aequorin

[ee-kwawr-in, ee-kwor-]

noun

Biochemistry, Histology.

1. a protein, secreted by certain jellyfish, that produces a blue light upon binding with calcium.

Word History and Origins

Origin of aequorin¹

1965–70; < New Latin Aequor ( ea ) a genus of jellyfish that produces such a protein ( Latin: feminine of aequoreus of the sea, equivalent to aequor level surface, the sea + -eus -eous ) + -in ²

Example Sentences

In the face of scepticism from Johnson and others, Shimomura determined that the luminescent substance was a protein; he named it aequorin.

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Until a way of making genetically engineered aequorin became available in the 1990s, Shimomura freely shared his carefully harvested stocks with laboratories the world over.

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It was in the process of purifying aequorin that Shimomura discovered small amounts of GFP, which fluoresces green when aequorin emits its blue light.

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The first and most promising protein, aequorin, was later used as an indicator for calcium.

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“I didn’t know much about molecular biology or organic chemistry, so it didn’t matter to me which specialty I would study. I thought Professor Hirata’s words might be the direction given by heaven, and I decided to go to his lab. It seems that this decision determined my future, directing me to the studies of bioluminescence, aequorin and green fluorescent protein.”

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