Fluorescence lifetime imaging of intracellular calcium

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a new methodology for studying the spatial and temporal dynamics of macromolecule, molecules, and ions in living cells. In FLIM image contrast is derived from the mean fluorescence lifetime at each point in a two-dimensional image. In our case the lifetime was measured by the phase-modulation method. We describe our FLIM apparatus, which consists of a fluorescence microscope, high-speed gated proximity focused MCP image intensifier, and slow-scan CCD camera. To accomplish subnanosecond time-resolved imaging, the gain of the image intensifier is modulated with a high-frequency signal, resulting in stationary phase-sensitive intensity images on the image intensifier. These images are recorded using a cooled slow-scan CCD camera and stored in an image processor. The lifetime images are created from a series of phase-sensitive images at various phase shift of the gain-modulation signal. We demonstrate calcium concentration imaging in living COS cells based on Ca²⁺-induced lifetime changes of Quin-2. The phase-angle image is mapped to the Ca²⁺ concentration image using anin vitro-determined calibration curve. The Ca²⁺ concentration was found to be uniform throughout the cell. In contrast, the intensity image shows significant spatial differences, which likely reflect variations in the thickness and distribution of probe within the cell.     

Calcium imaging using fluorescence lifetimes and long-wavelength probes

We describe imaging of calcium concentrations using the long-wavelength Ca²⁺ indicators, Calcium Green, Orange, and Crimson. The lifetimes of these probes were measured using the frequency-domain method and were found to increase from 50% to severalfold in response to calcium. The two-dimensional images of the calcium concentration were obtained using a new apparatus for fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). We also describe procedures to correct for the position-dependent frequency response of the gain-modulated image intensifier used in the FLIM apparatus. Importantly, the FLIM method does not require the probe to display shifts in the excitation or emission spectra. Using the FLIM method, calcium imaging is possible using probes which display changes in lifetime in response to calcium. Consequently, calcium imaging is possible with excitation wavelengths ranging from 488 to as long as 620 nm, where autofluorescence and/or photochemical damage is minimal. These probes are also suitable for calcium measurements of single cells using lifetime-based flow cytometry.     

激光诱导叶绿素荧光寿命的测量及其特性分析

提出了一种用于评估植物生长状况及环境监测的激光诱导叶绿素荧光寿命测量方法. 采用波长355 nm的激光作为光源激发叶绿素荧光, 由光电倍增管接收其荧光信号, 由于被测叶绿素荧光衰减函数与激光脉冲、仪器响应函数卷积在一起, 根据它们的特性, 运用时间分辨测量法分别测得叶绿素荧光及其背景信号, 并结合一种新型解卷积算法可分离出真实的叶绿素荧光衰减函数, 从而获取叶绿素的荧光寿命. 测试结果表明: 该方法能够实现叶绿素荧光寿命的高精度实时监测, 对不同叶绿素含量的溶液荧光寿命进行了测试, 证明叶绿素含量与其荧光寿命具有相关性, 并且拟合了叶绿素含量与荧光寿命的标定曲线. 关键词： 荧光寿命 激光诱导荧光 时间分辨测量法 叶绿素含量     

Characterization of a confocal microscope for time-resolved photon counting fluorescence

A confocal microscope setup is developed for time-resolved fluorescence measurements. It is added to a traditional cuvette time-resolved setup, with a pumped Ti-Sa light source. The temporal resolution of 37 ps (FWHM) is not degraded, in comparison with the cuvette setup also described. These setups allow both decay lifetime and anisotropy relaxation time determination. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is used to determine the observation point size. When associated with the calcium probe calcium green, calcium concentration in single cells can be determined in 10 ms by simultaneous acquisition of early and late fluorescence photons.     

碳点嫁接海藻酸钙复合结构的制备及其对Cu2+的检测

基于铜离子与碳点的荧光猝灭作用,建立了用碳点作为荧光探针来检测铜离子的新方法。该方法将碳点还原后再嫁接于海藻酸钙,从而得到一种新型的含还原碳点的海藻酸钙薄膜荧光探针。用荧光分光光度计和紫外-可见分光光度计对探针的荧光特性以及探针与金属离子的相互作用进行了研究。研究结果表明：改性后的荧光探针具有很高的荧光强度,因此可以根据探针荧光强度的变化实现对铜离子的检测,并通过乙二胺四乙酸二钠（EDTA）的作用实现对铜离子的重复检测。铜离子浓度在5×10^-6~100×10^-6 mol·L^-1范围内与该荧光探针的荧光猝灭强度呈良好的线性关系。该方法不仅可以对铜离子检测,更实现了对碳点的固载,该技术有望实现荧光探针的回收再利用。     

Improving the precision of fluorescence lifetime measurement using a streak camera

