Erasable Fluorescence Imaging Technology Enables Continuous Tracking for Identical Living Cells

Abstract

Subtle molecular events may trigger a cascade of “butterfly effects” to reverse cell fate, so dynamic tracking of relevant markers can provide crucial clues to decipher the unknown. However, existing analytical techniques are still at static-analysis level, and cutting-edge fluorescence imaging is limited by signal interference at adjacent time, failing to realize continuous observation for identical live cells. Herein, we develop a new temperature-controlled imaging technology, where melamine-mediated reversible DNA self-assembly drives the fluorescence illuminating and extinguishing at any time, achieving repeated erasable imaging for identical living cells. This method can track cell behaviors by taking dynamic monitoring of cell differentiation as an example, and timely fluorescence erasing guarantees authenticity for imaging results and minimizes interference with cellular activities. Thanks to high feasibility in fundamental experimental scenarios, this method hopefully provides a powerful preliminary screening tool for exploring new biological mechanisms in cell interactions, developmental transformations, downstream response inquiry, and so forth.