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Brief Communication

Nature Methods 5, 947–949 (1 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/nmeth.1258

Super-resolution imaging in live Caulobacter crescentus cells using photoswitchable EYFP

Julie S Biteen , Michael A Thompson , Nicole K Tselentis , Grant R Bowman , Lucy Shapiro & W E Moerner

The commonly used, monomeric EYFP enabled imaging of intracellular protein structures beyond the optical resolution limit ('super-resolution' imaging) in living cells. By combining photoinduced activation of single EYFP fusions and time-lapse imaging, we obtained sub–40 nm resolution images of the filamentous superstructure of the bacterial actin protein MreB in live Caulobacter crescentus cells.