Fluorescent rotors and their applications to the study of G-F transformation of actin.
New fluorescent rotor molecules having hydrophilic functional groups, which are derivatives of p-(N,N-dialkylamino)benzylidenemalononitrile, were synthesized. Their properties as fluorescent rotors were confirmed by an observation of solvent viscosity-dependent fluorescence. Incorporation of hydrophilic groups into the molecules increased the solubility of fluorescent rotors in aqueous media; the application of the compounds to biochemical systems became feasible as a consequence. To demonstrate this applicability, we attempted to monitor the G-F transformation of rabbit skeletal muscle actin with these newly synthesized compounds. All the compounds carrying a malononitrile moiety showed greater fluorescence in F-actin. Among them, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-6-[(2,2-dicyano)vinyl]-2,3,4-trihydroquinoli ne gave the best result by the criteria of the difference in fluorescence quantum yield for G- and F-actin, solubility, and stability of the compound. The method has the major advantage of not requiring covalent modification of actin.
Sawada
S
S
Department of Science, Kyoto University of Education, Japan.
Iio
T
T
Hayashi
Y
Y
Takahashi
S
S
D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009570:Nitriles / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011817:Rabbits; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
D000199:Actins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D009570:Nitriles; D011108:Polymers