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A non-invasive GFP-based biosensor for mercury ions
Structural highlights
FunctionGFP_AEQVI Energy-transfer acceptor. Its role is to transduce the blue chemiluminescence of the protein aequorin into green fluorescent light by energy transfer. Fluoresces in vivo upon receiving energy from the Ca(2+)-activated photoprotein aequorin. Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedMercury is a ubiquitous pollutant that when absorbed is extremely toxic to a wide variety of biochemical processes. Mercury (II) is a strong, "invisible" poison that is rapidly absorbed by tissues of the intestinal tract, kidneys, and liver upon ingestion. In this study, a novel fluorescence-based biosensor is presented that allows for the direct monitoring of the uptake and distribution of the metal under noninvasive in vivo conditions. With the introduction of a cysteine residue at position 205, located in close proximity to the chromophore, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from Aequorea victoria was converted into a highly specific biosensor for this metal ion. The mutant protein exhibits a dramatic absorbance and fluorescence change upon mercuration at neutral pH. Absorbance and fluorescence properties with respect to the metal concentration exhibit sigmoidal binding behavior with a detection limit in the low nanomolar range. Time-resolved binding studies indicate rapid subsecond binding of the metal to the protein. The crystal structures obtained of mutant eGFP205C indicate a possible access route of the metal into the core of the protein. To our knowledge, this engineered protein is a first example of a biosensor that allows for noninvasive and real-time imaging of mercury uptake in a living cell. A major advantage is that its expression can be genetically controlled in many organisms to enable unprecedented studies of tissue specific mercury uptake. Design of a highly specific and noninvasive biosensor suitable for real-time in vivo imaging of mercury (II) uptake.,Chapleau RR, Blomberg R, Ford PC, Sagermann M Protein Sci. 2008 Apr;17(4):614-22. Epub 2008 Feb 27. PMID:18305194[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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