Amphioxus encodes the largest known family of green fluorescent proteins, which have diversified into distinct functional classes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been found in a wide range of Cnidaria, a basal group of metazoans in which it is associated with pigmentation, fluorescence, and light absorbance. A GFP has been recently discovered in the pigmentless chordate Branchiostoma floridae (amphioxus) that shows intense fluorescence mainly in the head region.

Results

The amphioxus genome encodes 16 closely-related GFP-like proteins, all of which appear to be under purifying selection. We divide them into 6 clades based on protein sequence identity and show that representatives of each clade have significant differences in fluorescence intensity, extinction coefficients, and absorption profiles. Furthermore, GFPs from two clades exhibit antioxidant capacity. We therefore propose that a

SUBMITTER: Bomati EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2679011 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature