Fluorescence microscopy provides a powerful tool for imaging molecular components in living cells. Specific molecular components can be efficiently labeled by a combination of three methods: chemical transfection of GFP-fusion constructs, staining of chromosomes with the DNA-specific, fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342, and microinjection of fluorescently conjugated proteins. This procedure provides an example of using all three methods in sequence to label components of living HeLa cells.

Protocol: Imaging Hoechst-Labeled Chromosomes and Fluorescent Proteins during the Cell Cycle