The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 25, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 24, 2008
Sung-bae Kim, Ibaraki, JP;
Hiroaki Tao, Ibaraki, JP;
Moritoshi Sato, Ibaraki, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides an 'in vivo and in vitro real-time bioluminescence imaging means,' which can transmit a detection signal promptly in response to an external signal, while taking advantage of a single-molecule-format luminescent probe as a bioluminescent means. The present invention is characterized by using, as a single-molecule-format luminescent probe utilizing the increase and decrease of a second messenger level as an index, a fusion protein including a single-chain protein containing a second messenger recognition protein and optionally a peptide which is capable of binding with the protein, and linked respectively to the N-terminus and the C-terminus thereto, an N-terminal fragment (N-LE) and a C-terminal fragment (C-LE) generated by dissecting a luminescent enzyme (LE). A single-molecule-format luminescent probe could be provided, which makes it possible to observe light emission (extinction) in vivo as well as in vitro, as a result of a conformational change of the second messenger recognition protein induced by the binding (unbinding) with a second messenger, and the subsequent association or dissociation between the N-LE and the C-LE flanked at both termini of the recognition protein.