Role of histidine 148 in stability and dynamics of a highly fluorescent GFP variant

The armory of GFP mutants available to biochemists and molecular biologists is huge. Design and selection of mutants are usually driven by tailored spectroscopic properties, but some key aspects of stability, folding and dynamics of selected GFP variants still need to be elucidated. We have prepared, expressed and characterized three H148 mutants of the highly fluorescent variant GFPmut2. H148 is known to be involved in the H-bonding network surrounding the chromophore, and all the three mutants, H148G, H148R and H148K, show increased pK_a values of the chromophore. Only H148G GFPmut2 (Mut2G) gave good expression and purification yields, indicating that position 148 is critical for efficient folding in vivo. The chemical denaturation of Mut2G was monitored by fluorescence emission, absorbance and far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy. The mutation has little effect on the spectroscopic properties of the protein and on its stability in solution. However, the unfolding kinetics of the protein encapsulated in wet nanoporous silica gels, a system that allows to stabilize conformations that are poorly or only transiently populated in solution, indicate that the unfolding pathway of Mut2G is markedly different from the parent molecule. In particular, encapsulation allowed to identify an unfolding intermediate that retains a native-like secondary structure despite a destructured chromophore environment. Thus, H148 is a critical residue not only for the chromophoric and photodynamic properties, but also for the correct folding of GFP, and its substitution has great impact on expression yields and stability of the mature protein.     

Green fluorescent protein variants as ratiometric dual emission pH sensors. 3. Temperature dependence of proton transfer

In parts 1 and 2 of this series [Hanson, G. T., McAnaney, T. B., Park, E. S., Rendell, M. E. P., Yarbrough, D. K., Chu, S. Y., Xi, L. X., Boxer, S. G., Montrose, M. H., and Remington, S. J. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 15477-15488; McAnaney, T. B., Park, E. S., Hanson, G. T., Remington, S. J., and Boxer, S. G. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 15489-15494], we described the structure, excited-state dynamics, and applications of pH-sensitive, ratiometric dual emission green fluorescent protein (deGFP) variants with fluorescence emission that is modulated between blue (lambda(max) approximately equal 465 nm) and green (lambda(max) approximately equal 515 nm) depending on the pH of the bulk solvent. In this paper, we consider the energetic origin of the dual emission properties of these GFP variants by examining the temperature dependence of the steady-state absorption and fluorescence emission. In most cases, the quantum yield of the green emission decreased as the temperature was lowered, indicating that the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) which produces the green emitting form is an activated process. The activation energies of ESPT, determined by modeling the quantum yields of both blue and green emissions between 260 and 298 K in the context of a simple photocycle, were found to be larger at low pH than at high pH. These results indicate that the ratiometric dual emission properties of deGFP mutants are due to this pH-sensitive ESPT rate, combined with a modulation of the ground-state neutral and anionic chromophore populations with pH. The time-resolved fluorescence of one of the deGFP mutants was studied in detail. The time-resolved emission spectra of this mutant are the first ultrafast spectra obtained for a GFP. These spectra demonstrate that the rising kinetics for green emission, considered a hallmark of ESPT, is the sum of the contribution from both the neutral and intermediate anionic forms of the chromophore at the probe wavelength and may not be observed in all mutants that undergo ESPT, depending on the relative contributions of the two forms.     

An alternative excited-state proton transfer pathway in green fluorescent protein variant S205V

Wild-type green fluorescent protein (wt-GFP) has a prominent absorbance band centered at approximately 395 nm, attributed to the neutral chromophore form. The green emission arising upon excitation of this band results from excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) from the chromophore hydroxyl, through a hydrogen-bond network proposed to consist of a water molecule and Ser205, to Glu222. Although evidence for Glu222 as a terminal proton acceptor has already been obtained, no evidence for the participation of Ser205 in the proton transfer process exists. To examine the role of Ser205 in the proton transfer, we mutated Ser205 to valine. However, the derived GFP variant S205V, upon excitation at 400 nm, still produces green fluorescence. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy suggests that ESPT contributes to the green fluorescence, and that the proton transfer takes place approximately 30 times more slowly than in wt-GFP. The crystal structure of S205V reveals rearrangement of Glu222 and Thr203, forming a new hydrogen-bonding network. We propose this network to be an alternative ESPT pathway with distinctive features that explain the significantly slowed rate of proton transfer. In support of this proposal, the double mutant S205V/T203V is shown to be a novel blue fluorescent protein containing a tyrosine-based chromophore, yet is incapable of ESPT. The results have implications for the detailed mechanism of ESPT and the photocycle of wt-GFP, in particular for the structures of spectroscopically identified intermediates in the cycle.     

