Katushka, a new far-red shifted fluorescent protein was recently engineered to b
ID: 1061517 • Letter: K
Question
Katushka, a new far-red shifted fluorescent protein was recently engineered to be used in whole-body imaging. What advantage does Katushka have over other RFPs that would justify the author's claim that Katushka can be used for image through tissue? Use Figure 2 to help with your answer.
Onyhemoglobin Eumelanin and hemoglobin Katushka 10 10000001 100,000 10,000 0.5 1.000 1000 00 10 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1,000 Wavelength (mm) Figure 2. Absorption spectra of Katushka and different naturally occurring chromophores found in mammalians (Nature Methods. 4: 9 (2005) 741)Explanation / Answer
Figure 2 shows the absorption spectra of major intracellular absorbers and Katushka. The comparison between existing red and far-red fluorescent proteins with Katushka reveals that the latter is preferable for visualization through tissues.
The maximum excitation of the existing bright red fluorescent proteins is around 550– 560 nm. At these wavelengths the living tissues are almost opaque. Hence, the fluorescence of these proteins cannot be effectively excited, whereas Katushka demonstrates both high brightness and far-red fluorescence.
Therefore, due to minimum light loss Katushka can raise the sentivity of whole-body imaging techniques.
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.