Detection of Akt Migration Using STED Nanoscopy

Stimulated Emission Depletion microscopy, or STED microscopy, is a technique that uses the non-linear de-excitation of fluorescent dyes to overcome the resolution limit imposed by diffraction with standard confocal laser scanning microscopes and conventional far-field optical microscopes [1]. Compared to traditional confocal microscopy, STED offers exceptional improvements in resolution allowing visualization of cellular events at unprecedented levels. Rockland Immunochemicals and Leica Microsystems have jointly analyzed the sub-cellular localization of Akt using both standard confocal microscopy and high resolution STED nanoscopy. Using resting and EGF-stimulated A431 cells probed with MAb anti-Akt-(p)S473, and PAb anti-Tubulin antibodies, the STED improvement is demonstrated.

1. Breaking the diffraction resolution limit by stimulated emission: stimulated-emission-depletion fluorescence microscopy. Hell, S.W., et al. (1994). Opt. Lett. 19, 780-7822.