[A natural fluorescent protein that changes its fluorescence during maturation].

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Marine Biology

Background:

• Fluorescent proteins are crucial tools in biological research, with green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria being a well-known example.
• Red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) are also valuable, but their development and understanding, particularly their evolutionary pathways, are ongoing areas of research.
• Coral polyps are a source of novel fluorescent proteins with unique properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clone and characterize a novel red fluorescent protein, zoan2RFP, from the coral polyp Zoanthus sp.
• To investigate the maturation process and fluorescence properties of zoan2RFP, comparing it to existing fluorescent proteins.
• To explore the potential of zoan2RFP as an intermediate form in the evolution of fluorescent proteins.

Main Methods:

• Gene cloning of zoan2RFP from Zoanthus sp.
• Expression and purification of the recombinant zoan2RFP protein.
• Spectroscopic analysis to determine fluorescence properties (excitation/emission spectra, maturation time).

Main Results:

• The gene for zoan2RFP was successfully cloned.
• zoan2RFP exhibits a unique fluorescence maturation process, starting as green and transitioning to red.
• Compared to the DsRed E5 mutant, zoan2RFP shows faster maturation and complete loss of green fluorescence in its mature state.

Conclusions:

• zoan2RFP represents a novel red fluorescent protein with distinct maturation kinetics.
• Its characteristics suggest it may be an intermediate form in the microevolution of fluorescent proteins from green to red.
• Naturally occurring proteins like zoan2RFP provide valuable insights into the evolutionary pathways of fluorescent proteins.