![](\"https:\/\/cdn.rcsb.org\/pdb101\/motm\/images\/207-Photoactive_Yellow_Protein-2pyp.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPhoto active yellow fluorescent protein absorbs blue light. It contains a photoactive center called a chromophore that changes its conformation when it absorbs a blue photon, thereby enabling the protein to sense blue light.<\/p>\n
Given the importance of the chromophore’s motion in enabling the protein’s function, naturally I want to emphasize how the its motion changes the protein’s color. The system reminds me of a light bulb, with the chromophore being the switch. The reasoning being that the movement of the chromophore causes a photochemical change in the protein. An alternative representation could be with two side-by-side representations, where one shows the protein before the chromophore absorbs light, and one after, highlighting the change in color.<\/p>\n
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Source: PDB website<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo active yellow fluorescent protein absorbs blue light. It contains a photoactive center called a chromophore that changes its conformation when it absorbs a blue photon, thereby enabling the protein to sense blue light. Given the importance of the chromophore’s … Continue reading