Deciphering the Chemical Basis of Fluorescence of a Selenium-Labeled Uracil Probe when Bound at the Bacterial Ribosomal A-Site

We unveil in this work the main factors that govern the turn-on/off fluorescence of a Se-modified uracil probe at the ribosomal RNA A-site. Whereas the constraint into an "in-plane" conformation of the two rings of the fluorophore is the main driver for the observed turn-on fluorescence emission in the presence of the antibiotic paromomycin, the electrostatics of the environment plays a minor role during the emission process. Our computational strategy clearly indicates that, in the absence of paromomycin, the probe prefers conformations that show a dark S₁ electronic state with participation of nπ* electronic transition contributions between the selenium atom and the π-system of the uracil moiety.