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GFP fluorescence: A few lesser-known nuggets that make it work

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Abstract

Use of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) as a marker has revolutionized biological research in the last few decades. In this brief commentary, we reflect upon the success story of GFP and highlight a few lesser-known facets about GFP that add up to its usefulness.

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Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Adapted and modified with permission from Haldar and Chattopadhyay (2007).

Figure 4

Adapted and modified with permission from Pucadyil and Chattopadhyay (2007b).

Figure 5

Abbreviations

AOT:

sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate

EGFP:

enhanced green fluorescent protein

EYFP:

enhanced yellow fluorescent protein

FRAP:

fluorescence recovery after photobleaching

GFP:

green fluorescent protein

GPCR:

G protein-coupled receptor

REES:

red edge excitation shift

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Acknowledgments

AC gratefully acknowledges support from SERB Distinguished Fellowship (Department of Science and Technology, India). PS thanks the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for the award of a Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Fellowship. AC is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay), and Adjunct Professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai), RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (Kolkata). Some of the work described in this article was carried out by former members of AC’s research group whose contributions are gratefully acknowledged. We thank members of the Chattopadhyay laboratory for their comments and discussions.

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  1. CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    Parijat Sarkar & Amitabha Chattopadhyay

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  1. Parijat Sarkar
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  2. Amitabha Chattopadhyay
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Correspondence to Amitabha Chattopadhyay.

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Sarkar, P., Chattopadhyay, A. GFP fluorescence: A few lesser-known nuggets that make it work. J Biosci 43, 421–430 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-018-9779-9

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