Fluorescent derivatives of the GFP chromophore give a new insight into the GFP fluorescence process.

ABSTRACT: The photophysical properties of synthetic compounds derived from the imidazolidinone chromophore of the green fluorescent protein were determined. Various electron-withdrawing or electron-donating substituents were introduced to mimic the effect of the chromophore surroundings in the protein. The absorption and emission spectra as well as the fluorescence quantum yields in dioxane and glycerol were shown to be highly dependent on the electronic properties of the substituents. We propose a kinetic scheme that takes into account the temperature-dependent twisting of the excited molecule. If the activation energy is low, the molecule most often undergoes an excited-state intramolecular twisting that leads it to the ground state through an avoided crossing between the S(1) and S(0) energy surf

SUBMITTER: Follenius-Wund A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1303356 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature