A FRET-Based FLIM Method to Probe Membrane-Induced Alpha-Synuclein Aggregation in Neurons
Parkinson's disease (PD) involves the aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein, a process promoted by interactions with intracellular membranes. To study this phenomenon in neurons for the first time, we developed a fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) method using Förster resonance energy transfer and self-quenching reporters, analyzed with a custom-built FLIM microscope. This method offers insights into aggregate formation in PD and can be broadly applied to probe protein-membrane interactions in neurons.