ABSTRACT
Proteins perform the majority of functions in an organism. Although the sequence and structure of the protein elucidate the function, it can’t reveal the structural organization, dynamics, and location of the protein inside a cell. To reveal this information, protein localization studies were performed. Several studies on protein–protein, protein–lipid, and protein–sugar interaction in bacteria lead to discoveries such as quorum sensing, the mechanism of cell wall synthesis and the mechanism for scanning DNA before replication and so on. Fluorescent proteins (FPs) and protein tags were mainly used for the subcellular localization studies. Advancements in fluorescent microscopy and engineered green fluorescent protein (GFP) will heighten the research on live-cell imaging. In this chapter, we discuss the working mechanisms of those FPs and tags. In addition, we critically evaluate the merits and demerits of existing FPs and tags. We believe this article will serve as a beginner's guide to choosing appropriate FPs and tags.
