Unveiling the photophysical mechanistic mysteries of tetrazine-functionalized fluorogenic labels.

ABSTRACT: Tetrazine-based fluorogenic labels are widely utilized in medical and biological studies, exhibiting substantial fluorescence enhancement (FE) following tetrazine degradation through bio-orthogonal reactions. However, the underlying mechanisms driving this fluorogenic response remain only partially resolved, particularly regarding the diminished FE efficiency in the deep-red and near-infrared (NIR) regions. This knowledge gap has impeded efforts to optimize these labels for extended emission wavelengths and improved FE ratios. This review offers a photophysical perspective, discussing the fluorescence quenching pathways (i.e., energy flows and charge separation) that regulate the fluorogenic properties exhibited in various types of tetrazine labels. Moreover, this work examines the

SUBMITTER: Shen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11789511 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature