Origin of Tryptophan Fluorescence Lifetimes Part 1. Fluorescence Lifetimes Origin of Tryptophan Free in Solution

Fluorescence intensity decays of L-tryptophan free in polar, hydrophobic and mixture of polar-hydrophobic solvents were recorded along the emission spectrum (310–410 nm). Analysis of the data show that emission of tryptophan occurs with two lifetimes in 100 % polar and hydrophobic environments. The values of the two lifetimes are not the same in both environments while their populations (pre-exponentials values) are identical. Fluorescence lifetimes and pre-exponentials values do not change with the excitation wavelength and thus are independent of excitation energy. Our results indicate that tryptophan emission occurs from two specific sub-structures existing in the excited state. These sub-structures differ from those present in the ground states and characterize an internal property and/or organization of the tryptophan structure in the excited state. By sub-substructure, we mean here tryptophan backbone and its electronic cloud. In ethanol, three fluorescence lifetimes were measured; two lifetimes are very close to those observed in water (0.4–0.5 ns and 2–4 ns). Presence of a third lifetime for tryptophan in ethanol results from the interaction of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic dipoles or chemical functions of ethanol with the fluorophore.     

Origin of Tryptophan Fluorescence Lifetimes. Part 2: Fluorescence Lifetimes Origin of Tryptophan in Proteins

Fluorescence intensity decays of L-tryptophan in proteins dissolved in pH 7 buffer, in ethanol and in 6 M guanidine pH 7.8 and in lyophilized proteins were measured. In all protein conditions, three lifetimes were obtained along the emission spectrum (310–410 nm). The two shortest lifetimes are in the same range of those obtained for L-Trp in water or in ethanol. Thus, these two lifetimes originate from specific two sub-structures existing in the excited state and are inherent to the tryptophan structure independently of the surrounding environment (amino acids residues, solvent, etc.) In proteins, the third lifetime originates from the interactions that are occurring between tryptophan residues and neighboring amino acids. Populations of these lifetimes are independent of the excitation wavelength and thus originate from pre-defined sub structures existing in the excited state and put into evidence after tryptophan excitation. Fluorescence decay studies of different tripeptides having a tryptophan residue in second position show that the best analysis is obtained with two fluorescence lifetimes. Consequently, this result seems to exclude the possibility that peptide bond induces the third fluorescence lifetimes. Indole dissolved in water and/or in ethanol emits with two fluorescence lifetimes that are completely different from those observed for L-Trp. Absence of the third lifetime in ethanol demonstrates that indole behaves differently when compared to tryptophan. Thus, it seems not adequate to attribute fluorescence lifetime or fluorescence properties of tryptophan to indole ring and to compare tryptophan fluorescence properties in proteins to molecules having close structures such as NATA which fluoresces with one lifetime.     

血卟啉衍生物与人血清白蛋白作用的光谱特性研究

研究了用于光动力学诊断和治疗的光敏剂血卟啉衍生物(HpD)、人血清白蛋白(HSA)及其复合物的光谱特性。HpD与HSA作用形成HSA-HpD复合物大分子,其吸收光谱主峰(402 nm)和荧光发射光谱主峰(622 nm)与纯HpD的主峰相比都红移了8 nm以上。当使用对应HSA的激发峰228和279 nm及HpD的激发峰394 nm的光源,分别激发HpD-HSA混合体系时,发现体系中的HSA与HpD的吸收对复合大分子在622 nm的荧光发射均有贡献。当使用对应HpD-HSA吸收峰的激发波长402, 502, 537和570 nm,分别对HpD-HSA体系进行激发时,发现402 nm波长对该体系的荧光激发效率最佳,且吸收次峰537和570 nm对HpD-HSA的激发效率则明显高于纯HpD水溶液体系。实验结果表明,在肿瘤的临床诊断和治疗中选择合适的激发波长和荧光接收波长时,应考虑HpD与体内的特征蛋白结合后发生的光谱红移。该研究结果同时预示,当选用穿透能力较强的长波吸收次峰对肿瘤组织进行激发时,其激发效率应高于体外该波长激发单纯HpD水溶液体系的效率。     

Origin of Fluorescence Lifetimes in Human Serum Albumin. Studies on Native and Denatured Protein

Human serum albumin consists of a single polypeptide of 585 amino acid residues with 1 Trp residue. In the present work, we measured fluorescence lifetimes of the protein in both native and denatured states. The results indicate that Trp emission occurs with three lifetimes in both states. Lifetimes values and contribution to the global emission decay differ between the two states. Data are interpreted as the results of an emission occurring from three substructures of the tryptophan formed in the excited state. Two of these substructures are already present for the tryptophan free in solution. The third lifetime is the result of the interaction between the tryptophan residue and surrounding microenvironment. The populations of these substructures characterized by the pre-exponential parameters of the fluorescence lifetimes are dependent on the fluorophore microenvironment and on the global protein structure.     

光动力学疗法新型光敏剂的光谱特性研究

实验研究了用于光动力学诊断和治疗的新型光敏剂二磺基二邻苯二甲酰亚胺甲基酞菁锌（ZnPcS2P)癌光啉（PsD-007)、血啉甲醚（HMME）以及早期应用于临床的血卟啉衍生物（HpD)分别在生理盐水和含10％人血清生理盐水中的光谱特性。结果表明：除ZnPcS2P2的最大吸收峰位于670nm之外，其余三种光敏剂在人血清环境中的最大吸收峰都位于405nm处，但与生理盐水环境相比索瑞（Soret)峰发生了12nm的红移。在波长为413和514.5nm光源激发下，HMME，HpD和PsD-007在人血清环境中的荧光发射峰都分别位于625和690nm，但413nm光源的激发效率比514.5nm光源高出3倍左右，而且HEEM的荧光激发效率最高，HpD次之，PsD-007最低。     

Fluorescence Origin of 6,P-toluidinyl-naphthalene-2-sulfonate (TNS) Bound to Proteins

6,P-toluidinylnaphthalene-2-sulfonate (TNS) is a highly fluorescent molecule when dissolved in a low polarity medium or when bound to proteins. The aim of the present work is to explain origin of this fluorescence, to find out how the medium (solvent, protein matrix) affects fluorescence observables such as lifetimes and spectra and finally to put into evidence possible relation that exists between these observables and fluorophore structure. To achieve our goal we performed studies on TNS dissolved in ethanol, at high concentrations in water (aggregated form) and bound to proteins. Our experiments allowed us to find out that TNS in the three environments has different structures. Presence of three lifetimes observed in proteins and in water instead of one lifetime found in ethanol can be assigned to the high contact between TNS molecules. Our results are discussed in terms of solvent polarity and interaction within fluorophore molecules bound to proteins.     

基于跃迁偶极矩取向特征研究乙醚溶液中分子的各向异性度

利用偏振荧光光谱和偏振激发光谱研究了乙醚溶液中荧光分子跃迁偶极距的取向特征.实验结果表明,在垂直线偏振光照射下,乙醚溶液发射出峰值位于305 nm的荧光谱,对应的最佳激励光波长为256 nm.由偏振激发光谱分析得到荧光体的吸收跃迁偶极矩和发射跃迁偶极矩间夹角α的变化规律,揭示了荧光去偏振过程：在粘性溶液中的荧光分子具有一定的偶极取向,α随激发光波长发生变化,当激发波长接近最佳激发光波长时,吸收跃迁偶极矩和发射跃迁偶极矩间趋于平行,荧光的退偏效果较弱,偏振度最大.研究结果能为分子空间取向特征的理论研究提供参考.     

83 K光系统Ⅱ核心复合物不同激发的荧光光谱学

在83 K低温下,利用稳态荧光光谱技术对光系统Ⅱ（PSⅡ）核心复合物中激发能的传递进行了研究,激励波长分别选择为436 nm,480 nm,495 nm和507 nm,得到4种波长激发下的稳态荧光光谱.经过比较发现其最大峰值所在的位置没有因激发波长的不同而发生改变,都在696 nm处,在不同激发波长下经过高斯解析获得不同的谱带.根据发射光谱与吸收光谱的对应性,反映了不同的光谱特性,说明在不同波长光的激发下,核心复合物中能量传递的途径不同.同时,可以分析出在核心复合物中,至少有Chl a670.4670,Chl a684.7,685.1683,Chl a689.0687,Chl a690.9,693.4,695.2,698.06904种Chl a组分参与了能量的传递.     

