title: Structure-guided rational design of red fluorescent proteins: towards designer genetically-encoded fluorophores.
abstract: Red fluorescent proteins (RFPs) have become an integral part of modern biological research due to their longer excitation and emission wavelengths. Protein engineering efforts have improved many key properties of RFPs for their practical use in imaging. Even so, continued engineering is required to overcome the shortcomings of the red chromophore and create RFPs with photophysical properties rivalling those of their optimized green and yellow counterparts. Here, we highlight recent examples of structure-guided rational design of RFPs to improve brightness, monomerization, maturation, and photostability, and discuss possible pathways for the future engineering of designer RFPs tailored to specific applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
authors.forename: Matthew G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Eason
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Damry
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5, Canada. Electronic address: rchica@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Roberto A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Chica
mesh_terms: D008027:Light; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D055550:Protein Stability / Q000528:radiation effects; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein