Green fluorescent protein (GFP) antibodies are essential tools in molecular and cellular biology, primarily used to detect and visualize GFP-tagged proteins in various experimental systems. GFP, derived from the jellyfish *Aequorea victoria*, emits green fluorescence when exposed to blue or ultraviolet light. Its discovery and subsequent engineering (e.g., enhanced GFP, EGFP) revolutionized live-cell imaging, enabling real-time tracking of protein localization, dynamics, and interactions without disrupting cellular functions.
GFP antibodies are typically raised against purified GFP or its variants (e.g., EGFP, YFP, CFP) and are available as monoclonal or polyclonal forms. They bind specifically to GFP epitopes, facilitating applications like immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. These antibodies allow researchers to confirm GFP fusion protein expression, quantify tagged proteins, or isolate GFP-labeled cellular components.
The development of GFP antibodies was driven by the widespread adoption of GFP as a reporter gene and protein tag. Their high specificity minimizes cross-reactivity with endogenous proteins, ensuring reliable results. Additionally, anti-GFP nanobodies and recombinant antibodies have emerged, offering advantages like smaller size and enhanced compatibility with intracellular environments.
Despite the rise of alternative fluorescent tags, GFP remains a cornerstone in biomedical research, and GFP antibodies continue to play a critical role in validating and exploiting GFP-based assays, contributing to advancements in gene expression studies, protein trafficking analysis, and transgenic organism characterization.