Pyrene Excimer Research Articles

Effects of two stabilizing substitutions, D137L and G126R, in the middle part of α-tropomyosin on the domain structure of its molecule

We applied differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to investigate the effects of substitutions D137L and G126R (i.e. replacement of conserved non-canonical residues Asp137 and Gly126 by canonical ones) in the middle part of tropomyosin (Tm), as well as the combined one, D137L/G126R, on the thermal unfolding of Tm. Special approaches (e.g. combination of DSC with measurements of temperature dependences of pyrene excimer fluorescence) were applied to assign separate thermal transitions (calorimetric domains) on the DSC profiles to the certain parts of Tm molecule. The results show that substitutions D137L and G126R (and, especially, the combined one, D137L/G126R) may stabilize not only the middle region of Tm, but also the other parts of its molecule including N- and C-terminal parts. These results suggest that the stabilization of the Tm middle part can be transmitted along the coiled-coil length displaying long-range effects.

Bispyrene-fluorescein hybrid based FRET cassette: a convenient platform toward ratiometric time-resolved probe for bioanalytical applications.

Pyrene excimer possesses a large Stokes shift and long fluorescence lifetime and has been widely applied in developing time-resolved biosensing systems to solve the autofluorescence interference problems in biological samples. However, only a few of pyrene excimer-based small molecular probes have been reported so far. Ratiometric probes, on the other hand, can eliminate interferences from environmental factors such as instrumental efficiency and environmental conditions by a built-in correction of the dual emission bands but are ineffective for endogenous autofluorescence in biosystems. In this work, by combining the advantages of time-resolved fluorescence technique with ratiometric probe, we reported a bispyrene-fluorescein hybrid FRET cassette (PF) as a novel ratiometric time-resolved sensing platform for bioanalytical applications, with pH chosen as a biorelated target. The probe PF showed a fast, highly selective, and reversible ratiometric fluorescence response to pH in a wide range from 3.0 to 10.0 in buffered solution. By employing time-resolved fluorescence technique, the pH-induced fluorescence signal of probe PF can be well-discriminated from biological autofluorescence background, which enables us to detect pH in a range of 4.0-8.0 in cell media within a few seconds. It has also been preliminarily applied for ratiometric quantitative monitoring of pH changes in living cells with satisfying results. Since many fluorescein-based fluorescence probes have been developed, our strategy might find wide applications in design ratiometric time-resolved probes for detection of various biorelated targets.

Ratiometric fluorescent probe for alkaline phosphatase based on betaine-modified polyethylenimine via excimer/monomer conversion.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an important diagnostic indicator for a number of human diseases since abnormal level of ALP is closely related to a variety of pathological processes; hence, the development of convenient and reliable assay methods for monitoring ALP is of great significance for medical sciences as well as biological diagnostics. Herein, we report the first ratiometric fluorescent sensing system for ALP. This sensing system consists of two components: the betaine-modified and positively charged polyethylenimine (PEI) and the negatively charged pyrene derivative containing one ALP-responsive phosphate group (Py-P, an aliphatic phosphate ester). In the absence of ALP, the two-component sensing system shows the excimer's emission of Py-P, since Py-P molecules complex with the positively charged polyelectrolyte via electrostatic interactions, leading to the formation of pyrene excimers. While in the presence of ALP, the phosphate moieties are cleaved from Py-P molecules due to the enzymatic reaction, thereby destroying the electrostatic interactions; as a result, the system displays the monomer emission of Py-P. This assay system is operable in aqueous media with a very low detection limit of 0.1 U/mL. The system is capable of detecting ALP in such biological fluid as serum, and this strategy may provide a new and effective approach for designing ratiometric sensing systems for detecting other biomolecules.

Direct observation of bis(dicarbollyl)nickel conformers in solution by fluorescence spectroscopy: an approach to redox-controlled metallacarborane molecular motors.

