Many laboratories have focused their efforts on identification and development of fluorescent proteins with novel characteristics and enhanced properties, resulting in a powerful toolkit for visualization of structural organization and dynamic processes in living cells and organisms.
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria and its homologs from diverse marine animals are widely used as universal genetically encoded fluorescent labels. In the present work, we performed a review that goes from the discovery of GFP, its variants, main applications and to its use in the visualization of neurons in the central nervous system. One of these applications involves the in vivo labeling of neurons with multiple fluorescent colors which allow visualizing the neural network architecture as never seen before, up to 90 different colors in a same organism. Neuroscience is one of the areas more benefited with the application of GFP. Since the discovery of the protein in 1962 it has experienced many changes and its applications extend to all areas in biology. This protein shows features that make it special no other factors are needed for its expression in any living organism, it can be modified to improve its intensity, to change emission colors, to construct chimera with other proteins, it can also be used as a reporter gene, biochemical sensor, sensitive intra and intercellular pH meter, etc. The GFP, together with other proteins derived from different organisms, offers an immense variety of fluorescent proteins. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been modified to emit in many different wavelengths. The bioluminiscent jelly fish Aequorea victoria provides a powerful tool to cell biology, a protein that fluoresces with the emission of green light.
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