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，我们带领学生踏上了从基因到mRNA再到功能性蛋白质的旅程，向他们展示了“蛋白质生命中的一天”。这一旅程的载体是具有视觉吸引力的绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）。绿色荧光蛋白于20世纪60年代在水母和海三色堇中被发现，并于20世纪70年代被表征，近年来成为生物技术领域最令人兴奋和最有用的分子之一。当在真核或原核细胞中表达时，在紫外线照射下，绿色荧光蛋白发出一种怪异的绿光。这种光吸引着学生，让他们看到蛋白质的位置，并通过发光的强度，了解蛋白质的含量，让学生与蛋白质有一个非常直接的互动。使用野生型绿色荧光蛋白和蓝色变体作为工具，学生探索基因转移，基因表达和调控，以及蛋白质结构和功能之间的关系背后的概念。由于学生在实验课的所有探索中都使用了绿色荧光蛋白，因此他们体验到在生物化学教学实验室中很少实现的目的的连续性。在这段旅程中，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。这种经历有助于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。生物化学实验课程的这些变化是基于绿色荧光蛋白基础研究和应用研究的文献信息。根据NSF资助的研究信息，GFP在基本生物物理特性（9632342）、生物成像（9816947 & 9513065）、生态生理学（9604528）、细胞生理学（9604342 & 9603730）、遗传学（9505535 & 9874491）和环境研究（9701018）方面的工作。其他改编自NSF资助的教育工作的材料来自细胞生理学（9875939）和糖肽生物化学（9874744）。此外，NSF-ATE在生物技术方面的工作成果也被改编（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).