Fluorescent protein ticker tape (FPTT): Multiplexed recording of transcriptional dynamics in living cells and in vivo

Wang R, Jiang J, Li Z, Liu T, Wang Y, Xie M, Piatkevich KD · 2026 · Science Advances · Atlas ID WANG2026C

What this study shows

Engineered a multiplexed fluorescent-protein 'ticker tape' biosensor platform (self-assembling protein fibers + multispectral fluorescent proteins) for longitudinal, single-cell recording of signaling-pathway transcriptional histories (mTOR, NF-κB, STAT3, NFAT, cAMP). Applying the mTOR-FPTT reporter, the authors independently observed cell-cycle-dependent OSCILLATING mTOR activity dynamics -- a new, orthogonal tool corroborating that mTOR signaling is patterned over time rather than static, consistent with JOS2024's cell-cycle oscillation finding.

Abstract

ShowHide

Recording and real-time imaging of promoter activities are critical for deciphering signaling cross-talk, but technologies for simultaneously capturing multiple transient events in living cells are lacking. Here, we design fluorescent protein-based ticker tapes (FPTT) for multiplexed, scalable, longitudinal recording of single-cell physiological activities by integrating multispectral monomeric fluorescent proteins with self-assembling protein fibers. FPTT logged dose-dependent, reversible endogenous cFos transcriptional histories in hippocampal neurons at 3-hour resolution over 8 days.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type	M Molecular — cells, biochemistry, structure Marked M because it is molecular or in-vitro work (model: HEK293T cells, synchronised (live recording of mTOR-driven transcription, SREBP1 response element)) rather than a whole-organism health-outcome study. That is often exactly where causal biology gets established -- the code says which system the finding was shown in, and nothing about how good the work is.
Study type	5 - Mechanistic / In Vitro
Model system	HEK293T cells, synchronised (live recording of mTOR-driven transcription, SREBP1 response element)
Journal	Science Advances
Year	2026
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-10-01
Source	DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aef9406 · PMID 42685187 · Free full text (PMC13537258)

Extracted findings

These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.

Intervention	None (tool development: fluorescent protein ticker-tape reporters)
Target	mTOR-responsive transcription (and NF-kB, STAT3, NFAT, cAMP) recorded over time
Model	HEK293T cells; mouse neurons and liver
Effect	mTOR reporter activity oscillates with the cell cycle in single cells.

In the Atlas

Cite this paper

ShowHide

Wang, R., Jiang, J., Li, Z., Liu, T., Wang, Y., Xie, M., & Piatkevich, K. D. (2026). Fluorescent protein ticker tape (FPTT): Multiplexed recording of transcriptional dynamics in living cells and in vivo. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef9406

@article{WANG2026C,
  author       = {Wang, R. and Jiang, J. and Li, Z. and Liu, T. and Wang, Y. and Xie, M. and Piatkevich, K. D.},
  title        = {{Fluorescent protein ticker tape (FPTT): Multiplexed recording of transcriptional dynamics in living cells and in vivo}},
  journal      = {Science Advances},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {10.1126/sciadv.aef9406},
  note         = {PMID: 42685187},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper.

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record WANG2026C) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/WANG2026C/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_WANG2026C,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record WANG2026C},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/WANG2026C/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

Was this page useful?