Search PubMed⌕ Search

PubMed · 16080263

Engineering fluorescent proteins.

Abstract

Green fluorescent protein from the jellyfish Aequorea victora (GFP) and GFP-like proteins from Anthozoa species encode light-absorbing chromophores intrinsically within their respective protein sequences. Recent studies have made progress in obtaining bright variants of these proteins which develop chromophores quickly and efficiently, as well as novel fluorescent proteins that photoactivate or photoconvert, i.e., become fluorescent or change colors upon illumination at specific wavelengths. Also, monomeric versions of these proteins have been engineered for fusion protein applications. Simple GFP variants and circularly permuted GFP variants have been used to develop fluorescent probes that sense physiological signals such as membrane potential and concentrations of free calcium. Further molecular characterization of the structure and maturation of these proteins is in progress, aimed at providing information for rational design of variants with desired fluorescence properties.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Atsushi Miyawaki, Takeharu Nagai, Hideaki Mizuno. 2005. Engineering fluorescent proteins.. https://doi.org/10.1007/b102208

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Solvatochromism of the green fluorescence protein chromophore and its derivatives.

The solvatochromic behavior of the green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophore (p-hydroxybenzylideneimidazolone, p-HBDI) and its derivatives (p-methoxybenzylideneimidazolone, p-MeOBDI, and N-methyl-p-hydroxybenzylideneimidazolonium iodide, p-HBDIMe+) was studied using UV-vis-absorption spectroscopy in a wide array of solvents. The relative contribution of specific (polarity) vs nonspecific (hydrogen-bonding) solvation to the absorbance spectra was studied. On the basis of these data, we discuss the nature of the absorption peak of the protonated and deprotonated forms of the wild-type GFP.

Green Fluorescent Proteins↗

Cytotoxicity of a mutant huntingtin fragment in yeast involves early alterations in mitochondrial OXPHOS complexes II and III.

Mitochondrial dysfunction may play an important role in the pathogenic mechanism of Huntington's disease (HD). However, the exact mechanism by which mutated huntingtin could cause bioenergetic dysfunction is still unknown. We have constructed a stable inducible yeast model of HD by expressing a human huntingtin fragment containing a mutant polyglutamine tract of 103Q fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), and a control expressing a wild-type 25Q domain fused to GFP in a wild-type strain. We showed that in yeast cells expressing 103Q, cell respiration was progressively reduced after 4-6 h of induction with galactose, down to 50% of the control after 10 h of induction. The cell respiration defect results from an alteration in the function and amount of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex II+III, in congruency to data obtained from postmortem brain of HD patients and from toxin models. In our model, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is significantly enhanced in cells expressing 103Q. Quenching of ROS with resveratrol partially prevents the cell respiration defect. Mitochondrial morphology and distribution were also altered in cells expressing 103Q, probably resulting from the interaction of aggregates with portions of the mitochondrial web and from a progressive disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. We propose a mechanism for mitochondrial dysfunction in our yeast model of HD in which the interactions of misfolded/aggregated polyglutamine domains with the mitochondrial and actin networks lead to disturbances in mitochondrial distribution and function and to increase in ROS production. Oxidative damage could preferentially affect the stability and function of enzymes containing iron-sulfur clusters such as complexes II and III. Our yeast model represents a very useful paradigm to study mitochondrial physiology alterations in the pathogenic mechanism of HD.

Green Fluorescent Proteins↗

19F NMR studies of the native and denatured states of green fluorescent protein.

Biosynthetic preparation and (19)F NMR experiments on uniformly 3-fluorotyrosine-labeled green fluorescent protein (GFP) are described. The (19)F NMR signals of all 10 fluorotyrosines are resolved in the protein spectrum with signals spread over 10 ppm. Each tyrosine in GFP was mutated in turn to phenylalanine. The spectra of the Tyr --> Phe mutants, in conjunction with relaxation data and results from (19)F photo-CIDNP (chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization) experiments, yielded a full (19)F NMR assignment. Two (19)F-Tyr residues (Y92 and Y143) were found to yield pairs of signals originating from ring-flip conformers; these two residues must therefore be immobilized in the native structure and have (19)F nuclei in two magnetically distinct positions depending on the orientation of the aromatic ring. Photo-CIDNP experiments were undertaken to probe further the structure of the native and denatured states. The observed NMR signal enhancements were found to be consistent with calculations of the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) accessibilities of the tyrosine residues. The photo-CIDNP spectrum of native GFP shows four peaks corresponding to the four tyrosine residues that have solvent-exposed HOMOs. In contrast, the photo-CIDNP spectra of various denatured states of GFP show only two peaks corresponding to the (19)F-labeled tyrosine side chains and the (19)F-labeled Y66 of the chromophore. These data suggest that the pH-denatured and GdnDCl-denatured states are similar in terms of the chemical environments of the tyrosine residues. Further analysis of the sign and amplitude of the photo-CIDNP effect, however, provided strong evidence that the denatured state at pH 2.9 has significantly different properties and appears to be heterogeneous, containing subensembles with significantly different rotational correlation times.

Green Fluorescent Proteins↗