As a continuation of work on metallacarborane-based molecular motors, the structures of substituted bis(dicarbollyl)nickel complexes in Ni(III) and Ni(IV) oxidation states were investigated in solution by fluorescence spectroscopy. Symmetrically positioned cage-linked pyrene molecules served as fluorescent probes to enable the observation of mixed meso-trans/dl-gauche (pyrene monomer fluorescence) and dl-cis/dl-gauche (intramolecular pyrene excimer fluorescence with residual monomer fluorescence) cage conformations of the nickelacarboranes in the Ni(III) and Ni(IV) oxidation states, respectively. The absence of energetically disfavored conformers in solution--dl-cis in the case of nickel(III) complexes and meso-trans in the case of nickel(IV)--was demonstrated based on spectroscopic data and conformer energy calculations in solution. The conformational persistence observed in solution indicates that bis(dicarbollyl)nickel complexes may provide attractive templates for building electrically driven and/or photodriven molecular motors.

Protease probes that enable excimer signaling upon scission.

Peptide-based probes that fluoresce upon proteolytic cleavage are invaluable tools for monitoring protease activity. The read-out of protease activity through pyrene excimer signaling would be a valuable asset because the large Stokes shift and the long lifetime of the excimer emission facilitate measurements in autofluorescent media such as blood serum. However, proteolytic cleavage abolishes rather than installs the proximity relationships required for excimer signaling. Herein, we introduce a new probe architecture to enable the switching on of pyrene excimer emission upon proteolytic scission. The method relies on hairpin-structured peptide nucleic acid (PNA)/peptide hybrids with pyrene units and anthraquinone-based quencher residues positioned in a zipper-like arrangement within the PNA stem. The excimer hairpin peptide beacons afforded up to a 50-fold enhancement of the pyrene excimer emission. Time-resolved measurements allowed the detection of matrix metalloprotease 7 in human blood serum.

Pyrene-Capped CdSe@ZnS Nanoparticles as Sensitive Flexible Oxygen Sensors in Non-Aqueous Media.

A flexible, highly sensitive sensor of oxygen in non-aqueous solvents is described. It consists of CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles decorated with a considerable number of pyrene units, thus making the formation of the pyrene excimer possible. The emission of the pyrene excimer and that of the nanoparticle are suitably separated from each other and also from the excitation wavelength. This sensor can be applied as a ratiometric oxygen sensor by using the linear response of the pyrene excimer lifetime combined with the linear response of the nanoparticle excited state lifetime. This nanohybrid has been assayed in seven media with different dielectric constants and viscosities over the whole oxygen concentration range. In addition, the sensor versatility provides an easy way for monitoring oxygen diffusion through systems.

Unique effects of the chain lengths and anions of tetra-alkylammonium salts on quenching pyrene excimer.

Pyrene (Py) excimer, through its unique fluorescence quenching, exhibits high sensitivity and high selectivity in detecting specific electron-deficient molecules, providing a potential platform for sensing technology, optical switch, and probing hydrophobicity of molecular environment. In solution state, its quenching mechanism has been well-studied. However, there remain many unknown properties regarding the quenching mechanism of the solid-state Py excimer. In this paper, the effects of a series of tetra-alkylammonium salts (with a variety of chain lengths and anions) on Py excimer quenching are investigated to identify the controlling parameters of the fluorescence quenching in the binary system. Several experimental approaches including steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, UV absorption, (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and time-dependent fluorescence decay are employed to seek for the fundamental understanding of the quenching mechanism. The result indicates a unique quenching effect of tetrabutylammonium cation on the pyrene excimer, and which is not observed in the other cations with different chain lengths (the same associated hexafluorophosphate anions). Meanwhile, hexafluorophosphate anion (in the presence of tetrabutylammonium) is able to effectively retain Py excimer fluorescence when the system is prepared by evaporating solvent at high temperature. It is also confirmed that dynamic quenching is involved in the process. Hydrophobic environment around Py molecules shows strong correlation with the formation of Py excimer. The knowledge obtained in this study provides the insights to how the interaction between salt and Py molecule affects the excimer fluorescence.

Label-Free DNA Sequence Detection through FRET from a Fluorescent Polymer with Pyrene Excimer to SG.

