accuracy and millisecond
temporal resolutions. Nevertheless, the low concentration of labeling required
for single-molecule imaging usually prevents the extraction of large statistics.
The advent of high-density single-molecule-based super-resolution techniques has
revolutionized the field, allowing monitoring of thousands of biomolecules in the
minute timescale and providing unprecedented insight into the molecular
organization and dynamics of cellular compounds. In this issue, I will review the
main principles of single-particle tracking, a highly interdisciplinary technique
at the interface between microscopy, image analysis and labeling strategies. I
will point out the advantages brought by high-density single-particle tracking
which will be illustrated with a few recent biological results.

DOI: 10.1007/s00418-014-1214-1
PMID: 24671496 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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