Photosensitizers are chromophores that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light irradiation. They are used for inactivation of specific proteins by chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) and for light-induced cell killing in photodynamic therapy. Here we report a genetically encoded photosensitizer, which we call KillerRed, developed from the hydrozoan chromoprotein anm2CP, a homolog of green fluorescent protein (GFP). KillerRed generates ROS upon irradiation with green light. Whereas known photosensitizers must be added to living systems exogenously, KillerRed is fully genetically encoded. We demonstrate the utility of KillerRed for light-induced killing of Escherichia coli and eukaryotic cells and for inactivating fusions to beta-galactosidase and phospholipase Cdelta1 pleckstrin homology domain.

The phototoxic red fluorescent GFP-like protein KillerRed has recently been described. The phototoxicity of KillerRed exceeds that of EGFP by at least 1,000-fold, making it the first fully genetically encoded photosensitizer. KillerRed opens up new possibilities for precise light-induced cell killing and target protein inactivation. Because KillerRed is encoded by a gene, it can be expressed in a spatially and temporally regulated manner, under a chosen promoter, and fused with the desired protein of interest or localization signal. Here we provide a protocol for target protein inactivation in cell culture using KillerRed. As KillerRed is a new tool, the protocol focuses on aspects that will allow users to maximize the potential of this protein, guiding the design of chimeric constructs, recommended control experiments and preferred illumination parameters. The protocol, which describes target protein visualization and subsequent inactivation, is a 2- or 3-d procedure.

Reef-building corals are famous for their spectacular colors, ranging from blue and green to yellow, pink, orange and red. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like proteins contribute to this coloration in a major way. They were initially discovered in nonbioluminescent, zooxanthellate anthozoa, including actiniaria, zoantharia, corallimorpharia and stolonifera [1][2][3][4], and subsequently recognized as major color determinants of hermatypic reef corals [5][6][7] and also of azooxanthellate anthozoans [8].In addition to GFP-like proteins from the anthozoa, the presence of symbionts also contributes to reef coloration. The brownish tones of cnidarians may arise from symbiotic algae of the genus Symbiodinium, the For a variety of coral species, we have studied the molecular origin of their coloration to assess the contributions of host and symbiont pigments. For the corals Catalaphyllia jardinei and an orange-emitting color morph of Lobophyllia hemprichii, the pigments belong to a particular class of green fluorescent protein-like proteins that change their color from green to red upon irradiation with 400 nm light. The optical absorption and emission properties of these proteins were characterized in detail. Their spectra were found to be similar to those of phycoerythrin from cyanobacterial symbionts. To unambiguously determine the molecular origin of the coloration, we performed immunochemical studies using double diffusion in gel analysis on tissue extracts, including also a third coral species, Montastrea cavernosa, which allowed us to attribute the red fluorescent coloration to green-to-red photoconvertible fluorescent proteins. The red fluorescent proteins are localized mainly in the ectodermal tissue and contribute up to 7.0% of the total soluble cellular proteins in these species. Distinct spatial distributions of green and cyan fluorescent proteins were observed for the tissues of M. cavernosa. This observation may suggest that differently colored green fluorescent protein-like proteins have different, specific functions. In addition to green fluorescent protein-like proteins, the pigments of zooxanthellae have a strong effect on the visual appearance of the latter species.Abbreviations cjarRFP, Catalaphyllia jardinei red fluorescent protein; EosFP, Eos fluorescent protein; FP, fluorescent protein; GFP, green fluorescent protein; lhemOFP, Lobophyllia hemprichii orange fluorescent protein; mcavRFP, Montastrea cavernosa red fluorescent protein; rPE, phycoerythrin from the red alga Fauchea sp.; scubRFP, Scolymia cubensis red fluorescent protein.

Recently, we cloned several fluorescent proteins of different colors homologous to Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein, which have great biotechnological potential as in vivo markers of gene expression. However, later investigations revealed severe drawbacks in the use of novel fluorescent proteins (FPs), in particular, the formation of tetramers (tetramerization) and high molecular weight aggregates (aggregation). In this report, we employ a mutagenic approach to resolve the problem of aggregation. The elimination of basic residues located near the N-termini of FPs results in the generation of non-aggregating versions of several FPs, specifically, drFP583 (DsRed), DsRedTimer, ds/drFP616, zFP506, zFP538, amFP486, and asFP595. ß

We have cloned an unusual colourless green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like protein from Aequorea coerulescens (acGFPL). The A. coerulescens specimens displayed blue (not green) luminescence, and no fluorescence was detected in these medusae. Escherichia coli expressing wild-type acGFPL showed neither fluorescence nor visible coloration. Random mutagenesis generated green fluorescent mutants of acGFPL, with the strongest emitters found to contain an Glu(222)-->Gly (E222G) substitution, which removed the evolutionarily invariant Glu(222). Re-introduction of Glu(222) into the most fluorescent random mutant, named aceGFP, converted it into a colourless protein. This colourless aceGFP-G222E protein demonstrated a novel type of UV-induced photoconversion, from an immature non-fluorescent form into a green fluorescent form. Fluorescent aceGFP may be a useful biological tool, as it was able to be expressed in a number of mammalian cell lines. Furthermore, expression of a fusion protein of 'humanized' aceGFP and beta-actin produced a fluorescent pattern consistent with actin distribution in mammalian cells.