A label-free complex probe composed of a water-soluble fluorescent pyrene-functionalized polymer, ssDNA, and a nucleic acid stain (SG) is presented here, which can detect DNA sequence via FRET from pyrene excimer to SG. Complementary and one-base mismatched strands at nanomolar concentrations can be distinguished by the examination of the FRET fluorescence intensity of SG. This novel strategy for detecting DNA using the fluorescent pyrene-functionalized polymer not only affords a simple label-free method to detect nucleic acid sequence but also endows the detection with high sensitivity and selectivity, which may find wide applications for optical biosensing.

Analysis of factors affecting luminescence decays: Concentration distribution of excited molecules in the reaction cell

An explicit method for calculating the spatial distribution of excited species in the reaction cell is presented. This method is used to analyze the relation between experimental conditions (excitation wavelength, ground state concentration, and laser intensity) and the observed luminescence decays (and the corresponding reaction kinetics) in both transient emission and transient absorption pulse laser photolysis experiments. Subsequently, the analysis was applied to the experimental conditions of previously extensively studied pyrene excimer formation in cyclohexane (J.B. Birks, Photophysics of Aromatic Molecules, Wiley-Interscience, London, 1970) and significantly different data were obtained in the redesigned experiment; the excimer formation and decay rate constants at 23.5°C were found to be (4.77±0.04)×109M−1s−1 and (2.07±0.01)×107s−1, respectively. Most importantly, the excimer dissociation into a singlet excited pyrene and ground state pyrene was found to be negligible, which is an important result that crucially affects the data processing in many previous and current applications of excimer formation.

2'-Bispyrene-modified 2'-O-methyl RNA probes as useful tools for the detection of RNA: synthesis, fluorescent properties, and duplex stability.

The synthesis and properties two series of new 2'-O-methyl RNA probes, each containing a single insertion of a 2'-bispyrenylmethylphosphorodiamidate derivative of a nucleotide (U, C, A, and G), are described. As demonstrated by UV melting studies, the probes form stable complexes with model RNAs and DNAs. Significant increases (up to 21-fold) in pyrene excimer fluorescence intensity were observed upon binding of most of the probes with complementary RNAs, but not with DNAs. The fluorescence spectra are independent of the nature of the modified nucleotides. The nucleotides on the 5'-side of the modified nucleotide have no effect on the fluorescence spectra, whereas the natures of the two nucleotides on the 3'-side are important: CC, CG, and UC dinucleotide units on the 3'-side of the modified nucleotide provide the maximum increases in excimer fluorescence intensity. This study suggests that these 2'-bispyrene-labeled 2'-O-methyl RNA probes might be useful tools for detection of RNAs.

Pyrene-modified PNAs: Stacking interactions and selective excimer emission in PNA2DNA triplexes.

Pyrene derivatives can be incorporated into nucleic acid analogs in order to obtain switchable probes or supramolecular architectures. In this paper, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) containing 1 to 3 1-pyreneacetic acid units (PNA1–6) with a sequence with prevalence of pyrimidine bases, complementary to cystic fibrosis W1282X point mutation were synthesized. These compounds showed sequence-selective switch-on of pyrene excimer emission in the presence of target DNA, due to PNA2DNA triplex formation, with stability depending on the number and positioning of the pyrene units along the chain. An increase in triplex stability and a very high mismatch-selectivity, derived from combined stacking and base-pairing interactions, were found for PNA2, bearing two distant pyrene units.