Excitation-wavelength Dependent Fluorescence of Ethyl 5-(4-aminophenyl)-3-amino-2,4-dicyanobenzoate

The excitation wavelength dependence of the steady-state and time-resolved emission spectra of ethyl 5-(4-aminophenyl)-3-amino-2,4-dicyanobenzoate (EAADCy) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature has been examined. It is found that the ratio of the fluorescence intensity of the long-wavelength and short-wavelength fluorescence bands strongly depends on the excitation wavelength, whereas the wavelengths of the fluorescence excitation and fluorescence bands maxima are independent on the observation/excitation wavelengths. The dynamic Stokes shift of fluorophore in locally excited (LE) and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states has been studied with a time resolution about 30 ps. The difference between Stokes shift in the LE and ICT states was attributed to the solvent response to the large photoinduced dipole moment of EAADCy in the fluorescent charge transfer state. On this base we can state that, the relaxation of the polar solvent molecules around the fluorophore was observed.     

用稳态和时间分辨荧光光谱研究乙醇-水分子团簇的可能类型

研究了紫外光照射乙醇－水混合溶液的稳态和时间分辨荧光光谱.通过检测其荧光光谱和激发光谱,得到了稳态发射光谱的三个荧光峰,峰值分别位于290 nm、305 nm、330 nm,相应的最佳激励光分别为265 nm, 280 nm 和236 nm.在荧光光谱峰值波长处分别监测其荧光强度随时间的衰变过程,将获得的荧光衰减动力学曲线采用指数拟合并进行解卷积处理获得不同荧光光子的寿命值.乙醇－水溶液稳态光谱的特点和三个不同的荧光寿命都表明了溶液中含有三个不同的生色团,分析认为乙醇和水分子间通过氢键作用形成了不同结构的团簇分子.     

Multiphoton Ligand-Enhanced Excitation of Lanthanides

We describe multiphoton excitation of the lanthanides europium (Eu³⁺) and terbium (Tb³⁺) when these ions are complexed with nucleic acids, proteins, and fluorescent chelators. In all cases excitation occurs by multiphoton absorption of the sensitizers. For the nucleotide GDP and an oligonucleotide with several guanines, the sensitized emission of Tb³⁺ excited at 776 nm indicated a three-photon process. For Tb³⁺ bound to the wild-type troponin C and a single tryptophan mutant (26W), excitation at 794 nm was also close to a three-photon process. For lanthanide chelators containing various sensitizers, we observed three-photon excitation in the case of methyl anthranilate, a mixuture of two- and three-photon excitation for carbostyril 124, and a two-photon process with a coumarin derivative. In the case of coumarin-sensitized emission of Eu³⁺ varied from a two- to a three-photon process at wavelengths ranging from 780 to 880 nm. The sensitized luminescence also shows significantly higher photostability compared to the fluorescence from the organic fluorophores alone. These results suggest the use of multiphoton-induced sensitized lanthanide fluorescence in biochemistry and cellular imaging.On leave from the Institute of Experimental Physics     

电压敏感染料di-4-ANEPPS的光谱研究

实验研究了电压敏感染料di-4-ANEPPS在家兔心肌组织中的吸收光谱和荧光光谱特性。结果表明,含染料组织的光吸收普遍大于对照组,在450～550 nm波段吸收谱差异更明显;染料在心室组织中的最大吸收峰为(479.75±0.44) nm。通过测量含染料心脏不同部位的荧光光谱,首次发现心室组织、心房组织和主动脉的最大荧光峰位有一定差异,其相对荧光强度则与染料的分布浓度有关。根据三维和二维荧光光谱分别确定了含染料心房和心室组织的最佳荧光激发波长和荧光测定波长。利用心房和心室组织的静息电位差,在不同波长激发光下测量了染料的荧光光谱移动,确定了光标测量实验的最佳激发光和相应荧光检测波长范围。这些研究结果为心脏光学标测系统的设计提供了理论依据。     

Relation between proteins tertiary structure, tryptophan fluorescence lifetimes and tryptophan S(o)→(1)L(b) and S(o)→(1)L(a) transitions. Studies on α1-acid glycoprotein and β-lactoglobulin

We measured fluorescence lifetimes and fluorescence spectra (excitation and emission) of tryptophan residues of α₁-acid glycoprotein (three Trp residues) and β-lactoglobulin (two Trp residues) in absence and presence of 450 μM progesterone. Progesterone binds only to α₁-acid glycoprotein. In absence of progesterone, each of the two proteins displays three fluorescence lifetimes. Addition of progesterone induces a partial inhibition of the S _o → ¹ L _a transition without affecting fluorescence lifetimes. The same experiments performed in presence of denatured proteins in 6 M guanidine show that addition of progesterone inhibits partially the S _o → ¹ L _a transition and its peak is 15 nm shifted to the red compared to that obtained for native proteins. However, the S _o → ¹ L _b transition position peak is not affected by protein denaturation. Thus, the tertiary structure of the protein plays an important role by modulating the tryptophan electronic transitions. Fluorescence emission decay recorded in absence and presence of progesterone yields three fluorescence lifetimes whether proteins are denatured or not. Thus, protein tertiary structure is not responsible for the presence of three fluorescence lifetimes. These characterize tryptophan substructures reached at the excited states and which population (pre-exponential values) depend on the tryptophan residues interaction with their microenvironment(s) and thus on the global conformation of the protein.     

不同波长激发光诱导奶牛血液荧光光谱特性

实验样品取自正常奶牛静脉血液并用枸橼酸钠抗凝。实验结果表明:激发光波长不同,激发的荧光光谱线的强度和峰值不同;实验中用220～270nm波长的光激发荧光时,在317,367nm荧光主峰强度出现竞争现象;比较多种激发光激发的荧光光谱的实验结果知:用220,230,240,290,350,480,500nm波长的激发光激发下的荧光强度较强,而用其他波长的激发光激发下的荧光强度较弱,且在317,365,367,388,348,463,467,607,638nm波长附近出现比较强的峰值;合适波长的激发光对奶牛血液会有比较强的生物学效应。     

Excitation Wavelength Dependence of Dual Fluorescence of DMABN in Polar Solvents

Steady-state absorption, fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN) have been measured at room temperature in cyclohexane, 1,4-dioxane, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile solutions. The fluorescence spectra of DMABN are found to exhibit dual emission in 1,4-dioxane, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile solutions and single emission in cyclohexane solution. The effect of solvent polarity and excitation wavelength on the emission spectra has also been studied. The fluorescence excitation spectra of DMABN monitored at the emission bands are different. The presence of two different conformations of the same molecule in the ground state has lead to two close lying excited states; local excited (LE) and charge transfer (CT), and thereby results in the dual fluorescence of the compound. The experimental studies were supported by ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations performed at the B3LYP/6-31Gd level of theory. On the basis of the experimental results and our theoretical calculations, we suggest that there are two conformers of DMABN, which are stable in the ground state, equilibrated in solution at room temperature that give rise dual fluorescence upon excitation.     

The Effect of Temperature and Excitation on the Single- and Two-Photon Excited Emission Spectrum of Curium in a Glass Matrix

Single and two-photon excited emission has been observed from a curiumdoped borosilicate glass matrix at both room and liquid nitrogen temperatures. The emission spectrum was measured using several different excitation energies and intensities. In addition to the expected line narrowing, variations in the ratios of emission intensities between states, and between crystal field levels within the each state were observed with cooling. Slight variations in the emission spectrum also arose as a function of the excitation intensity. These variations in the Cm ion's emission spectrum as a function of experimental parameters are presented and discussed.     

