How many BP is EGFP?

Overview of EGFP

EGFP, or Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein, is a variant of the wild-type green fluorescent protein (GFP) that has been optimized for brighter fluorescence and higher expression in mammalian cells. GFP, originally isolated from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, has become a fundamental tool in molecular biology, biotechnology, and biochemistry for labeling and visualizing proteins in live cells and organisms.

Base Pair (BP) Length of EGFP

The EGFP gene consists of approximately 717 base pairs (bp). This length corresponds to the coding sequence that encodes the EGFP protein, which is composed of 238 amino acids. The modifications leading to the 'enhanced' version of GFP include mutations that improve its fluorescence intensity and photostability, making EGFP a preferred choice for various applications in genetic engineering and cellular imaging.

Significance of EGFP

EGFP has revolutionized the field of molecular biology by providing a versatile marker for gene expression, protein localization, and tracking cellular processes in real-time. Its ability to emit bright green fluorescence when exposed to light in the blue to ultraviolet range allows for easy visualization under a fluorescence microscope. Moreover, EGFP and its variants have been instrumental in the development of numerous techniques, including fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), and many others.

Applications of EGFP

• Marker for gene expression and protein localization
• Reporter in transcriptional assays
• Tool for studying protein-protein interactions
• Indicator for cellular events and processes