#GLOW IN THE DARK SHEEP STUDY SERIES#
From the discovery of the first red fluorescent protein in a non-bioluminescent coral, the so-called Desired RED protein (DsRED), Tsien's group developed smaller proteins and then a series such as mPlum, mCherry, mStrawberry, mOrange and mCitrine, according to the color of their glow. GFP was modified to produce variants that emit in regions of blue (BFP), cyan (CFP), and yellow (YPF). In addition, his group added new fluorescent molecules from other natural sources. Tsien modified the protein structure to produce molecules that emitted light at different wavelengths and produced different colored markers. In 1988, Martin Chalfie, using molecular biology techniques, introduced the gene coding for GFP into the DNA of the transparent worm Caenorhabditis elegans, so that the worm cells produced GFP and emitted green light, without the need for the addition of additional components and without harm to the worm. Shimomura discovered that the blue light emitted by the latter was absorbed by a second protein (later called GFP), which in turn re-emitted green light. Years later, while studying the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, he identified the light organs that were responsible for the blue fluorescence it emitted, and together with Frank Johnson, he isolated a calcium-dependent bioluminescent protein, which they named aequorin. In the 1960s, Osamu Shimomura investigated the phenomenon of bioluminescence. These researchers never collaborated directly with each other, nor was even the study of GFP the main focus of their scientific careers however, thanks to their contributions, the use of this protein emerged that provided a powerful array of tools for visualizing cell biology at work. Tsien, who received the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in equal parts. The history of the discovery of this protein began in the 1960s and developed over several decades, thanks to Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Y. It makes it possible to see previously invisible processes, such as the development of neurons, how cancer cells spread, the development of Alzheimer's disease, the growth of pathogenic bacteria, the proliferation of the AIDS virus, among others. The structure of GFP avoids this impact because when the fluorophore releases an electron, the resulting radicals remain inside the protein without touching the cell.Īn important feature of GFP is that it does not need additives to glow, in contrast to other bioluminescent proteins it is sufficient to irradiate it with UV or blue light for it to emit fluorescence. A fluorophore, after a certain time of exposure to light, releases an electron that reacts with oxygen, originating toxic radicals that would damage the cell and even cause its death.
Thanks to this use, the detrimental effect of chemical fluorescent markers, which were used in research, has been reduced. GFP can be used as a marker for biomolecules and to follow processes such as cell migration. The discovery and study of GFP expand the capabilities of the optical microscope and brings a new visible dimension to the human eye. The gene encoding this protein, which has already been cloned, is used as a marker in molecular biology. GFP is produced by the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. On land, it is limited to the fungal and invertebrate kingdom. More than 90% of animal species in the mid-and abyssal portions of the ocean are thought to emit some form of bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is quite widespread in marine habitats. Jellyfish possess a protein capable of receiving high-energy light (usually in the UV range), called green fluorescent protein (GFP), which emits fluorescence in the green light range. This reaction is carried out with practically no loss of energy. The former synthesize the substance called luciferin, which is oxidized with the help of the enzyme luciferase. There are two bioluminescent organisms that have been investigated: fireflies and jellyfish.
In bioluminescence, the oxidation of a protein substrate is catalyzed by an enzyme.
But these are not inventions that are the product of someone's imagination, but those that are part of the advances that science has conquered step by step, through years of research on the subject of bioluminescence, which can now give the characteristics of its own light to organisms beyond fireflies and jellyfish.Ĭertain living organisms produce light as a result of a chemical reaction within their bodies, a process called bioluminescence. Photo: Notiexpressįood that glows in the dark, fluorescent sheep, or plants that serve as public lighting are things that could well be taken from a science fiction story or even far from reality. Bioluminescence is a process that occurs in some living organisms, where a chemical reaction is created that produces light. A number of living organisms, such as fireflies and jellyfish, produce light as a result of a chemical reaction within their bodies, called bioluminescence.
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