The gas-phase absorption spectrum of a neutral GFP model chromophore

We have studied the gas-phase absorption properties of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore in its neutral (protonated) charge state in a heavy-ion storage ring. To accomplish this we synthesized a new molecular chromophore with a charged NH(3) group attached to a neutral model chromophore of GFP. The gas-phase absorption cross section of this chromophore molecule as a function of the wavelength is compared to the well-known absorption profile of GFP. The chromophore has a maximum absorption at 415 +/- 5 nm. When corrected for the presence of the charged group attached to the GFP model chromophore, the unperturbed neutral chromophore is predicted to have an absorption maximum at 399 nm in vacuum. This is very close to the corresponding absorption peak of the protein at 397 nm. Together with previous data obtained with an anionic GFP model chromophore, the present data show that the absorption of GFP is primarily determined by intrinsic chromophore properties. In other words, there is strong experimental evidence that, in terms of absorption, the conditions in the hydrophobic interior of this protein are very close to those in vacuum.     

Electronic spectroscopy and solvatochromism in the chromophore of GFP and the Y66F mutant.

The electronic spectra of the chromophore of the wild type green fluorescent protein, GFP, and of a mutant form Y66F GFP in which the chromophore lacks the hydroxyl group have been studied. The acid-base properties, solvatochromism, vibronic structure and edge excitation red shift have all been measured. The results are compared with the spectra of the chromophore in the protein environment. These data suggest that the transition energy for the GFP chromophore is influenced by a number of factors in its environment, and in particular by hydrogen bonding.     

Improved "optical highlighter" probes derived from discosoma red fluorescent protein

The tetrameric red fluorescent protein, DsRed, undergoes a rapid red to green color change evoked by short wavelength (lambda < 760 nm) femtosecond irradiation--a phenomenon that underpins the application of DsRed as an "optical highlighter" probe for tracking live cells, organelles, and fusion proteins. This color change results from selective bleaching of the "mature" red-emitting species of DsRed and an enhancement of emission from the "immature" green species, likely caused by dequenching of fluorescence resonance energy transfer occurring within the protein tetramer. Here, we have examined the role of residues known to influence the rate and completeness of chromophore maturation on the cellular and biophysical properties of DsRed mutants. Surprisingly, a single amino acid mutation (N42Q) with increased basal green emission yet rapid chromophore maturation displayed a multiphoton-evoked color change that was brighter, more consistent, more vivid, and easier to evoke than DsRed, despite the larger proportion of green chromophores. Rapidly maturing mutants with more complete chromophore maturation, exhibited little color change and increased resistance to multiphoton bleaching. We describe improved optical and cell biological properties for two DsRed-derived variants which we showcase in photolabeling studies, and discuss these data in terms of implications for fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based probes.     

Use of the green fluorescent protein and its mutants in quantitative fluorescence microscopy.

We have investigated properties relevant to quantitative imaging in living cells of five green fluorescent protein (GFP) variants that have been used extensively or are potentially useful. We measured the extinction coefficients, quantum yields, pH effects, photobleaching effects, and temperature-dependent chromophore formation of wtGFP, alphaGFP (F99S/M153T/V163A), S65T, EGFP (F64L/S65T), and a blue-shifted variant, EBFP (F64L/S65T/Y66H/Y145F). Absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy showed little difference between the extinction coefficients and quantum yields of wtGFP and alphaGFP. In contrast, S65T and EGFP extinction coefficients made them both approximately 6-fold brighter than wtGFP when excited at 488 nm, and EBFP absorbed more strongly than the wtGFP when excited in the near-UV wavelength region, although it had a much lower quantum efficiency. When excited at 488 nm, the GFPs were all more resistant to photobleaching than fluorescein. However, the wtGFP and alphaGFP photobleaching patterns showed initial increases in fluorescence emission caused by photoconversion of the protein chromophore. The wtGFP fluorescence decreased more quickly when excited at 395 nm than 488 nm, but it was still more photostable than the EBFP when excited at this wavelength. The wtGFP and alphaGFP were quite stable over a broad pH range, but fluorescence of the other variants decreased rapidly below pH 7. When expressed in bacteria, chromophore formation in wtGFP and S65T was found to be less efficient at 37 degrees C than at 28 degrees C, but the other three variants showed little differences between 37 degrees C and 28 degrees C. In conclusion, no single GFP variant is ideal for every application, but each one offers advantages and disadvantages for quantitative imaging in living cells.     

