What is GFP used for?

Biologists use GFP to study cells in embryos and fetuses during developmental processes. Biologists use GFP as a marker protein. GFP can attach to and mark another protein with fluorescence, enabling scientists to see the presence of the particular protein in an organic structure.

How is GFP tagging done?

GFP-tagging is a way of preparing a sample for fluorescence microscopy by using the GFP as a fluorescent protein reporter. This is done by cloning the GFP in frame with the target protein at either the N- or C-terminus of the amino acid chain.

How does GFP give green light?

GFP is a barrel shape with the fluorescent portion (the chromophore) made up of just three amino acids. When this chromophore absorbs blue light, it emits green fluorescence.

What light does aequorin produces in vivo?

Aequorin is a bioluminescent protein, isolated from the hydromedusan Aequorea victoria (1), which emits blue light upon binding Ca2+ (Kd 1 μM).

How is GFP used as a reporter gene?

GFP from the jellyfish Aequoria victoria is a versatile reporter for monitoring gene expression in vivo, in situ and in real time. GFP fluoresces bright-green upon exposure to UV light, unlike other bioluminescent reporters which require additional proteins, substrates or cofactors to emit light.

What is the function of aequorin?

Aequorin is a light-emitting protein isolated from a jellyfish. It is sensitive to calcium at the concentrations found in the cytoplasm because calcium is the intracellular signal that the jellyfish uses to control the amount of light it emits.

Where is aequor located?

Aequor is a “C” corporation established in Delaware and California. Aequor Ltd. is a subsidiary located at 72 Great Suffolk St, London, SE1 0BL, United Kingdom.

What is the function of cysteine residues in aequorin?

Aequorin has three cysteine residues which appear to have a role in the bioluminescence reaction, either in a catalytic function or in the regeneration of active aequorin. Ian Weeks, David Wild, in The Immunoassay Handbook (Fourth Edition), 2013 Aequorin is a bioluminescent protein obtained from the jellyfish (Aequorea victoria ).

What are semisynthetic aequorins?

Semisynthetic aequorins are molecules made up of natural apoaequorin coupled with a chemically synthesized analogue of coelenterazine (Shimomura et al., 1988 ). Semisynthetic aequorins have a very wide range of sensitivities to Ca 2+ ranging from c. 0.01 to 200 times that of natural aequorin ( Shimomura, 1991 ).