REVERSIBLY PHOTOSWITCHABLE POLYPEPTIDES

摘要

The present invention concerns new fluorescent polypeptides able to switch reversibly between a fluorescent state and a non-fluorescent state. In particular, the fluorescent polypeptide according to the present invention is able to switch reversibly between a fluorescent state and a non-fluorescent state when irradiated with the light of a first wavelength to switch a polypeptide from the non-fluorescent state to fluorescent state and irradiated with the light of a second wavelength different to the first wavelength to switch a polypeptide from the fluorescent state to the non-fluorescent state, whereby said first and second wavelength for switching the polypeptide are different to a third wavelength for excitation of the fluorescent em ission of said polypeptide. In addition, the present invention relates to fusion proteins comprising the fluorescent polypeptide according to the present invention as well as nucleic acids encoding the same. In addition, diagnostic compositions, kits and systems comprising said fluorescent polypeptides or nucleic acids encoding the same are provided. Finally, the present invention relates to methods for detecting the presence and/or the localisation of a protein or nucleic acid molecule of interest.