Two-photon activation and excitation properties of PA-GFP in the 720-920-nm region

This report covers the two-photon activation and excitation properties of the PA-GFP, a photoactivatable variant of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein in the spectral region from 720 to 920 nm. It is known from this special form of the molecule that it has an increased level of fluorescence emission when excited at 488 nm after irradiation at lambda approximately 413 nm, under single-photon excitation conditions. Here, we show that upon two-photon irradiation, PA-GFP yields activation in the spectral region from 720 to 840 nm. After photoactivation, the excitation spectrum shifts maintaining the very same emission spectrum of the single-photon case for the native and photoactivated protein. Additionally, when comparing the conventional photoactivation at lambda = 405 nm with a two-photon one, a sharper and better controllable three-dimensional volume of activation is obtained.     

A Novel Fluorescent GFP Chromophore Analog-Based Dye for Quantitative PCR

This is the first report describing the possibility of using a green fluorescent protein chromophore synthetic analog, P-HOBDI-BF₂, as a fluorescent dye for a linear hydrolysis probe used in qPCR. The study was carried out on a system for detection of the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium avenaceum using a plasmid containing translation elongation factor 1α fragment as a template. To estimate fluorogenic properties of P-HOBDI-BF₂, 6-FAM-and BDP-FL-labeled probes were used. It was demonstrated that a synthetic dye based on the P-HOBDI-BF₂ chromophore can be used for labeling hydrolysis probes for qPCR, but fluorescence increase levels for P-HOBDI-BF₂-labeled probes were slightly lower than those for 6-FAM-labeled ones. At the same time, the sensitivity of P-HOBDI-BF₂-based assays remained high, and this fact together with acceptable fluorescence levels suggests that this dye can be considered as an efficient alternative for reporters traditionally used for fluorescence detection in the FAM channel.     

Crystal structure of venus,a yellow fluorescent protein with improved maturation and reduced environmental sensitivity

Yellow emission variants of green fluorescent protein (GFP) have been found useful in a variety of applications in biological systems due to their red-shifted emission spectrum and sensitivity to environmental parameters, such as pH and ionic strength. However, slow maturation properties and new requirements for more intense fluorescence necessitated further mutagenesis studies of these proteins. Venus, a new variant with improved maturation and brightness, as well as reduced environmental dependence, was recently developed by introducing five mutations into the well characterized variant, enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP). In this paper, we present the crystal structure of Venus at 2.2 A resolution, which enabled us to correlate its novel features with these mutation points. The rearrangement of several side chains near the chromophore, initiated by the F46L mutation, was found to improve maturation at 37 degrees C by removing steric and energetic constraints, which may hinder folding of the polypeptide chain, and by accelerating the oxidation of the Calpha-Cbeta bond of Tyr(66) during chromophore formation. M153T, V163A, and S175G were also found to improve the rate of maturation by creating regions of greater flexibility. F64L induced large conformational changes in the molecule, leading to the removal of halide sensitivity by preventing ion access to the binding site.     

Rapidly maturing variants of the Discosoma red fluorescent protein (DsRed).

The red fluorescent protein DsRed has spectral properties that are ideal for dual-color experiments with green fluorescent protein (GFP). But wild-type DsRed has several drawbacks, including slow chromophore maturation and poor solubility. To overcome the slow maturation, we used random and directed mutagenesis to create DsRed variants that mature 10-15 times faster than the wild-type protein. An asparagine-to-glutamine substitution at position 42 greatly accelerates the maturation of DsRed, but also increases the level of green emission. Additional amino acid substitutions suppress this green emission while further accelerating the maturation. To enhance the solubility of DsRed, we reduced the net charge near the N terminus of the protein. The optimized DsRed variants yield bright fluorescence even in rapidly growing organisms such as yeast.     

Design of FRET-based GFP probes for detection of protease inhibitors

In this study, tandem Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins were designed to detect proteolytic activity of thrombin based on the principle of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The thrombin-specific recognition sequence, LVPR, was strategically placed in between a cyan-emitting mutant of the green fluorescent protein and an enhanced yellow-emitting fluorescent protein to allow thrombin-specific cleavage with detectable changes of FRET signal. A 4.6-fold increase of fluorescence emission ratio was observed upon addition of thrombin. This FRET-based probe was further tested for dose-dependent effects of thrombin specific inhibitor, hirudin. Our result showed a nice correlation between fluorescence emission ratios and concentrations of hirudin with subnanomolar sensitivity. We propose that FRET-based GFP probes can be used for high-throughput screening of protease inhibitors.     

