Volume 112, Issue 17 pp. 2947-2951
Full Paper

Modeling absorption of the kindling fluorescent protein with the neutral form of the chromophore

Igor Topol

Corresponding Author

Igor Topol

Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, Information Systems Program, SAIC-Frederick Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201

Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, Information Systems Program, SAIC-Frederick Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201Search for more papers by this author
Jack Collins

Jack Collins

Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, Information Systems Program, SAIC-Frederick Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201

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Vladimir Mironov

Vladimir Mironov

Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1/3 Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation

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Alexander Savitsky

Alexander Savitsky

Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1/3 Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation

A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninskii Prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russian Federation

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Alexander Nemukhin

Alexander Nemukhin

Department of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1/3 Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation

N.M. Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 Kosygina, Moscow 119334, Russian Federation

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First published: 17 April 2012
Citations: 9

Abstract

Kindling fluorescent protein (KFP) is an important member of the colored proteins family widely used as biomarkers in living cells. We apply quantum chemistry modeling of KFP properties by computing structure and spectra of a large molecular cluster mimicking the chromophore-containing pocket, assuming the protonated (neutral) form of the chromophore in the trans configuration. We provide evidence that this protein conformation accounts for the previously observed but unassigned absorption band at 445 nm. We demonstrate that the structure and charge of the amino acid residues nearest to the chromophore play a role in the shifts in the absorption wave length, thus underlying a strong role of intermolecular interactions when considering properties of the fluorescent proteins. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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