A genetically encoded fluorescent amino acid.

ABSTRACT: The ability to introduce fluorophores selectively into proteins provides a powerful tool to study protein structure, dynamics, localization, and biomolecular interactions both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we report a strategy for the selective and efficient biosynthetic incorporation of a low-molecular-weight fluorophore into proteins at defined sites. The fluorescent amino acid 2-amino-3-(5-(dimethylamino)naphthalene-1-sulfonamide)propanoic acid (dansylalanine) was genetically encoded in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using an amber nonsense codon and corresponding orthogonal tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair. This environmentally sensitive fluorophore was selectively introduced into human superoxide dismutase and used to monitor unfolding of the protein in the presence of guanidinium chlor

SUBMITTER: Summerer D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1502531 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature