A green to red photoconvertible protein as an analyzing tool for early vertebrate development.
Lineage labeling is one of the most important techniques in developmental biology. Most recently, a set of photoactivatable fluorescent proteins originating from marine cnidarians became available. Here, we introduce the application of the green to red photoconvertible protein EosFP as a novel technique to analyze early vertebrate development. Both injection of EosFP mRNA and purified, recombinant EosFP followed by a light-driven green to red conversion allow lineage labeling in virtually any temporal and spatial dimension during embryonic development for at least 2 weeks. Specific staining of cells from nonsurface layers is greatly facilitated by light-driven conversion of EosFP compared with traditional methods. Therefore, green to red photoactivatable proteins promise to be a powerful tool with the potential to satisfy the increasing demand for methods enabling detailed phenotypical analyses after manipulations of morphogenetic events, gene expression, or signal transduction.
Wacker
Stephan A
SA
Department of Biochemistry, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. stephan.wacker@uni-ulm.de
Oswald
Franz
F
Wiedenmann
Jörg
J
Knöchel
Walter
W
D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D014982:Xenopus laevis
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger