Cameleon (protein)

Cameleon is an engineered protein based on variant of green fluorescent protein used to visualize calcium levels in living cells. It is a genetically encoded calcium sensor created by Roger Y. Tsien and coworkers.[1] The name is a conflation of CaM (the common abbreviation of calmodulin) and chameleon to indicate the fact that the sensor protein undergoes a conformation change and radiates at an altered wavelength upon calcium binding to the calmodulin element of the Cameleon. Cameleon was the first genetically encoded calcium sensor that could be used for ratiometric measurements and the first to be used in a transgenic animal to record activity in neurons and muscle cells.[2] Cameleon and other genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) have found many applications in neuroscience and other fields of biology, including understanding the mechanisms of cell signaling by conducting time-resolved Ca2+ activity measurement experiments with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) enzymes.[3] It was created by fusing BFP, calmodulin, calmodulin-binding peptide M13 and EGFP.[4]

  1. ^ Miyawaki A, Griesbeck O, Heim R, Tsien RY (1999). "Dynamic and quantitative Ca2+ measurements using improved Cameleons". Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 96 (5): 2135–40. Bibcode:1999PNAS...96.2135M. doi:10.1073/pnas.96.5.2135. PMC 26749. PMID 10051607.
  2. ^ Kerr R, Lev-Ram V, Baird G, Vincent P, Tsien RY, Schafer WR (2000). "Optical imaging of calcium transients in neurons and pharyngeal muscle of C. elegans". Neuron. 26 (3): 583–94. doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(00)81196-4. PMID 10896155.
  3. ^ Demaurex, Nicolas; Frieden, Maud (2003-08-01). "Measurements of the free luminal ER Ca2+ concentration with targeted "cameleon" fluorescent proteins". Cell Calcium. 34 (2): 109–119. doi:10.1016/S0143-4160(03)00081-2. ISSN 0143-4160.
  4. ^ Miyawaki A, Llopis J, Heim R, et al. (1997). "Fluorescent indicators for Ca2+ based on green fluorescent proteins and calmodulin". Nature. 388 (6645): 882–7. Bibcode:1997Natur.388..882M. doi:10.1038/42264. PMID 9278050.