Lability of Stationary and Time-Resolved Optical Properties of the Conformationally Locked CFP Chromophore Derivative

The solvatochromic behavior of a model compound mimicking the chromophore of cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) in the spectral and time domains has been studied. Analysis of the time-resolved fluorescence signal, carried out in 40 solvents belonging to different classes, showed that the lipophilic environment promotes an increase, while aromatic solvents and tertiary amines, a decrease in the fluorescence lifetime of the chromophore. Based on this study, the possible rational design of CFP-like proteins was proposed.

Automated summary

The solvatochromic behavior of a model compound mimicking the chromophore of cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) was studied, showing that the lipophilic environment promotes an increase in fluorescence lifetime, while aromatic solvents and tertiary amines lead to a decrease. This study proposed a possible rational design of CFP-like proteins based on the findings.