Ultrafast Excited-State Dynamics in the Green Fluorescent Protein Variant S65T/H148D 1. Mutagenesis and Structural Studies

摘要

Wild type green fluorescent protein (wt-GFP) and the variant S65T/H148D each exhibit two absorption bands, A and B, which are associated with the protonated and deprotonated chromophores respectively. Excitation of either band leads to green emission. In wt-GFP, excitation of band A (~390 nm) leads to green emission with a rise time of 10–15 picoseconds, due to excited state proton transfer (ESPT) from the chromophore hydroxyl group to an acceptor. This process produces an anionic excited state intermediate I* that subsequently emits a green photon. In the variant S65T/H148D, the A band absorbance maximum is red-shifted to ~415 nm and as detailed in the accompanying papers (, ), when the A band is excited, green fluorescence appears with rise time shorter than the instrument time resolution (~170 fs). Based on steady state spectroscopy and high resolution crystal structures of several variants described herein, we propose that in S65T/H148D, the red shift of absorption band A and the ultrafast appearance of green fluorescence upon excitation of band A is due to a very short (≤ 2.4 Å), and possibly low barrier, hydrogen bond between the chromophore hydroxyl and introduced Asp148.