Study on fluorescent switching of naphthopyran with carbazole and pyrene dyad immobilized on SBA-15

A naphthopyran-bridge-carbazole dyad (CzNP), which exhibits both fluorescence and photochromism was synthesized. Then the CzNP was grafted into SBA-15-NH2, with particular focus on how the SBA-15-NH2 affects the photoswitching fluorescence change properties. A double fluorescence photochromic material, which was prepared by reacting 1-Pyrenecardboxaldehyde(PY-CHO):naphthopyran-carbazole(CzNP)=1:1 (molar ratio) with SBA-15-NH2 was also synthesized. Naphthopyran in this two systems displayed excellent photochromic performance. The fluorescent emission was modulated between ‘on’ and ‘off’ via the photoisomerization of naphthopyran in high-degree, especially in PY-CzNP-SBA-15-NH2 (>90%) due to the photoinduced energy transfer from pyrene excimers to the opened-form naphthopyran and the photoinduced electron transfer between carbazoles and the opened-form naphthopyran moiety. Both the fluorescence photoswitching CzNP-SBA-15-NH2 and PY-CzNP-SBA-15-NH2 in CH3CN/H2O (v/v, 1:1) solution displayed excellent fatigue resistance. The structural characteristics of CzNP-SBA-15-NH2 and PY-CzNP-SBA-15-NH2 were measured by FTIR spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Elemental analysis.

A pyrene based fluorescence approach to study conformation of apolipoprotein E3 in macrophage-generated nascent high density lipoprotein

Apolipoprotein E3 (apoE3) is an anti-atherogenic apolipoprotein with the ability to exist in lipid-free and lipoprotein-associated states. During atherosclerosis, its function in promoting cholesterol efflux from macrophages via the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) takes a prominent role, leading to generation of nascent high density lipoprotein (nHDL) particles. The objective of this study is to understand the conformation adopted by apoE3 in macrophage-generated nHDL using a fluorescence spectroscopic approach involving pyrene. Pyrene-labeled recombinant human apoE3 displayed a robust ability to stimulate ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux from cholesterol-loaded J774 macrophages (which do not express apoE), comparable to that elicited by unlabeled apoE3. The nHDL recovered from the conditioned medium revealed the presence of apoE3 by immunoblot analysis. A heterogeneous population of nHDL bearing exogenously added apoE3 was generated with particle size varying from ∼12 to ∼19nm in diameter, corresponding to molecular mass of ∼450 to ∼700kDa. The lipid: apoE3 ratio varied from ∼60:1 to 10:1. A significant extent of pyrene excimer emission was noted in nHDL, indicative of spatial proximity between Cys112 on neighboring apoE3 molecules similar to that noted in reconstituted HDL. Cross-linking analysis using Cys-specific cross-linkers revealed the predominant presence of dimers. Taken together the data indicate a double belt arrangement of apoE molecules on nHDL. A similar organization of the C-terminal tail of apoE on nHDL was noted when pyrene-apoEA277C(201–299) was used as the cholesterol acceptor. These studies open up the possibility of using exogenously labeled apoE3 to generate nHDL for structural and conformational analysis.

Target-catalyzed dynamic assembly-based pyrene excimer switching for enzyme-free nucleic acid amplified detection.

Because of the intrinsic importance of nucleic acid as biotargets, the simple and sensitive detection of nucleic acid is very essential for biological studies and medical diagnostics. Herein, a new strategy for enzyme-free nucleic acid amplified detection has been opened up by combining the signal-amplification capability of target-catalyzed dynamic assembly with the spatially sensitive fluorescent signal of the pyrene excimer. In this strategy, three metastable pyrene-labeled hairpin DNA probes were designed as assembly components, which were kinetically handicapped from cross-opening in the absence of the target DNA. However, in the presence of the target, the dynamic assembly of branched junctions was circularly catalyzed and accompanied by the switching of the pyrene excimer which emits at ~488 nm. Thus, the target DNA could be detected by this simple mix-and-detect amplification method, without expensive and perishable protein enzymes. A good detection capability exhibited with a detectable minimum target concentration of 10 pM, which was comparable to or even better than some reported enzyme-dependent amplification methods, and the potential for the target detection from complex fluids was verified. In addition, as a novel transformation of dynamic DNA assembly technology into enzyme-free signal-amplification analytical application, we infer that the proposed strategy will hold promising potential for application in a wider range of fields, including aptamer-based non-nucleic acid target sensing, biomedicine, and bioimaging.

