• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1271-1278
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• 2012

Genetic fusion of two proteins frequently induces beneficial effects to the proteins, such as increased solubility, besides the combination of two protein functions. Here, we study the effects of the bacterial surface layer protein SgsE from Geobacillus stearothermophilus NRS 2004/3a on the folding of a C-terminally fused enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) moiety. Although GFPs are generally unable to adopt a functional confirmation in the bacterial periplasm of Escherichia coli cells, we observed periplasmic fluorescence from a chimera of a 150-amino-acid N-terminal truncation of SgsE and EGFP. Based on this finding, unfolding and refolding kinetics of different S-layer-EGFP chimeras, a maltose binding protein-EGFP chimera, and sole EGFP were monitored using green fluorescence as indicator for the folded protein state. Calculated apparent rate constants for unfolding and refolding indicated different folding pathways for EGFP depending on the fusion partner used, and a clearly stabilizing effect was observed for the SgsE_C fusion moiety. Thermal stability, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, and unfolding equilibria were found to be independent of the fused partner. We conclude that the stabilizing effect SgsE_C exerts on EGFP is due to a reduction of degrees of freedom for folding of EGFP in the fused state.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.333-341
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• 1996

One of the biggest problems involved in transgenic animal production is lack of appropriate market genes. To overcome this problem, we tested whether the genes of SEAP (secreted alkaline phosphatase) and GFP (green fluorescence protein) on our retrovirus vectors can be applicable to the transgenic animal production. The main advantage of these marker genes over other generally mainpulation can be selected without sacrificing viability. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows: 1. Removal of zona pellucida from the mouse zygotes did not affect embryo developments to blastocysts. 2. Co-culture of zona-free embryos with virus-producing cells for 6 hours also did not affect embryo developments to blastocysts. 3. Among 58 blastocysts developed from the zona-free zygotes co-cultured with the virus-producing cells, SEAP expression was observed from the 6 blastocysts. 4. Expression of the GFP gene was detected from the virus- producing cells but no embryo expressing the gene was counted among 50 blastocysts developed from the zona-free zygotes co-cultured with the virus-producing cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.233-239
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• 2021

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are phytochrome-related photoreceptor proteins in cyanobacteria and cover a wide spectral range from ultraviolet to far-red. A single GAF domain that they contain can bind bilin(s) autocatalytically via heterologous recombination and then fluoresce, with potential applications as biomarkers and biosensors. Here, we report that a novel red/green CBCR GAF domain, SPI1085g2 from Spirulina subsalsa, covalently binds both phycocyanobilin (PCB) and phycoerythrobilin (PEB). The PCB-binding GAF domain exhibited canonical red/green photoconversion with weak fluorescence emission. However, the PEB-binding GAF domain, SPI1085g2-PEB, exhibited an intense orange fluorescence (λabs.max = 520 nm, λfluor.max = 555 nm), with a fluorescence quantum yield close to 1.0. The fluorescence of SPI1085g2-PEB was selectively and instantaneously quenched by copper ions in a concentration-dependent manner and exhibited reversibility upon treatment with the metal chelator EDTA. This study identified a novel PEB-binding cyanobacteriochrome-based fluorescent protein with the highest quantum yield reported to date and suggests its potential as a biosensor for the rapid detection of copper ions.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1997.10b
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• pp.287.2-287
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• 1997

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Toxicological Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2009

Hypoxia inducible factor $1\alpha$ (HIF-$1\alpha$) is a potential marker of carcicnogenesis since it is overexpresssed in many human cancers such as brain, breast, and uterus, and its role has implicated in tumor cell growth and metastasis. In this study, we established a stable cell line that express green fluorescence protein (GFP)-fused hypoxia inducible factor $1\alpha$ (HIF-$1\alpha$) and evaluated the potential use of this cell line for assessment of carcinogenicity of chemical toxicants. Western blot analysis as well as fluorescence measurements showed that protein-level of GFP-HIF-$1\alpha$ was significantly enhanced in a dose-dependent manner upon treatment of hypoxia mimicking agents such as dexferrioxamine and $CoCl_2$. Well-Known tumor promoters such as mitomycin and methyl methanesulfonate. significantly induced the fluorescence intensity of GFP-HIF-$1\alpha$, whereas the known negative controls such as o-anthranilic acid and benzethonium chloride, did not. These results indicate that HIF-$1\alpha$ could be a biological parameter for detection of tumor initiators/promoters and suggest that the GFP-HIF-$1\alpha$ cell line is a useful system for screening of carcinogenic toxicants.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1999

