Researchers describe bioluminescent structures

17 Jun 2002

It has been known for centuries that the jellyfish Aequorea victoria has a greenish glow in the ocean. Researchers only found out in the past several decades, however, that the glow is caused by a chemical reaction that culminates in the physical interaction between a chemical called aequorin and a green fluorescent protein (GFP). The mixing of these compounds causes the jellyfish to give off a green glow.

Now researchers have described the three-dimensional structure of the fluorescent protein found in jellyfish, a structure that looks like a glowing green lantern. The discovery, by crystallographers at the University of Georgia, could help make it easier to use the protein as a biomarker.

"Seeing the crystal structure of this protein as a green lantern was quite unexpected," said Dr. B.C. Wang, Eminent Scholar and Professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at UGA.