Streak camera has high temporal resolution and high sensitivity, and is a powerful tool in biomedical study to measure fluorescence lifetime and perform fluorescence lifetime imaging. However, nonuniformity of the gain in the streak tube and nonlinearity of the sweeping speed limit the precision of fluorescence lifetime measurement, particularly when fluorescence lifetimes are short. We have constructed a two-photon excitation fluorescence lifetime measurement system that is based on a synchroscan streak camera and have developed accordingly a method to correct the effect of gain nonuniformity and nonlinearity of sweeping speed on the measurement precision. A continuous-wave laser of high stability is used to calibrate the gain of the streak camera, and a Fabry-Perot etalon is used to calibrate the nonlinearity of the sweeping speed. Fitting algorithms are used to correct the gain of the streak camera and nonlinearity of the sweeping speed respectively, which significantly improves the measurement precision of the system, as characterized through the fluorescence lifetime of the short-lived fluorescence dye, Rose Bengal. Experimental results show that the measurement fluctuation of the lifetime has been improved from more than 10% to 2% after correcting the effects of gain nonuniformity and sweeping speed nonlinearity.     

Self-quenching of uranin: Instrument response function for color sensitive photo-detectors

Concentration is a key determining factor in the fluorescence properties of organic fluorophores. We studied self-quenching of disodium fluorescein (uranin) fluorescence in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) thin films. The concentration dependent changes in brightness and anisotropy were followed by a lifetime decrease. We found that at a concentration of 0.54 M, the lifetime decreases to 7 ps. At a concentration of 0.18 M the lifetime was 10 ps with the relatively high quantum yield of 0.002. In these conditions the fluorescence intensity decay was homogeneous (well approximated by a single lifetime). We realized that such a sample was an ideal fluorescence lifetime standard for spectroscopy and microscopy, and therefore characterized instrument response functions for a time-domain technique. We show that self-quenched uranin enables measurements free of the color effect, making it a superior choice for a lifetime reference over scattered light.     

Selective Dequenching by Photobleaching Increases Fluorescence Probe Visibility

Self-quenching properties of fluorescent dyes have been developed to improve the sensitivity of fluorescent measurement. Photobleaching of Calcein at a concentration greater than the critical, self-quenching concentration actually increased fluorescence, whereas at lower concentrations photobleaching decreased fluorescence, enhancing signal to noise by almost 4000. The photobleaching-dequenching principle has been demonstrated in giant liposomes encapsulating Calcein at higher quenched concentrations. Upon photobleaching background fluorescence was reduced and the liposome fluorescence increased. Liposomes invisible in the presence of background fluorescence became visible upon photobleaching. Fluorescent lifetime was unaffected by photobleaching, whereas the lifetime decreased significantly upon dilution, allowing distinction between photobleached fluorescence particularly upon dequenching. The principle may be suited to improving fluorescence imaging and resolving fluorescent probes in particle-based assays.     

磷酸盐钕玻璃的荧光寿命和损耗对激光增益特性的影响小能量0.35 μm激光-X射线转换研究

实验研究了目前使用的N2122和N3122掺钕磷酸盐玻璃中不同的OH基浓度对玻璃荧光寿命的影响,同时从实验和理论上研究了荧光寿命和损耗对激光增益特性的影响,结果表明:增加玻璃的荧光寿命是提高增益性能的一个重要方法,当玻璃的荧光寿命增加10%时小信号增益系数提高5%左右。提高钕玻璃的荧光寿命,可适当降低对损耗的要求,也能够保持它的增益性能不变。以小能量0.35 μm激光(<100J)辐照盘靶(5600 μm×4 μm),用软X射线平响应探测器测量X射线角分布(dE/dΩ)和X射线转换效率(ηx)。dE/dΩ=a+bcosθ,与φ角无关。ηx随激光入射角增加而下降。按金盘、多层膜(0.11 μm)金盘和CH膜(0.4 μm)金盘顺序,ηx依次下降。     

基于激光诱导叶绿素荧光寿命成像技术的植物荧光特性研究

针对植物荧光遥感探测中信号易受干扰的问题, 提出了一种用于评估植物生长状况及环境监测的荧光寿命成像技术. 采用凹透镜对355 nm波长的激光扩束, 再照射植物激发叶绿素荧光, 由增强型电荷耦合器件接收荧光信号. 采用时间分辨测量法, 连续用相同激光脉冲照射植物以激发相同的荧光信号, 同时不断改变激光脉冲触发探测器启动的延时时间, 从而能够得到完整的离散荧光信号分布图像. 对植物特定位置点产生的离散荧光信号进行拟合, 再运用一种改进型的迭代解卷积法可反演高精度的荧光寿命; 进而反演图像各点的荧光寿命以生成植物的荧光寿命分布图. 该方法所绘制的荧光寿命图比荧光强度图能更准确地反映植物内部的叶绿素含量, 并对活体植物叶绿素荧光寿命的物理特性进行了初步研究, 证明叶绿素荧光寿命与植物生理状态存在一定关联; 并且叶绿素荧光寿命与活体植物所处环境存在着复杂的关系. 未来将与生物物理学家们合作, 继续探寻叶绿素荧光寿命与植物生存环境的关系.     

Rb(5PJ)与He,N2的碰撞精细结构混合和猝灭

在气体样品池条件下,研究了Rb(5PJ) (He,N2)碰撞能量转移过程.用调频半导体激光器激发Rb原子至Rb(5P3/2)态,在不同的He或N2气压下,测量了直接5P3/2→5S1/2荧光和转移5P1/2→5S1/2荧光.对于Rb(5PJ)与He的碰撞,只发生精细结构转移(略去碰撞猝灭效应),电子态能量仅能转移为He原子的平动能.在与N2的碰撞中,向分子振转态的转移是重要的.本实验中,Rb的密度为4.5×1011 cm-3,由辐射陷获理论得到5P1/2→5S1/2的有效辐射率为2.47×107 s-1.利用速率方程分析,可以得到碰撞转移速率系数,对于He,5P3/2→5S1/2转移速率系数kHe21=2.61×10 12 cm3·s.对于N2,测量5PJ He和5PJ N2两种情况下直接荧光与敏化荧光的相对强度比,利用最小二乘法确定5Pa/2→5S1/2转移速率系数kN212=2.36×10-11 cm3·s,5PJ态猝灭速率系数kN2=1.44×10-11 cm3·s-1.由实验结果证实了Cs-N2主要是直线式碰撞传能机制,与其他实验结果进行了比较.     

Testing Fluorescence Lifetime Standards using Two-Photon Excitation and Time-Domain Instrumentation: Rhodamine B,Coumarin 6 and Lucifer Yellow

Having good information about fluorescence lifetime standards is essential for anyone performing lifetime experiments. Using lifetime standards in fluorescence spectroscopy is often regarded as a straightforward process, however, many earlier reports are limited in terms of lifetime concentration dependency, solvents and other technical aspects. We have investigated the suitability of the fluorescent dyes rhodamine B, coumarin 6, and lucifer yellow as lifetime standards, especially to be used with two-photon excitation measurements in the time-domain. We measured absorption and emission spectra for the fluorophores to determine which wavelengths we should use for the excitation and an appropriate detector range. We also measured lifetimes for different concentrations, ranging from 10^?2– 10^?6 M, in both water, ethanol and methanol solutions. We observed that rhodamine B lifetimes depend strongly on concentration. Coumarin 6 provided the most stable lifetimes, with a negligible dependency on concentration and solvent. Lucifer yellow lifetimes were also found to depend little with concentration. Finally, we found that a mix of two fluorophores (rhodamine B/coumarin 6, rhodamine B/lucifer yellow, and coumarin 6/lucifer yellow) all yielded very similar lifetimes from a double-exponential decay as the separate lifetimes measured from a single-exponential decay. All lifetime measurements were made using two-photon excitation and obtaining lifetime data in the time-domain using time-correlated single-photon counting.     

Yb3+离子掺杂浓度对Yb∶YAG晶体发光及荧光寿命的影响

研究了不同掺杂浓度Yb∶YAG晶体的发光特性和荧光寿命.Yb3+在YAG晶体中的掺杂浓度分别为5at%、10at%、20at%、30at%.Yb3+离子掺杂浓度越高，Yb∶YAG晶体的吸收系数越大.采用940 nm波长的LD泵浦源和TRIA X550荧光谱仪，对这一系列掺有不同浓度Yb3+的Yb∶YAG晶体进行了荧光光谱的测定.结果表明:在1030 nm主发光波段的荧光强度以10at%Yb∶YAG的为最强.同时发现它在450 nm-680 nm波段有明显的可见发光，其强度随Yb3+掺杂浓度的增加而迅速地增强.Yb∶YAG晶体的荧光寿命存在浓度猝灭现象，对猝灭机制进行了分析研究，指出浓度猝灭的主要原因是合作发光和痕量稀土离子的上转换发光.     