The efficiency of transgenic livestock animal production may be improved by early selection of transgenci preimplantation embryos. To examine the possibility of GFP gene as a non-invasive marker for the early screening of transgenic embryo, the GFP gene was microinjected into rabbit zygotes and the later stages of preimplantation embryos were examined for the expression of GFP. The presence of injected DNA was detected by PCR analysis and the expression of GFP was detected by observing green fluorescence in embryos under a fluorescent microscope. Out of 108 GFP gene-injected rabbit zygotes, seventy three(67.6%) were fluorescence-positive. When 11 fluroresecence-positive blastocysts were analyzed for the presence of GFP gene by PCR, 6(54.5%) were positive, and all of the 8 flrouescence-negative blastocysts were also negative by PCR. The results indicate that the screening of transgene in rabbit embryos by PCR analysis and GFP detection could be a promising method for the preselection of transgenic embryos.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.355-356
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• 2000

Three 'stress probe' plasmids were constructed and characterized which utilize a green fluorescent protein (CFP) as a non-invasive reporter to elucidate Escherichia coli cellular stress responses in quiescent or 'resting' cells. Facile detection of cellular stress levels was achieved by fusion of three heat shock stress protein promoter elements, those of the heat shock transcription factor ${\sigma}^{32}$, pretense subunit ClpB, and chaperone DnaK, to the reporter gene $gfp_{uv}$. When perturbed by chemical or physical stress (such as heat shock, nutrient (amino acid) limitation, addition of IPTG, acetic acid, ethanol, phenol, antifoam, and salt (osmotic shock), the E. coli cells produced GFPuv which was easily detected from within the cells as emitted green fluorescence. A temporal and amplitudinal mapping of these responses was performed, demonstrating regions where quantitative delineation of cell stress was afforded.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2004

The expression of a fusion protein comprised of the B. thuringiensis crystal protein, Cry1Ac, and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in Escherichia coli XLl-blue was examined. Three recombinant plasmids were transformed into E. coli XL1-blue and named as ProAc/Ec, MuEGFP/Ec and ProMu-EGFP/Ec, respectively. All transformants were observed by light and fluorescence microscopy at mid-log phase. The expression in E. coli transformants, ProMu-EGFP/Ec and MuEGFP/Ec, exhibited bright enough fluorescence to be observed. Furthermore, ProMu-EGFP/Ec produced fluorescent inclusions, which may have been recombinant crystals between EGFP and Cry1Ac while MuEGFP/Ec expressed soluble EGFP in cell. In SDS-PAGE, ProAc/Ec had 130 kDa crystal protein band and MuEGFP/Ec had thick 27 kDa EGFP band. However, ProMu-EGFP/Ec had about 150 kDa fusion protein band. Accordingly, these results indicated that a fusion protein between the B. thuringiensis crystal protein and a foreign protein under the lacZ promoter was successfully expressed as granular structure in E. coli. It is suggested that the E. coli expression system by N-terminal fusion of B. thuringiensis crystal protein may be useful as excellent means for fusion expression and characterization of B. thuringiensis fusion crystal protein.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.479-486
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• 2014

To evaluate their potential utility as an ornamental organism, novel transgenic marine medaka Oryzias dancena strains with a highly vivid fluorescent phenotype were established through transgenesis of a cyan fluorescent protein gene (cfp) driven by the endogenous fast skeletal myosin light chain 2 gene (mlc2f) promoter. The transgenic marine medaka strains possessed multiple copies of transgene integrants and passed their fluorescent transgenes successfully to subsequent generations. Transgenic expression in skeletal muscles at both the mRNA and phenotypic levels was, overall, dependent upon transgene copy numbers. In the external phenotype, an authentic fluorescent color was dominant in the skeletal muscles of the transgenic fish and clearly visible to the unaided eye. The phenotypic fluorescent color presented differentially in response to different light-irradiation sources; the transgenics displayed a yellow-green color under normal daylight or white room light conditions, a strong green-glowing fluorescence under ultraviolet light, and a cyan-like fluorescence under blue light from a light-emitting diode.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.429-433
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• 2017

Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum morifolium) are susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). TMV-based expression vectors have been used in high-throughput experiments for production of foreign protein in plants and also expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) to allow visualization of TMV movement. Here, we used TMV expressing the GFP to examine the infection of chrysanthemum by a TMV-based expression vector. Viral replication, movement and GFP expression by TMV-GFP were verified in upper leaves of chrysanthemums up to 73 days post inoculation (dpi) by RT-PCR. Neither wild-type TMV nor TMV-GFP induced symptoms. GFP fluorescence was seen in the larger veins of the inoculated leaf, in the stem above the inoculation site and in petioles of upper leaves, although there was no consistent detection of GFP fluorescence in the lamina of upper leaves under UV. Thus, a TMV-based expression vector can infect chrysanthemum and can be used for the in vivo study of gene functions.