Two Distinct Fluorescence States of the Ligand-Induced Green Fluorescent Protein UnaG

UnaG is a recently discovered ligand-induced fluorescent protein that utilizes bound bilirubin (BR) as its fluorophore. The fluorescence of the UnaG-BR complex (holoUnaG) compares in quantum efficiency to that of enhanced green fluorescent protein, but it is superior in that the fluorophore formation is instantaneous and not dependent on oxygen; hence, much attention has been paid to UnaG as a new fluorescent probe. However, many important molecular properties of fluorescent probes remain unknown, such as the association/dissociation rates of BR, which determine the stability thereof, and the dispersibility of UnaG in aqueous solutions, which influence the functions of labeled proteins. In this study, we found, in the process of investigating the association rate, that the holoUnaG takes two distinct fluorescence states, which we named holoUnaG₁ and holoUnaG₂. The holoUnaG₁ initially forms after binding BR and then changes to the brighter holoUnaG₂ by a reversible intra-molecular reaction, thereby finally reaching an equilibrium between the two states. Spectroscopic analysis indicated that the intra-molecular reaction was associated not with a chemical change of BR but with a change in the environmental conditions surrounding BR. We also revealed that the molecular brightness ratio and equilibrium population ratio of the two states (holoUnaG₁/holoUnaG₂) were 1:3.9 and 6:4, respectively, using photon number counting analysis. From these results, we have suggested a novel schema, to our knowledge, for the formation of the UnaG and BR complex system and have determined the various rate constants associated therein. Additionally, using analytical ultracentrifugation, we established that UnaG in the apo-state (apoUnaG) and the holoUnaG are monomeric in aqueous solution. These findings provide not only key information for the practical use of UnaG as a fluorescent probe, but also the possibility for development of a brighter UnaG mutant by genetic engineering to constitutive holoUnaG₂.