Identification of a fluorescent protein from a marine Zoanthid: Zoanthus Sansibaricus (Carlgren) from the intertidal rocky shore of Anjuna (Goa)

Abstract

Zoanthids comprise an order of benthic, generally colonial Cnidarians, which can usually be distinguished from other hexacorallians by embedded sand and detritus in their mesoglea. These animals are becoming increasingly important research subjects in biochemistry and other research fields. Their inclusion of both calcium and silica results in the need for both decalcification and desilification for internal morphological examinations. With the availability of the standardized techniques using HF treatment, this is now possible. Recent investigations utilizing molecular (16S mt rDNA) methods have brought a clearer understanding of zoanthid diversity. Though collection and documentation of data has started all over the world regarding clarifying zoanthid taxonomy, zoanthids from Indain coast have not yet been explored in dual prespective. This is the first report from India, based on morphological, histological and molecular analysis, on identifying a marine zoanthid from the intertidal, rocky shore of Anjuna (Goa) as Zoanthus sansibaricus (Zoanthidae). A family of proteins named Green Fluorescent Proteins (GFP)-like proteins (fluorescent proteins) started a trend in biotechnological research, which is ever expanding day by day. Not only is the occurrence of these proteins so wide spread but also are their applications. Zoanthids belonging to the phylum cnidarian are reported to have these fluorescent proteins in them, though the zoanthids possessing them were mentioned only to the genus level. This is first report from India indicating the presence of a fluorescent protein in the far red region of the visible spectrum and also mentioning the source zoanthid to the species level.