What is the origin of CFP cyan fluorescent protein?

Origin of CFP (Cyan Fluorescent Protein)

CFP, or Cyan Fluorescent Protein, is a synthetic derivative of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), which was originally discovered in the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. GFP and its derivatives, including CFP, have become invaluable tools in molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry for imaging and tracking protein dynamics in live cells.

The discovery of GFP can be traced back to the early 1960s when Osamu Shimomura isolated it from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. Shimomura's work initially focused on aequorin, a bioluminescent protein, but during his research, he also discovered GFP, which fluoresced bright green under ultraviolet light.

CFP was developed through the mutation of GFP to shift its emission spectrum. By altering specific amino acids in GFP, researchers were able to create a variant that fluoresced cyan instead of green. This mutation involved changing the tyrosine residue at position 66 to tryptophan (Y66W), among other modifications, which shifted the peak emission from 509 nm (green) to approximately 477 nm (cyan).

Since its development, CFP has been widely used in conjunction with other fluorescent proteins, such as YFP (Yellow Fluorescent Protein) and RFP (Red Fluorescent Protein), in various applications. These include FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) experiments, where CFP can act as a donor molecule, and multicolor labeling of cells and tissues to study protein interactions and dynamics within live cells.

CFP and its derivatives have revolutionized the field of live-cell imaging, allowing scientists to visualize and study the behavior of proteins, nucleic acids, and other cellular components in real-time, providing insights into cellular processes and mechanisms.