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A green to red photoconvertible protein as an analyzing tool for early vertebrate development
Author(s) -
Wacker Stephan A.,
Oswald Franz,
Wiedenmann Jörg,
Knöchel Walter
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.21068
Subject(s) - green fluorescent protein , biology , xenopus , microinjection , fluorescent protein , fluorescence , microbiology and biotechnology , blastomere , blastula , fluorescence microscope , gene , embryo , gastrulation , embryogenesis , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
Tracking of cells during early development of Xenopus laevis using the green‐to‐red photoconvertible protein EosFP. The GFP‐like fluorescent protein EosFP was recombinantly expressed in a bacterial system. The purified protein was microinjected in the 2 dorsal blastomeres at stage 3 (uppermost, left). Photoconversion of EosFP from the green to the red fluorescent form was induced in the right blastomere by irradiation with ˜420 nm‐light under the fluorescence microscope (second from above). The descending cells can be tracked by their red fluorescent during the following development. Injection of EosFP‐coding mRNA produces a gap in detectability for the time required for expression and maturation of the fluorescent protein. In contrast, microinjection of purified EosFP allows to exploit the benefits of regional optical marking immediately. See Wacker et al., Developmental Dynamics 236:473–480.