DRAGON COVE OF MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND STORIES: Eos, the Greek Goddess (and Protein) of the Dawn

Digital illustration of the link between the Greek Goddess and protein, a specific bond near the component that produces the protein’s fluorescent color is broken, causing it to deform and emit a longer red wavelength of light

“What a curious name for a protein,” I remember thinking to myself when my research mentor first introduced me to the substrate that I would be using for my research project. Eos, I was initially expecting it to be a 3-letter acronym, I’ve worked with my fair share of GFP’s (Green Fluorescent Protein) and VCP’s (Valosin-Containing Protein), but I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the hidden story behind this particular name. 

The Eos protein was named after the winged Greek goddess of the dawn. Isolated from stony corals, the natural protein solution is clear, as is typical of most other protein solutions that you would use in lab. But an interesting thing happens when you expose it to strong UV light: by breaking a specific covalent bond and thus changing its fluorescent quality, the protein takes on a salmon pink color, just like the red hues from the rays of a rising sun. Truly a protein of dawn.

Doing this photocleavage helps us distinguish and track this protein under fluorescence microscopes for reactions and experiments. Under longer wavelengths of visible light, the protein fluoresces red (rather than its original green color) helping us distinguish it from other green fluorescent tags like Cy3 or GFP.

At the heart of science is storytelling, the story of scientists’ quests through trials and tribulations towards uncovering the elusive tales of molecular protagonists and antagonists. And Eos, is one such colorful character lighting the way for researchers to develop better remedies and disease prognostics for the future.