一种Salen型荧光探针对镁(Ⅱ)离子的选择性识别

研究了Salen类型的荧光探针N,N'-二(2-羟基-1-萘甲醛)-l,2-苯二胺(NAPPDIH)对Mg²⁺的选择性响应。荧光和紫外光谱滴定实验显示NAPPDIH与Mg²⁺能够以1:1的化学计量比形成配合物。NAPPDIH与Mg²⁺结合后,溶液的荧光强度显著增强,紫外可见吸收光谱红移,肉眼可观测到溶液的浅黄色迅速加深。与其他金属离子相比,Mg²⁺显示唯一的荧光增强。此外,在3.0×10^-6~5.0×10^-5 mol·L^-1 范围内,Mg²⁺的浓度与荧光强度呈良好的线性关系。因此,NAPPDIH可用于Mg²⁺的快速检测。     

Time variation of fluorescence lifetime in enhanced cyan fluorescence protein

The lifetime variations of enhanced cyan fluorescence protein (ECFP) in relatively short integration time bins were studied via time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurement. We observed that minimum photon counts are necessary for the lifetime estimation to achieve a certain range of variance. The conditions to decrease the variance of lifetime were investigated and the channel width of the measurement of TCSPC data was found to be another important factor for the variance of lifetime. Though the lifetime of ECFP is best fit by a double exponential, a mono exponential fit for the same integration time is more stable. The results may be useful in the analysis of photophysical dynamics for ensemble molecules in short measurement time windows.     

2(水杨醛缩苯胺)-(1,10-邻菲罗啉)合钙的光谱特性

合成了一种新型的蓝光发射材料2(水杨醛缩苯胺)-(1,10-邻菲罗啉)合钙,并利用红外光谱、X射线衍射谱、DSC热分析、UV-vis吸收谱、荧光激发光谱和荧光发射光谱研究了其结构、晶态、热稳定性以及光学特性,分析了它的能态结构和发光机理。结果表明,2(水杨醛缩苯胺)-(1,10-邻菲罗啉)合钙的热稳定性较高,是一种多晶粉末发光材料,禁带宽度2.93eV,在紫外光的激发下,固态荧光发射峰在449.7nm处,在乙醇溶液体系中的荧光发射峰在491nm处,均为蓝色荧光,色纯度高,荧光量子效率高,其荧光发射主要来源于长波吸收带,最大波长吸收带对荧光发射贡献最大。     

单光子调制频谱用于量子点荧光寿命动力学的研究

本文开展了基于单光子调制频谱测量量子点荧光寿命动力学特性的研究.在脉冲激光激发下,对探测到的量子点单光子荧光信号进行频谱分析以获得荧光调制频谱,研究发现特征频谱信号幅值与荧光寿命之间存在确定的非线性对应关系.这种单光子调制频谱方法能有效消除背景噪声和单光子探测器暗计数的影响,用于分析量子点荧光寿命动力学特性时在准确度以及时间分辨率方面都较目前普遍采用的荧光衰减曲线寿命拟合方法呈现出明显优势:当涨落误差为5%时,寿命测量准确度提高了一个数量级;当涨落误差和偏离误差均为5%时,对动力学测量效率以及时间分辨率提高了四倍以上.因此单光子调制频谱可以作为获取量子点在短时间尺度内激发态动力学信息的一种有效技术手段.     

Polar Plot Representation for Frequency-Domain Analysis of Fluorescence Lifetimes

We present applications of polar plots for analyzing fluorescence lifetime data acquired in the frequency domain. This graphical, analytical method is especially useful for rapid FLIM measurements. The usual method for sorting out and determining the underlying lifetime components from a complex fluorescence signal is to carry out the measurement at multiple frequencies. When it is not possible to measure at more than one frequency, such as rapid lifetime imaging, specific features of the polar plot analysis yield valuable information, and provide a diagnostic visualization of the participating fluorescent species underlying a complex lifetime distributions. Data are presented where this polar plot presentation is useful to derive valuable, unique information about the underlying component distributions. We also discuss artifacts of photolysis and how this method can also be applied to samples where each fluorescence species shows a continuous distribution of lifetimes. Polar plots of frequency-domain data are commonly used for analysis of dielectric relaxation experiments (Cole–Cole plots), which have proved to be exceptionally useful in that field for decades. We compare this analytical tool that is well developed and extensively used in dielectric relaxation and chemical kinetics to fluorescence measurements.     

Na5Eu(WO4)4单晶的光学性质研究

本文测定了Na5Eu(WO4)4单晶的吸收光谱,荧光寿命和荧光分支比,并计算了5D0→7FJ,的辐射跃迁几率、量子效率和发射截面。     

DMANS——一种新型荧光闪烁体染料的寿命与能量转移的研究

本工作对一种新型荧光闪烁体染料——4-二甲胺基—4''硝基芪(DMANS)在不同介质中的光谱行为和能量转移进行了研究,发现介质的极性大小以及介质和染料间的能量转移对该闪烁体染料的荧光量子产率和闪烁发光延迟具有重大影响。研究对选择基体材料和合理组成闪烁材料配方有一定的参考价值。