Theoretical study of the efficient fluorescence quenching process of the firefly luciferin

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

da silva, lp (Author) Other; simkovitch, r (Author) Other; huppert, d (Author) Other; da silva, jcge (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry

Vol. 266

Pages: 47-54

ISSN: 1010-6030

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 14 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 10 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Chemical sciences

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Chemistry

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-87A

DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2013.06.001

Abstract (EN): The firefly oxyluciferin family of fluorophores has been attracting attention from the research community, due to their role on firefly bioluminescence. Moreover, this family exhibits a very efficient fluorescence quenching process. The elucidation of this process is very important, as it may occur inside of the luciferase active site, thereby decreasing the life time of bioluminescence. To this end we have used a computational approach to study the fluorescence quenching of firefly luciferin, the most studied member of the oxyluciferin family of fluorophores. We have found that the fluorescence quenching is due to the excited state protonation of the nitrogen heteroatom of the benzothiazole moiety. This protonation leads to a singlet to triplet intersystem crossing to triplet excited states, which explains the quenching of fluorescence.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8