Exploiting the Unique Properties of Lanthanide Complexes as FRET Probes: from Quantitation to Protein Dynamics

Abstract

Lanthanide complexes have a range of photophysical properties -large pseudo-Stokes shifts, narrow linewidths, long emission lifetimes -that make them ideal as emissive probes. These same properties also render them excellent donors in assays relying on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Over the last 20 years these assays have increased in sophistication so that a range of biological applications has now been demonstrated. These range from easy-to-use quantitation of proteins (a practical alternative to western blotting) to sophisticated experiments which give real-time information on the movement of proteins or allow simultaneous readout of both agonist and co-activator binding to a protein. We introduce the principles and difficulties of using such assays before surveying the full scope of what they can achieve and attempting to anticipate future developments in this area.

DMNP as an Effective Cage for Ln3+: A Spectroscopic and Thermodynamic Study

“…8−12 Furthermore, Ln 3+ complexes with nitrogen and oxygen binding sites have been studied for their enhanced emission properties that could be used for biological imaging. 13,14 As a poly(aminocarboxylate) entity, EDTA mainly forms a 1:1 complex with both divalent and trivalent metal cations through its four carboxy oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms. Previous studies have analyzed and developed Ln 3+ -EDTA complexes for the purpose of separation and extraction of Ln 3+ .…”

“…Lanthanides (Ln 3+ ) have a high affinity for ligands that contain oxygen donor sites such as multicarboxylate ligands. Oxygen in these ligands has a chelating role and enhances the solubility and stability of the complex. − Furthermore, Ln 3+ complexes with nitrogen and oxygen binding sites have been studied for their enhanced emission properties that could be used for biological imaging. , As a poly­(aminocarboxylate) entity, EDTA mainly forms a 1:1 complex with both divalent and trivalent metal cations through its four carboxy oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms. Previous studies have analyzed and developed Ln 3+ -EDTA complexes for the purpose of separation and extraction of Ln 3+ . − …”