Abstract
THE photoprotein aequorin, extracted and purified from the luminescent jellyfish Aequorea aequorea (syn. A. forskalea) (Fig. 1), is triggered to emit visible light in physiological conditions1 by a trace of Ca2+ (and to a less extent by Sr2+, but by no other factor). The combined features of specificity, sensitivity (better than 0.01 µg or better than 10−7 M Ca2+)2,3, speed (faster than a few ms)3–5, non-toxicity and insensitivity of the luminescence to most enzyme inhibitory substances1 offer unique advantages for detecting the presence or changes in concentration of Ca2+ in biological systems—for example, single muscle fibres6–11, isolated mitochondria12,13, single neurones14—and for investigating the action of poisons such as cyanide, tetrodotoxin and so on, on biological processes12–14.
Published Version
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