Inhibition of twisting of a green fluorescent protein-like chromophore by metal complexation

摘要

Substitution of a pyridyl for the hydroxyphenyl moiety in the Green Fluorescent Protein analog p-hydroxybenzylidene-dimethylimidiazolinone produces a chromophore which "turns on" fluorescence in the presence of Zn~(2+) or Cd~(2+) ions. Such a phenomenon provides "proof of principle" for using GFP chromophores in a variety of sensing applications.