Elucidation of photo-induced electron transfer in a loop-forming peptide: Dye-Ala-Gly-Gln-Tyr

Abstract

We investigated photo-induced electron transfer (PET) in a dye-labeled peptide, fluorophore-Ala-Gly-Gln-Tyr, employing time-resolved fluorescence. As an effort to develop new functional dyes, we studied an acriflavine derivative for the electron-acceptor in the excited state from tyrosine, an electrondonor in the ground-state. The pH dependence of the fluorescence lifetime of the model peptide indicates that electron transfer between the excited dye and tyrosine occurs when the tyrosine is deprotonated. The proton-coupled electron transfer appears to be sequential rather than concerted. We also report direct time measurements on the end-to-end loop formation processes of the peptide in water.