Environment effects on the oscillatory unfolding kinetics of GFP

The chromophore of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) mutant engineered to enhance emission and stability is known to display erratic switchings among a few of its chemical substates and, in particular, between the anionic A and the neutral N substates, whose difference is associated with a proton exchange and a consequent conformation rearrangement. However, when close to unfolding, the A-N switchings suddenly become very regular as shown by fluorescence oscillations that have been recently observed for molecules embedded in wet silica gel. In order to establish whether the matrix hosting the protein is responsible for these oscillations, we investigated the effect of another medium (silanized surfaces), of a different denaturant (urea) and of cosolvents (D(2)O and glycerol). The occurrence of periodic A-N switchings, in the last milliseconds before GFP unfolding, is observed under all investigated conditions, together with three specific frequency values that characterize the pre-unfolding fluorescence. Urea and guanidinium, the denaturants employed in order to unfold GFP, do not lead to appreciable differences in the observed switching parameters, whereas the different media embedding the protein give rise only to frequency shifts that scale with the viscosity of the host. The periodicity of the GFP A-N switchings and their dependence on cosolvents suggest that they could be associated with oscillatory motions between meta-stable conformations of the beta-barrel surrounding the chromophore near protein unfolding.     

The Sonogashira reaction as a new method for the modification of borated analogues of the green fluorescence protein chromophore

The Sonogashira reaction was used for modifications of borated green fluorescence protein chromophore derivatives, 4-(2-(difluoroboryl)benzylidene)-1H-imidazol-5(4H)-ones, for the development of new fluorescent dyes. The derivatives bearing an acetylene fragment and a difluoroboryl group were obtained in high yields. The modification resulted in a significant bathochromic shift of the absorption and emission maxima and is a promising method for the development of new fluorescent dyes.     

X-ray diffraction and time-resolved fluorescence analyses of Aequorea green fluorescent protein crystals

The energy transfer protein, green fluorescent protein, from the hydromedusan jellyfish Aequorea victoria has been crystallized in two morphologies suitable for x-ray diffraction analysis. Hexagonal plates have been obtained in the P6122 or P6522 space group with a = b = 77.5, c = 370 A, and no more than three molecules per asymmetric unit. Monoclinic parallel-epipeds have been obtained in the C2 space group with a = 93.3, b = 66.5, c = 45.5 A, beta = 108 degrees, and one molecule per asymmetric unit. The monoclinic form is better suited for use in a structure determination, and a data set was collected from the native crystal. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements of large single crystals are possible due to the unique, covalently bound chromophore present in this molecule. Fluorescence emission spectra of Aequorea green fluorescent protein in solution and from either the hexagonal or monoclinic single crystal show similar profiles suggesting that the conformations of protein in solution and in the crystal are similar. Multifrequency phase fluorimetric data obtained from a single crystal were best fit by a single fluorescence lifetime very close to that exhibited by the protein in solution. The complementary structural data obtained from fluorescence spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction crystallography will aid in the elucidation of this novel protein's structure-function relationship.     

Computational identification of key residues regulating fluorescence emission in a red/green cyanobacteriochrome

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are linear tetrapyrrole bilin-binding photoreceptors of cyanobacteria that exhibit high spectral diversity, gaining attention in optogenetics and bioimaging applications. Several engineering studies on CBCRs were attempted, especially for designing near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent proteins with longer fluorescence wavelengths. However, despite continuous efforts, a key component regulating fluorescence emission property in CBCRs is still poorly understood. As a model system, we focused on red/green CBCR Slr1393g3, from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to engineer Pr to get far-red light-emitting property. Energy profiling and pairwise structural comparison of Slr1393g3 variants effectively reveal the mutations that are critical to the fluorescence changes. H497 seems to play a key role in stabilizing the chromophore environment, especially the α3 helix, while H495, T499, and Q502 are potential key residues determining fluorescence emission peak wavelength. We also found that mutations of α2 and α4 helical regions are closely related to the chromophore binding stability and likely affect fluorescence properties. Taken together, our computational analysis suggests that the fluorescence of Slr1393g3 is mainly controlled by the stabilization of the chromophore binding pocket. The predicted key residues potentially regulating the fluorescence emission property of a red/green CBCR will be advantageous for designing improved NIR fluorescent protein when combined with in vitro molecular evolution approaches.     

