title: Fluorescence imaging using synthetic GFP chromophores.
abstract: Green fluorescent protein and related proteins carry chromophores formed within the protein from their own amino acids. Corresponding synthetic compounds are non-fluorescent in solution due to photoinduced isomerization of the benzylideneimidiazolidinone core. Restriction of this internal rotation by binding to host molecules leads to pronounced, up to three orders of magnitude, increase of fluorescence intensity. This property allows using GFP chromophore analogs as fluorogenic dyes to detect metal ions, proteins, nucleic acids, and other hosts. For example, RNA aptamer named Spinach, which binds to and activates fluorescence of some GFP chromophores, was proved to be a unique label for live-cell imaging of specific RNAs, endogenous metabolites and target proteins. Chemically locked GFP chromophores are brightly fluorescent and represent potentially useful dyes due to their small size and high water solubility.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Konstantin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lukyanov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovitianov 1, Moscow 117997, Russia.
authors.forename: Ilia V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Yampolsky
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mishin
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, United States; Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States.
authors.forename: Andreas S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bommarius
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, United States.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Duraj-Thatte
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, United States.
authors.forename: Bahareh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Azizi
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, United States.
authors.forename: Laren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tolbert
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, 901 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, United States. Electronic address: solntsev@gatech.edu.
authors.forename: Kyril M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Solntsev
mesh_terms: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010777:Photochemistry; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins