Phycobiliproteins bilin content

There are three main classes of phycobiliproteins, differing in their protein structure, bilin content, and fluorescent properties. These are phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and allo-phycocyanin (APC). There are two main forms of phycoerythrin proteins commonly in use B-phycoerythrin isolated from Porphyridium cruentum and R-phycoerythrin from Gastroclonium coulteri. There also are three main forms of pigments found in these proteins phycoerythrobilin, phycourobilin, and phycocya no bilin (Glazer, 1985). The relative content of these pigments in the phycobiliproteins determines their spectral properties. All of them,... 

The spectral properties of four major phycobiliproteins used as fluorescent labels can be found in Tables 9.1 and 9.2. The bilin content of these proteins ranges from a low of four prosthetic groups in C-phycocyanin to the 34 groups of B- and R-phycoerythrin. Phycoerythrin derivatives, therefore, can be used to create the most intensely fluorescent probes possible using these proteins. The fluorescent yield of the most luminescent phycobiliprotein molecule is equivalent to about 30 fluoresceins or 100 rhodamine molecules. Streptavidin-phycoerythrin conjugates, for example, have been used to detect as little as 100 biotinylated antibodies bound to receptor proteins per cell (Zola et al., 1990). 

---