Meeting Abstract

P2.87  Friday, Jan. 4  Uromodulin-like red fluorescent proteins from deep-sea dragonfishes HUNT, M.E.*; HADDOCK, S.H.D.; MATZ, M.V.; University of Texas at Austin, Section of Integrative Biology; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; University of Texas at Austin, Section of Integrative Biology mehunt@mail.utexas.edu

Fluorescent proteins homologous to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) are used in many biomedical applications as genetically encoded labels. Our goal is to identify novel fluorescent proteins, including the non-GFP type, from fluorescent marine animals to augment the collection of potential tools for biotechnology as well as to understand the origins and evolution of fluorescent signaling in the ocean. We studied the fluorescent tissues from two fishes of the family Stomiidae (dragonfishes): the suborbital fluorophore of Aristostomias (subfamily Malacosteinae) and the fluorescent barbel of Stomias (subfamily Stomiinae). The small-scale expression sequence tag (EST) analysis of both these samples revealed an unusual and prevalent protein homologous to human uromodulin. We have obtained complete coding sequences for several isoforms of this protein from each species, expressed these in bacteria, and obtained polyclonal antibodies for them. Immunological tests confirmed the identity of the fluorescent substance in fish fluorophores and the cloned proteins.