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Title: Developing Bright Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)‐like Fluorogens for Live‐Cell Imaging with Nonpolar Protein−Chromophore Interactions
Abstract

Fluorescence‐activating proteins (FAPs) that bind a chromophore and activate its fluorescence have gained popularity in bioimaging. The fluorescence‐activating and absorption‐shifting tag (FAST) is a light‐weight FAP that enables fast reversible fluorogen binding, thus advancing multiplex and super‐resolution imaging. However, the rational design of FAST‐specific fluorogens with large fluorescence enhancement (FE) remains challenging. Herein, a new fluorogen directly engineered from green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore by a unique double‐donor‐one‐acceptor strategy, which exhibits an over 550‐fold FE upon FAST binding and a high extinction coefficient of approximately 100,000 M−1 cm−1, is reported. Correlation analysis of the excited state nonradiative decay rates and environmental factors reveal that the large FE is caused by nonpolar protein−fluorogen interactions. Our deep insights into structure‐function relationships could guide the rational design of bright fluorogens for live‐cell imaging with extended spectral properties such as redder emissions.

 
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Award ID(s):
2003550
NSF-PAR ID:
10230265
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Chemistry – A European Journal
Volume:
27
Issue:
35
ISSN:
0947-6539
Page Range / eLocation ID:
p. 8946-8950
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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