Red fluorescent protein (RFP) is a protein which acts as a fluorophore, fluorescing red-orange when excited. The original variant occurs naturally in the coral genus Discosoma, and is named DsRed. Several new variants have been developed using directed mutagenesis [1] which fluoresce orange, red, and far-red. [2]

DsRed is a basic (constitutively fluorescent) red fluorescent protein published in 1999, derived from Discosoma sp..

In this study, we show the use of the red fluorescent protein DsRed as a reporter in yeast cells. Based on the pUG plasmids, a new set of vectors expressing DsRed was constructed, allowing the production of amino-terminal (N-terminal) and carboxyl-terminal (C-terminal) fusion proteins.

Oct 24, 2000 · The resulting acylimine substituent quantitatively ac-counts for the red shift by detailed quantum chemical calculations. It also explains why the DsRed chromophore shifts back to a GFP-like absorbance spectrum upon protein denaturation and why harsher treatments cleave DsRed into two fragments.

Jan 1, 2002 · DsRed fluorescence is excited optimally at 558 nm, but can also be excited by a standard 488 nm laser, allowing DsRed to be used with laser-based confocal microscopes and flow cytometers 12.

Since the discovery of the first red fluorescent protein (RFP), named DsRed, 12 years ago, a wide pallet of red-shifted fluorescent proteins has been cloned and biotechnologically developed into monomeric fluorescent probes for optical microscopy.

The crystal structure of DsRed, a red fluorescent protein from a corallimorpharian, has been determined at 2.0-Å resolution by multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion and crystallographic refinement.

The recently reported red fluorescent protein from Discosoma sp., DsRed, represents a new marker that can be used together with GFP variants for multicolor imaging. DsRed is an interesting marker protein for use in plants because of its red-shifted wavelength spectrum that will avoid damaging cells and tissues by excitation light.

Jan 15, 2006 · The wild type form of Red fluorescent protein (DsRed), an intrinsically fluorescent protein found in tropical corals, is found to be highly selective, reversible and sensitive for both Cu (+) and Cu (2+), with a nanomolar detection limit.

DsRed-Express is a basic (constitutively fluorescent) orange fluorescent protein published in 2002, derived from Discosoma sp.. It is reported to be a rapidly-maturing tetramer with low acid sensitivity.