Ultrafast excited-state dynamics in the green fluorescent protein variant S65T/H148D. 1. Mutagenesis and structural studies

Wild type green fluorescent protein (wt-GFP) and the variant S65T/H148D each exhibit two absorption bands, A and B, which are associated with the protonated and deprotonated chromophores, respectively. Excitation of either band leads to green emission. In wt-GFP, excitation of band A ( approximately 395 nm) leads to green emission with a rise time of 10-15 ps, due to excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) from the chromophore hydroxyl group to an acceptor. This process produces an anionic excited-state intermediate I* that subsequently emits a green photon. In the variant S65T/H148D, the A band absorbance maximum is red-shifted to approximately 415 nm, and as detailed in the accompanying papers, when the A band is excited, green fluorescence appears with a rise time shorter than the instrument time resolution ( approximately 170 fs). On the basis of the steady-state spectroscopy and high-resolution crystal structures of several variants described herein, it is proposed that in S65T/H148D, the red shift of absorption band A and the ultrafast appearance of green fluorescence upon excitation of band A are due to a very short (相似文献   

Sensitivity of Superfolder GFP to Ionic Agents

Superfolder variant of the green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) became a favorite probe for examination of the unfolding–refolding processes of fluorescent proteins with beta-barrel structure owing to its reversible unfolding in comparison with other fluorescent proteins. Its benefit is the proper folding even in fusion constructions with poorly folded polypeptides. We noticed that guanidine thiocyanate affects not only the structure of protein but its chromophore directly. Therefore we studied the influence of ionic denaturants and salts including guanidine thiocyanate, guanidine hydrochloride, sodium chloride and sodium thiocyanate on spectral features of sfGFP. It was shown that moderate amounts of the studied agents do not disrupt sfGFP structure but provoke pronounced alteration of its spectral characteristics. Changes in absorption and CD spectra in visible spectral range indicate the specific binding of SCN⁻ and Cl⁻ anions in the sfGFP chromophore vicinity. The anion binding results in the redistribution of sfGFP molecules with neutral and anionic chromophores. This also hinders the proton transfer in the chromophore excited state, considerably decreasing the fluorescence intensity of sfGFP. Our results indicate that when ionic denaturants are used in the studies of fluorescent protein folding their effect on fluorophore charge state should be taken into account.     

The photophysics of green fluorescent protein: influence of the key amino acids at positions 65, 203, and 222

The three amino acids S65, T203, and E222 crucially determine the photophysical behavior of wild-type green fluorescent protein. We investigate the impact of four point mutations at these positions and their respective combinations on green fluorescent protein's photophysics using absorption spectroscopy, as well as steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Our results highlight the influence of the protein's hydrogen-bonding network on the equilibrium between the different chromophore states and on the efficiency of the excited-state proton transfer. The mutagenic approach allows us to separate different mechanisms responsible for fluorescence quenching, some of which were previously discussed theoretically. Our results will be useful for the development of new strategies for the generation of autofluorescent proteins with specific photophysical properties. One example presented here is a variant exhibiting uncommon blue fluorescence.     

X-ray structure of Cerulean GFP: a tryptophan-based chromophore useful for fluorescence lifetime imaging

The crystal structure of the cyan-fluorescent Cerulean green fluorescent protein (GFP), a variant of enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP), has been determined to 2.0 A. Cerulean bears an internal fluorophore composed of an indole moiety derived from Y66W, conjugated to the GFP-like imidazolinone ring via a methylene bridge. Cerulean undergoes highly efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to yellow acceptor molecules and exhibits significantly reduced excited-state heterogeneity. This feature was rationally engineered in ECFP by substituting His148 with an aspartic acid [Rizzo et al. (2004) Nat. Biotechnol. 22, 445], rendering Cerulean useful for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). The X-ray structure is consistent with a single conformation of the chromophore and surrounding residues and may therefore provide a structural rationale for the previously described monoexponential fluorescence decay. Unexpectedly, the carboxyl group of H148D is found in a buried position, directly contacting the indole nitrogen of the chromophore via a bifurcated hydrogen bond. Compared to the similarly constructed ECFP chromophore, the indole group of Cerulean is rotated around the methylene bridge to adopt a cis-coplanar conformation with respect to the imidazolinone ring, resulting in a close edge-to-edge contact of the two ring systems. The double-humped absorbance spectrum persists in single-crystal absorbance measurements, casting doubt on the idea that ground state conformational heterogeneity forms the basis of the two overlapping transitions. At low pH, a blue shift in absorbance of 10-15 nm suggests a pH-induced structural transition that proceeds with a time constant of 47 (+/-2) min and is reversible. Possible interpretations in terms of chromophore isomerization are presented.