Super-resolution imaging and tracking of TGF-β receptor II on living cells

Single-particle tracking photoactivated localization microscopy (sptPALM) has recently emerged as a powerful tool for high-density imaging and tracking of individual molecules in living cells. In this work, we have monitored and compared the diffusion dynamics of TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII) at high expression level using both traditional single-particle tracking (SPT) and sptPALM. The ligand-induced aggregation of TβRII oligomers was further indicated by sptPALM. Due to the capacity of distinguishing and tracking single molecules within diffraction limit, sptPALM outperforms traditional SPT by providing more accurate biophysical information.