Formation of Pyrene Excimers in Mesoporous Ormosil Thin Films for Visual Detection of Nitro-explosives

We report the preparation of mesoporous thin films with bright pyrene excimer emission and their application in visual and rapid detection of nitroaromatic explosive vapors. The fluorescent films were produced by physically encapsulating pyrene molecules in the organically modified silica (ormosil) networks which were prepared via a facile template-free sol-gel method. Formation and stability of pyrene excimer emission were investigated in both porous and nonporous ormosil thin films. Excimer emission was significantly brighter and excimer formation ability was more stable in porous films compared to nonporous films. Rapid and selective quenching was observed in the excimer emission against vapors of nitroaromatic molecules; trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrotoluene (DNT), and nitrobenzene (NB). Fluorescence quenching of the films can be easily observed under UV light, enabling the naked-eye detection of nitro-explosives. Furthermore, excimer emission signal can be recovered after quenching and the films can be reused at least five times.

Label-free selective sensing of Pb2+ lead(II) sensors based on the aggregation of a pyrene fluorescent probe

In the present work, we report a label-free fluorescence turn-on approach for the sensitive and selective sensing of Pb2+. Pyrene with one positive charge was used as the fluorescent probe, and thrombin aptamer (TBA), which was a G-rich oligonucleotide, was employed to form G-quadruplex with lead(II). When TBA and Pb2+ were mixed with lead(II) in an aqueous solution, it was folded into a stable G-quadruplex. Subsequently, a single-stranded nucleic acid-specific nuclease S1 was added. The G-quadruplex stabilized by Pb2+ lead(II) had markedly a significant resistant ability to nuclease S1 digestion. However, in the absence of Pb2+ lead(II), no quadruplex or less stable quadruplex was formed and TBA was digested by nuclease S1 in 3 min under the optimized experimental conditions. Finally, pyrene probe was mixed with oligonucleotide in Pb2+ lead(II). Electrostatic interactions between oligonucleotide (a polyanion) and the probe induced the aggregation of the probe, which in turn produced strong emission of the strong pyrene excimer emission. The intensity of the induced excimer emission was directly proportional to the amount of Pb2+ added. Our approach shows good selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Pb2+ with a limit of detection limit as low as 800 nmol/L.

Analysis of the Molecular Organization of Lipoprotein-Associated Apolipoprotein E, an Anti-Atherogenic Protein

Human apolipoprotein E3 (apoE3) is a 299 residue exchangeable apolipoprotein that has the ability to exist in lipid-free and lipoprotein-bound states. It is composed of an N-terminal domain bearing LDL-receptor binding sites and a C-terminal (CT) domain bearing high-affinity lipid-binding sites; the latter is also responsible for mediating cellular cholesterol efflux. ApoE plays a crucial role as an anti-atherogenic agent in atherosclerosis by virtue of its ability to mediate reverse cholesterol transport by promoting cholesterol efflux from macrophages, a process that leads to the initial formation of nascent discoidal high-density lipoproteins (nHDL). The objective of this study is to understand the molecular organization and conformation of apoE3 (1-299) and isolated CT domain (201-299) on reconstituted HDL (rHDL) and nHDL generated by macrophages. To accomplish this, we over-expressed and purified recombinant apoE3 and the CT domain bearing single Cys at selected sites. rHDL was prepared using unlabeled or pyrene-labeled single Cys variants and phospholipids, while nHDL was generated by exposing cholesterol-loaded J774 macrophages to unlabeled or labeled apoE bearing probes at defined sites. Lipid-associated apoE was obtained by density gradient ultracentrifugation. The relative organization of apoE molecules on rHDL and nHDL was followed by monitoring pyrene excimer fluorescence and by site-specific cross-linking studies, both complementary validators of spatial proximity at ∼10 A distance. The appearance of excimer emission and cross-linked dimers regardless of the location of the single Cys is indicative of pairs of apoE3 molecules oriented parallel to each other on the HDL to form a dimer. Based on our results, we propose that apoE molecules circumscribe a bilayer of lipids adopting a belt-like conformation. Our study offers mechanistic details of apoE interaction with lipids, which aids in understanding its role in cardiovascular disease.

