A Day in the Life of a Protein: The Green-Fluorescent Protein as a Laboratory Teaching Aid

为了帮助本科生掌握蛋白质在生命系统中的作用和功能的基本概念，我们带着学生踏上了一段旅程，从基因到信使核糖核酸再到功能蛋白质--向他们展示“蛋白质生命中的一天”。这段旅程的载体是视觉上吸引人的绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)。绿色荧光蛋白于20世纪60年代在生物发光水母和海洋三色紫罗兰中发现，并于70年代被鉴定，最近已成为生物技术领域最令人兴奋和最有用的分子之一。当GFP在真核或原核细胞中表达并在紫外光照射下时，会发出一种可怕的绿色发光。这种光让学生着迷，让他们看到蛋白质的位置，以及根据发光的强度，有多少蛋白质存在，让学生与蛋白质有非常直接的互动。使用野生型GFP和蓝色变体作为工具，学生探索基因转移、基因表达和调控背后的概念，以及蛋白质结构和功能之间的关系。由于学生在实验课程的所有探索中都使用GFP，他们体验到了在生物化学教学实验室中罕见的目的的连续性。在这一旅程中，学生们获得了现代生物技术研究中使用的基本技术的直接实践经验。这一经历帮助学生为进入一个涉及基因和蛋白质工程的问题变得越来越普遍的社会做好准备。这些变化在生物化学实验课程中的实施是基于对绿色荧光蛋白的基础和应用研究的文献信息。改编的美国国家科学基金会资助的研究信息来自GFP在基本生物物理性质(9632342)、生物成像(9816947和9513065)、生态生理学(9604528)、细胞生理学(9604342和9603730)、遗传学(9505535和9874491)和环境研究(9701018)方面的工作。来自美国国家科学基金会资助的教育工作的其他改编材料来自细胞生理学(9875939)和糖肽生物化学(9874744)。此外，从国家科学基金会在生物技术方面的工作中获得的收益被改编(9602356)。

In order to help undergraduate students grasp the basic concepts underlying the role and function of proteins in living systems we take the students on a journey, from gene through mRNA to functional protein - showing them a "day in the life of a protein." The vehicle for this journey is the visually appealing Green-Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Discovered in bioluminescent jellyfish and sea pansies in the 1960s and characterized in the 1970s, GFP has recently become one of the most exciting and useful molecules in the field of biotechnology. When expressed in either eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells and illuminated by UV light, GFP emits an eerie green glow. This light fascinates students, allowing them to see where the protein is located, and by the intensity of the glow, how much protein is present, giving the students a very direct interaction with the protein. Using both wild-type GFP and a blue colored variant as tools the students explore the concepts behind gene transfer, gene expression and regulation, as well as the relationship between protein structure and function. Because the students use GFP throughout all their explorations in the laboratory course, they experience a continuity of purpose seldom achieved in the biochemistry teaching laboratory. During this journey the students obtain direct hands-on-experience in the basic techniques used in modem biotechnological research. This experience helps prepare the students to enter a society in which issues involving genetic and protein engineering are becoming ever more common.The implemention of these changes to the Biochemistry laboratory course is based on information in the literature from both basic and applied research on GFP. Adapted NSF funded research information comes GFP work in basic biophysical properties (9632342), bioimaging (9816947 & 9513065), ecophysiology (9604528), cell physiology (9604342 & 9603730), genetics (9505535 & 9874491) and environmental research (9701018). Other adapted material from NSF funded education work is from cellular physiology (9875939) and glycopeptide biochemistry (9874744). Furthermore, gains from a NSF-ATE work in biotechnology are adapted (9602356).