Light quenching of tetraphenylbutadiene fluorescence observed during two-photon excitation

We observed the steady-state and time-resolved emission of tetraphenylbutadiene (TPB) whea excited by simultaneous absorption of two photons (514 to 610 nm). The intensity initially increased quadratically with laser power, as expected for a two-photon process. At higher laser powers the intensity increases in TPB were subquadratic. The intensity and anisotropy decay times of TPB were unchanged under the locally intense illumination. Importantly, the time zero anisotropy of TPB was decreased under conditions where the intensity was subquadratic. Furthermore, the subquadratic dependence on incident power was not observed for two-photon excitation of 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO), for which the incident wavelength does not overlap with the emission spectrum. These results are consistent with stimulated emission (light quenching) of TPB at high laser intensities. The phenomenon of light quenching may be important for other fluorophores used in biochemical research, particularly for the high local intensities used for two-photon excitation.     

乙醇和水分子形成配合物与荧光光谱特性研究

讨论了紫外光照射乙醇和水混合溶液的荧光光谱及其对应的激发光谱，认为乙醇和水分子混 合时会发生团簇形成新的分子从而成为能辐射荧光的物质.采用不同波长的紫外光照射乙醇 水溶液，计算了不同入射光的荧光量子产率，进而选取具有最高荧光效率的激励光照射不同 混合比率溶液，通过探测混合物所发射的荧光光子数目随乙醇和水混合比率的变化规律，研 究了团簇分子的可能类型，并利用荧光强度和吸收率的加和性计算了混合物的总吸收率和总 荧光光子数目，从而解释了乙醇水溶液的荧光光谱特征峰.结果可为乙醇和水分子形成的新 团簇分子研究提供实验和理论依据. 关键词： 乙醇-水配合物 荧光光谱 分子团簇 激发光谱     

Label-Free Spatial Analysis of Free and Enzyme-Bound NAD(P)H in the Presence of High Concentrations of Melanin

The analysis of autofluorescence, often regarded as undesired noise during the imaging of biological samples, allows label free, unbiased detection of NAD(P)H and melanin in native samples. Because both the emission and absorption spectra of these fluorophores overlap and they can hence not be differentiated using emission filters or with different excitation wavelengths, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is used to differentiate between them. In the present paper the application of two-photon excitation microscopy is presented to investigate the autofluorescence of fungal spores. The model organism which was examined is Aspergillus ochraceus. Furthermore a strategy is developed which allows to quantitatively analyze the fluorescence lifetimes of melanin, free NAD(P)H and protein-bound NAD(P)H using forward convolution of a multiexponential decay function with the instrument response function (IRF) and subsequent fitting to the experimental fluorescence data. As a consequence proteins, which are able to bind NAD(P)H, are located with sub-cellular resolution. Furthermore a spatial differentiation of the fluorophores NAD(P)H and melanin inside the spores, is revealed.     

Syntheses of Novel Dipyrrylmethene-BF2 Dyes and Their Performance as Labels in Two-Photon Excited Fluoroimmunoassay

Two-photon excitation of fluorescence (TPE) has been found a powerful tool in the field of microscopy imaging and recently also in the field of bioanalytics. The recently introduced bioaffinity assay technology, ArcDia TPX, enables separation-free ultra-sensitive immunoassays from microvolumes. This assay technique is based on the use of microspheres as a solid reaction carriers and two-photon excited fluorescence detection. In the ArcDia TPX-technology, the individual microparticles are observed and the number of bound biomolecules on the microparticle surface is quantified by two-photon excited fluorescence. Here we present synthesis and use of a novel dipyrrylmethene-BF2 fluorophore that has been designed to be used as label in ArcDia TPX assay technique. The absorption and emission wavelengths of the label are tuned to allow excitation with a 1064 nm microchip laser. The label contains two-carboxylic residues, one of which is activated as N-hydroxysuccinimide ester to enable labeling of amino residues of biomolecules. The other carboxylic group is in free form to increase solubility in aqueous solutions. This new fluorescent label is tested in a separation-free immunoassay using ArcDia TPX assay technique. The performance of the new label is compared to that of one of the brightest fluorophores available, R-phycoerythrin (RPE). According to the results, the dipyrrylmethene-BF2 label provides significantly better signal-to-background ratio, leading to higher assay sensitivity and broader dynamic range compared to that of RPE. Good solubility to aqueous solutions and high fluorescence quantum efficiency, suggests the dipyrrylmethene-BF2 label is applicable also in other fluorescence-based applications.