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Theoretical Development of Near‐Infrared Bioluminescent Systems
Author(s) -
Cheng YuanYuan,
Liu YaJun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201800416
Subject(s) - bioluminescence , luciferase , luciferin , light emission , fluorescence , charge (physics) , dipole , chemistry , optoelectronics , materials science , physics , optics , biochemistry , transfection , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , gene
The luciferin/luciferase system of the firefly has been used in bioluminescent imaging to monitor biological processes. In order to enhance the efficiency and expand the application range, some efforts have been made to tune the light emission, especially the effort to obtain NIR light. However, those case‐by‐case studies have not together revealed the nature and mechanism of the color tuning. In this paper, we theoretically investigated the fluorescence of all kinds of typical oxyluciferin analogues. The present systematical modifications of both oxyluciferin and luciferase indicate that the essential factor affecting the emission color is the charge distribution (or the electric dipole moment) on the oxyluciferin, which impacts on the charge transfer to form the light emitter and, subsequently, influence the strength and wavelength of the emission light. More negative charge distributed on the “thiazolone moiety” of the oxyluciferin or its analogues leads to a redshift. Based on this conclusion, we theoretically designed optimal pairs of luciferin analogue and luciferase for emitting NIR light, which could inspire new synthetic procedures and practical applications.