Details:

Journal Title:
Marine Biotechnology
Personal Author:
Bridges, Mary C. ; Woodley, Cheryl M. ; Peters, Esther C. ; May, Lisa A. ; Galloway, Sylvia B.
Bridges, Mary C. ; Woodley, Cheryl M. ; Peters, Esther C. ; May, Lisa A. ; Galloway, Sylvia B. Less -
NOAA Program & Office:
NOS (National Ocean Service) ; NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science) ; CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)
NOS (National Ocean Service) ; NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science) ; CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System) Less -
Description:
Members of the anthozoan green fluorescent protein (GFP) family display a diversity of photo-physical properties that can be associated with normal and damaged coral tissues. Poritid coral species often exhibit localized pink pigmentation in diseased or damaged tissues. Our spectral and histological analyses of pink-pigmented Porites lobata lesions show co-localization of bright red fluorescence with putative amoebocytes concentrating in the epidermis, suggesting an activated innate immune response. Here we report the cloning, expression, and characterization of a novel red fluorescent protein (plobRFP) from the pink-pigmented tissues associated with lesions on Porites lobata. In vitro, the recombinant plobRFP exhibits a distinct red emission signal of 614 nm (excitation maximum: 578 nm), making plobRFP the furthest red-shifted natural fluorescent protein isolated from a scleractinian coral. The recombinant protein has a high molar extinction coefficient (84,000 M−1 cm−1) and quantum yield (0.74), conferring a notable brightness to plobRFP. Sequence analysis suggests the distinct brightness and marked red shift may be inherent features of plobRFP’s chromophore conformation. While plobRFP displays a tendency to aggregate, its high pH stability, photostability, and spectral properties make it a candidate for cell imaging applications and a potential template for engineering optimized RFPs. The association of plobRFP with a possible immune response furthers its potential use as a visual diagnostic and molecular biomarker for monitoring coral health.
Keywords:
[+]
Corals—Ecology Fluorescence Porites Lobata
Source:
Marine Biotechnology, 22(1), 67-80
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-019-09931-9
Document Type:
Journal Article
Rights Information:
Accepted Manuscript
Compliance:
Submitted
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:cc9d10c23c9d1daef952e23af63b34945e9693ff2361e0c27fb33508e3600f9b
Download URL:
https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/28055/noaa_28055_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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