Scripps scientists discover fluorescence in key marin... (s body as well as how the animal fluores...)

Scripps scientists discover fluorescence in key marine creature

Date:10/30/2007

s body as well as how the animal fluoresces at different stages of development.

Amphioxusalso called a lanceletis found primarily in coastal areas and lives mostly burrowed in ocean sand except for its head. Previous studies have shown it to be sensitive to changes in light exposure.

Deheyn says the exact role of amphioxus fluorescence is not known. One hypothesis is that the proteins might be used as a form of sunscreen, protecting the animal by absorbing harmful ultraviolet light and shielding it away as fluorescent light. GFPs also may play a role as protective antioxidants, decreasing stress levels undergone by cells when exposed to temperature fluctuations or other environmental changes.

Fluorescence has been used extensively in biotechnology, biomedicine, bioengineering and lately in nanotechnology. GFPs have been used as markers to examine gene expression as well as probes for tracking how molecules transfer energy.

(GFP) is an easy protein to work with and to use as a label, said Deheyn, a scientist in the Marine Biology Research Division at Scripps. Its easy to locate and stimulate so it has been used widely around the world. There is a great deal of interest in finding new fluorescent compounds and proteins that can show different characteristics of light production.

Deheyns latest investigations focus on finding GFPs in animals in marine as well as terrestrial environments.

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Contact: Mario Aguilera
scrippsnews@ucsd.edu
858-534-3624
University of California - San Diego
Source:Eurekalert

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Scripps scientists discover fluorescence in key marin...(s body as well as how the animal fluores...)