title: FRET in a Synthetic Flavin- and Bilin-binding Protein.
abstract: The last decade has seen development and application of a large number of novel fluorescence-based techniques that have revolutionized fluorescence microscopy in life sciences. Preferred tags for such applications are genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FP), mostly derivatives of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Combinations of FPs with wavelength-separated absorption/fluorescence properties serve as excellent tools for molecular interaction studies, for example, protein-protein complexes or enzyme-substrate interactions, based on the FRET phenomenon (Förster resonance energy transfer). However, alternatives are requested for experimental conditions where FP proteins or FP couples are not or less efficiently applicable. We here report as a "proof of principle" a specially designed, non-naturally occurring protein (LG1) carrying a combination of a flavin-binding LOV- and a photochromic bilin-binding GAF domain and demonstrate a FRET process between both chromophores.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Aba
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0497-2723
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Losi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Kai-Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6898-7011
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gärtner
mesh_terms: D001654:Bile Pigments / Q000378:metabolism*; D004138:Dinitrocresols / Q000378:metabolism*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
chemical_list: D001654:Bile Pigments; D004138:Dinitrocresols; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C024132:4,6-dinitro-o-cresol