Synthesis and Spectroscopy of Derivatives of the Fluorescent Protein Chromophore
Jiří Bufka, Jaroslav Šebestík, and Petr Bouř
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences
Flemingovo nám. 2, 16610 Prague 6, Czech Republic
The fluorescent protein is a valuable tool
in biological imaging techniques. We synthesized several derivatives of the
green fluorescent protein chromophore, in order to
understand spectroscopic properties of this interesting structural label. They
were characterized by 1H NMR, MCD and Raman spectroscopies.
The spectral properties will be used to obtain information on the geometry and the
electronic structure. Understanding the spectroscopic and chemical properties
and the chemical modification of the chromophore can
lead to better labels, e.g. which would be more stable or not easily eliminated
by the organism.