Probability-based particle detection that enables threshold-free and robust in vivo single-molecule tracking
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular PharmacologyRNA Therapeutics Institute
Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2015-11-05
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Single-molecule detection in fluorescence nanoscopy has become a powerful tool in cell biology but can present vexing issues in image analysis, such as limited signal, unspecific background, empirically set thresholds, image filtering, and false-positive detection limiting overall detection efficiency. Here we present a framework in which expert knowledge and parameter tweaking are replaced with a probability-based hypothesis test. Our method delivers robust and threshold-free signal detection with a defined error estimate and improved detection of weaker signals. The probability value has consequences for downstream data analysis, such as weighing a series of detections and corresponding probabilities, Bayesian propagation of probability, or defining metrics in tracking applications. We show that the method outperforms all current approaches, yielding a detection efficiency of > 70% and a false-positive detection rate of < 5% under conditions down to 17 photons/pixel background and 180 photons/molecule signal, which is beneficial for any kind of photon-limited application. Examples include limited brightness and photostability, phototoxicity in live-cell single-molecule imaging, and use of new labels for nanoscopy. We present simulations, experimental data, and tracking of low-signal mRNAs in yeast cells.Source
Mol Biol Cell. 2015 Nov 5;26(22):4057-62. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E15-06-0448. Epub 2015 Sep 30. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.1091/mbc.E15-06-0448Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/30587PubMed ID
26424801Related Resources
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© 2015 Smith et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).Distribution License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1091/mbc.E15-06-0448
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2015 Smith et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).