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Absorption tuning of the green fluorescent protein chromophore: synthesis and studies of model compounds

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Abstract

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore is a heterocyclic compound containing a p-hydroxybenzylidine attached to an imidazol-5(4H)-one ring. This review covers the synthesis of a variety of model systems for elucidating the intrinsic optical properties of the chromophore in the gas phase and its response in particular to hydrogen bond interactions. The overall goal is to understand how the protein binding pocket influences the absorption behavior, and the current status of our ongoing efforts is presented.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all co-workers whose names appear in the publications cited below. The Danish Research Agency (FNU) is gratefully acknowledged for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

    Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, 8000, Århus C, Denmark

    Lars H. Andersen

  3. Instituto de Química, UNAM, Circuito Exterior Ciudad Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Tomás Rocha-Rinza

Authors
  1. Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen
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  2. Lars H. Andersen
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  3. Tomás Rocha-Rinza
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Correspondence to Mogens Brøndsted Nielsen.

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Nielsen, M.B., Andersen, L.H. & Rocha-Rinza, T. Absorption tuning of the green fluorescent protein chromophore: synthesis and studies of model compounds. Monatsh Chem 142, 709–715 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-010-0430-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-010-0430-1

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