Ilov Fluorescence Lights Up Plant Cells

摘要

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) and similar proteins have been widely used by scientists to study protein dynamics within living cells. However, fluorescent proteins tend to be large (>200 aminornacids), which prevents their use in tagging certain types of cells and viruses where increases in genome size promote recombination and reduce infection efficiency. To decrease the genetic load, Sean Chapman et al. engineered a smaller alternative to GFP based on a flavin-binding motif derived from the light, oxygen, or voltage-sensing (LOV) domain found in plant blue light photoreceptors. Native LOV domains are approximately half the size of GFP and have a weak intrinsic fluorescence.