The quenching of tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence by H20 and D20

Hydrocarbon Synthesis via Photoenzymatic Decarboxylation of Carboxylic Acids

A recently discovered photodecarboxylase from Chlorella variabilis NC64A (CvFAP) bears the promise for the efficient and selective synthesis of hydrocarbons from carboxylic acids. CvFAP, however, exhibits a clear preference for long-chain fatty acids thereby limiting its broad applicability. In this contribution, we demonstrate that the decoy molecule approach enables conversion of a broad range of carboxylic acids by filling up the vacant substrate access channel of the photodecarboxylase. These results not only demonstrate a practical application of a unique, photoactivated enzyme but also pave the way to selective production of short-chain alkanes from waste carboxylic acids under mild reaction conditions.

Fluorescence studies of the effect of pH, guanidine hydrochloride and urea on equinatoxin II conformation

The solvent denaturation of equinatoxin II (EqTxII) in aqueous solutions of urea, guanidine hydrochloride (Gu-HCl) and at various pH values was examined by monitoring changes in the protein intrinsic emission fluorescence spectra and in the fluorescence spectra of the added external probe ANS. It has been observed that EqTxII denaturation is reflected in a strong red shift of intrinsic fluorescence emission maxima accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in fluorescence intensity and that guanidine hydrochloride is significantly more powerful denaturant than urea or changing of pH. Comparison of intrinsic fluorescence spectra of EqTxII denatured by one of the three denaturing agents has shown that the fully denatured states of the protein in Gu-HCl and urea are similar and substantially different from those induced by changing of pH. Furthermore, according to the measurements of the ANS-fluorescence in EqTxII solutions as a function of pH the protein exists at pH values below 2.0 in an acid-denatured compact state.

Electronic effects on the fluorescence of tyrosine in small peptides

It is shown for a series of tyrosine-derivatives and tyrosine-containing peptides that the amide group in combination with electron-withdrawing substituents quenches the fluorescence of the phenol moiety. The ammonium group has the strongest electron-withdrawing effect and thus the largest influence on the quenching rate. The peptide group itself does not quench the fluorescence. In a series of peptides with an increasing number of alanines the decreasing quenching efficiency of the peptide group due to the greater distance of the ammonium group is demonstrated. In tyrosine-containing di- and tripeptides a linear correlation between the 13C-NMR chemical shift delta of the C alpha atom of various aliphatic amino acids and the fluorescence-quenching constant confirms the hypothesis that electron-withdrawing and -donating groups are modulating the fluorescence-quenching efficiency of the peptide group. In small peptides the fluorescence lifetime of tyrosine is characteristic for the neighboring amino acids. Using model substances the redox properties of a peptide group and the phenol ring were studied electrochemically. The highest occupied molecular orbital of the tyrosine (1.4 V vs saturated calomel electrode [SCE]) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the peptide group (-3.12 V vs SCE) have appropriate energies for a photoinduced electron transfer reaction. For solute-quenching experiments quencher molecules can be systematically selected.

Estimation of tyrosine-40-DNA distance in the filamentous phage Pf1 by analysis of its intrinsic fluorescence properties

Iodination of the exposed Tyr-25 in the coat protein decreases the fluorescence intensity of the filamentous phage Pf1 to less than 3% of its original fluorescence. If one assumes that the total residual fluorescence originates from the non-iodinated, buried Tyr-40, one can estimate the distance between Tyr-40 and the DNA bases in Pf1 to be less than 7 A, making use of the Foerster law for fluorescence energy transfer. The result is consistent with the idea that Tyr-40-DNA interaction is responsible for the unusually large axial base separation in Pf1-DNA.

Emission-wavelength-dependent decay of the fluorescent probe N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine

We have measured the fluorescence decay of N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine using the phase-modulation method, in several solvent systems and egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. The decay is monoexponential in pure solvents (both polar and non-polar) of low viscosity. In polar viscous solvents or in non-polar solvents containing an added polar solute, the decay is heterogeneous and emission wavelength dependent. In such cases, dielectric relaxation and/or excited-rate complexing give rise to a shift of the emission spectrum on the nanosecond time scale. Emission-wavelength-dependent decay was also observed when N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine was bound to egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. From these results as well as the position of the emission spectral maximum, we conclude that N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine probes the ester-carbonyl region of the phospholipid acyl chains, where it undergoes an excited-state reaction. This result contradicts the often made assumption that N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine probes the deeper hydrocarbon region of the bilayer.

Optical and hydrodynamic studies of the structure of bacteriophage f2. II. Fluorescence of the capsid

Fluorescence properties of the icosahedral RNA virus bacteriophage f2 and its empty capsid are reported. Emission is dominated by tryptophan with a maximum wavelength of 320 nm for f2 and its empty capsid. In addition to this short wavelength maximum, perturbation and denaturation studies indicate the inaccessibility of the tryptophan residues. However a high degree of thermal quenching and a red shift in fluorescence emission on heating suggest a noncooperative structural transition, not a denaturation, which allows buried tryptophans to become exposed to solvent. Therefore the tryptophan residues may be located between subunits. Fluorescence from tyrosine is detected near 315 nm for both f2 and its empty capsid, and may indicate an unusual tyrosine environment. Sensitization of tryptophan fluorescence by tyrosine absorption and low values of polarization indicate tyrosine leads to tryptophan and tryptophan leads to tryptophan energy transfer. The presence of RNA in f2 decreases the efficiency of these transfer processes, but does not significantly affect the other reported fluorescence properties.