Green fluorescent protein

Definition

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a protein that exhibits bright green fluorescence when exposed to blue to ultraviolet light. It is widely used as a marker in molecular and cellular biology due to its ability to visualize gene expression and protein localization.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. GFP was originally isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria.
2. GFP can be fused with other proteins to study their expression and localization within cells.
3. The gene encoding GFP can be inserted into the genome of various organisms using genetic engineering techniques.
4. GFP fluorescence is stable, allowing for long-term studies of living cells and organisms.
5. Mutant forms of GFP have been created to produce different colors, enabling multi-color labeling in complex biological systems.

Review Questions

• What organism was GFP originally isolated from?
• How can GFP be used in studying gene expression?
• Why is GFP considered stable for long-term studies?

Related terms

Reporter Gene: A gene that researchers attach to a regulatory sequence of another gene of interest; used as an indicator.

Fluorescence Microscopy:

A technique for viewing fluorescently labeled specimens with high sensitivity and specificity.

Recombinant DNA Technology: Techniques used to join together DNA molecules from different sources into one molecule.