Found glowing protein in eel

A fresh eel species, often found in Japanese sushi, is the first discovered vertebrate to possess a natural fluorescent protein.

The report published in Cell has described what the Riken Institute of Brain Science (Japan) calls UnaG , the first light-emitting protein found in a vertebrate animal.

Anguilla japonica eel is a favorite Japanese dish - (Photo: noodlies)

The species of eel, Anguilla japonica , is born in the marine environment. When they were eggs and larvae, eels followed the currents into rivers, lakes and estuaries in Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam, where they lived before returning to the sea to lay egg.

Experts expressed surprise when they discovered UnaG , a protein that connects fatty acids, glows when activated with bilirubin, a chemical product of molecules in the blood.

The Japanese team also found the protein in eel varieties in the US and Europe.

In February, the Japanese government announced that Anguilla japonica ' will likely disappear in the wild in the near future' , and add this species to the endangered list.