Maximum likelihood trajectories from single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments

摘要: Single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments are a powerful and versatile tool for studying conformational motions of single biomolecules. However, the small number recorded photons typically limits achieved time resolution. We develop maximum likelihood theory that uses full information photon arrival times to reconstruct nanometer distance trajectories. In contrast conventional, intensity-based approach, our approach does not suffer from biased priori distributions. Furthermore, by providing probability distributions distance, also yields rigorous error bounds. Applied burst 230 obtained FRET dye pair site-specifically linked neural fusion protein syntaxin-1a, enables one distinguish time-resolved details millisecond fluctuations shot noise. From cross validation, an effective diffusion coefficient is determined data.