Spotlights on Recent JACS Publications

摘要

Fluorogenic molecules, in which fluorescence is activated upon interaction or reaction with a specific protein or biomolecule, are commonly used to monitor biological events in cells, tissues, and even in animals. Bis-arsenicals, one class of fluorogenic molecules that fluoresce when bound to four juxtaposed cysteine residues, are used as dyes to label discrete protein structures in live cells. However, an incomplete understanding of why these molecules fluoresce upon protein binding prevents their broader application by making it difficult to identify where the four cysteine residues should be introduced to ensure the brightest signal.