Pyrene-Fullerene C60 Dyads as Light-Harvesting Antennas

A series of pyrene-fullerene C60 dyads bearing pyrene units (PyFC12, PyFPy, Py2FC12 and PyFN) were synthesized and characterized. Their optical properties were studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Dyads were designed in this way because the pyrene moeities act as light-harvesting molecules and are able to produce “monomer” (PyFC12) or excimer emission (PyFPy, Py2FC12 and PyFN). The fluorescence spectra of the dyads exhibited a significant decrease in the amount of pyrene monomer and excimer emission, without the appearance of a new emission band due to fullerene C60. The pyrene fluorescence quenching was found to be almost quantitative, ranging between 96%–99% depending on the construct, which is an indication that energy transfer occurred from one of the excited pyrene species to the fullerene C60.

Self-Association and Nitroaromatic-Induced Deaggregation of Pyrene Substituted Pyridine Amides

The self-assembly features of the bis-pyrene methyl amide functionalized pyridine and benzene "tweezers" 1 and 2 were studied in organic solution and in the solid state. These systems were found to display remarkably different self-association features and optical properties, which was rationalized by control experiments using compounds bearing pyrenemethyl esters, alkyl groups, or a single pyrene substituent (3-6). As dilute solutions in chloroform, tweezers 1 displays both pyrene monomer and excimer emission features reflecting intramolecular contacts between the pyrene subunits. At higher concentrations in chloroform, as well as in the solid state, tweezers 1 self-assembles to form a linear supramolecular polymer. In contrast, tweezers 2 does not interact in an intermolecular fashion and photoexcitation produces emission features characteristic of a pyrene monomer. DFT (density functional theory) and TDDFT (time dependent density functional theory) calculations revealed that the lowest vertical transitions are forbidden and that S1 of 1 is an emissive state. In contrast to 1 and 2, both pyrene-free control systems 5 and 6 were found to form linearly self-assembled supramolecular arrays in the solid state, albeit of differing structure. Upon exposure to trinitrobenzene (TNB), the self-assembled structures formed from 1 undergo deaggregation to form TNB complexes. This change is reflected in both an easily discernible color change and a quenching of the fluorescence emission intensity. Changes in the optical features were also seen in the case of 2. However, notable differences between these two ostensibly similar systems were seen.

Interactions between Hydrophobically Modified Alkali-Swellable Emulsion Polymers and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Probed by Fluorescence and Rheology

The interactions between a pyrene-labeled hydrophobically modified alkali-swellable emulsion (Py-HASE) polymer and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution were investigated with a fluorometer, a rheometer, and a combination of both instruments to probe the fluorescence of the polymer while the solution was being sheared. Different amounts of SDS were added to two solutions with Py-HASE concentrations of 8 and 57 g/L. The pyrene monomer and excimer decays of the Py-HASE solutions were acquired and globally fitted according to the fluorescence blob model (FBM) and the model free (MF) analysis. Both models yielded the same molar fractions of pyrenes that were isolated, aggregated, or forming excimer by diffusion. The average number of pyrenes per micelle, <n>, was determined according to the FBM and found to equal 2.0 at the SDS concentration corresponding to a maximum in solution viscosity. For a Py-HASE concentration of 57 g/L, the solution viscosities at different SDS concentrations were measured from the Newtonian plateau regions and were found to peak at an SDS concentration of 11 mM. The steady-state fluorescence spectra were acquired at SDS concentrations of 0.1, 6.0, 11.1, and 17 mM while the 57 g/L Py-HASE solution was sheared. Although the solutions of Py-HASE and SDS were found to shear-thin substantially with the solution viscosity decreasing by up to 4 orders of magnitude, no change was observed in the fluorescence spectra acquired at shear rates ranging from 0.005 to 500 s(-1). The overlap of the fluorescence spectra under conditions where the solution viscosity decreased by 4 orders of magnitude suggested that the rearrangement of the hydrophobes from inter- to intramolecular associations that leads to shear-thinning occurs on a time scale that is much faster than that over which the rheology experiments are being conducted.