An optical marker based on the UV-induced green-to-red photoconversion of a fluorescent protein

The RIKEN group has cloned a fluorescent protein which emits green, yellow and red light, which they have named Kaede. The protein includes a tripeptide, His-Tyr-Gly. Various techniques used to test the transition from one color to another. The team used their DAWN instrument in conjunction with a Shodex HPLC system in order to characterize their Kaede protein. C-terminal His-tagged protein was found to have a mass of 115.0 kDa which is 4.33 times larger than that deduced from the primary structure of the protein. It was therefore concluded that Kaede forms a homotetrameric complex.

Ando, R.; Hama, H.; Yamamoto-Hino, M.; Mizuno, H.; Miyawaki, A. PNAS  2002, 99, 12651-12656. DOI: 10.1073pnas.202320599