phycoérytrine

Phycoerythrine is a red photosynthetic pigment found in cyanobacteria, red algae, and some dinoflagellates. It is a member of the phycobiliprotein family, which are protein complexes that absorb light energy and transfer it to chlorophyll during photosynthesis. Phycoerythrine has a distinct red fluorescence, making it useful in various biological and medical applications.

The structure of phycoerythrine consists of a protein backbone to which light-absorbing chromophores, called phycoerythrobilins, are attached. These chromophores are open-chain tetrapyrroles. The arrangement of these chromophores and the protein structure influences the specific absorption and emission wavelengths of the pigment. Phycoerythrine's primary role is to capture light, particularly in the green and yellow regions of the spectrum, which can penetrate deeper into water than red light. This allows photosynthetic organisms containing phycoerythrine to thrive in environments where other pigments are less effective.

Due to its strong fluorescence and relatively small size, purified phycoerythrine is widely used as a fluorescent label in immunofluorescence assays, flow cytometry, and microscopy. It can be conjugated to antibodies or other biomolecules to detect and quantify specific cellular components or events. Different forms of phycoerythrine exist, such as R-phycoerythrine and B-phycoerythrine, which exhibit slightly different spectral properties and are found in different algal groups. The extraction and purification of phycoerythrine are crucial for its application in research and diagnostics.