Discrete bathochromic shifts exhibited by fluorescein ligand bound to rabbit polyclonal anti-fluorescein Fab fragments

Eleven individual hyperimmune rabbit polyclonal anti-fluorescein Fab fragment preparations were resolved into heterogeneous subfractions based on differential dissociation times from a specific adsorbent. Four Fab subfractions (i.e., 0.1-, 1.0-, 10-, and 100-day elutions) that differed in affinity were characterized and classified according to the extent of the bathochromic shift in the absorption properties of antibody-bound fluorescein ligand. Absorption maxima of bound fluorescein were shifted in all cases to two distinct narrow ranges, namely, 505 to 507 nm or 518 to 520 nm relative to 491 nm for free fluorescein. There was no direct correlation between the two spectral shift populations and antibody affinity, fluorescence polarization, fluorescence quenching, or fluorescence lifetimes of bound ligand. Fluorescence emission maxima varied with the bathochromic shift range. Bound fluorescein ligand, with absorption maxima of 505 to 507 nm and 518 to 520 nm showed fluorescence emission maxima of 519 to 520 nm and 535 nm, respectively. The two spectral shift ranges differed by 14 to 15 nm and/or energies of 1.5 kcal mol^–1 relative to each other and to the absorption maximum for free fluorescein. Spectral effects on the antibody-bound ligand were discussed relative to solvent-water studies and the atomic structure of a high-affinity liganded anti-fluorescein active site.     

Deriving topological constraints from functional data for the design of reagentless fluorescent immunosensors

The possibility of obtaining, from any antibody, a fluorescent conjugate which responds to the binding of the antigen by a variation of fluorescence, would be of great interest in the micro- and nano-analytical sciences. This possibility was explored with antibody mAb4E11, which is directed against the dengue virus and for which no structural data is available. Three rules of design were developed to identify residues of the antibody to which a fluorophore could be chemically coupled, after changing them to cysteine by mutagenesis. (i) The target residue belonged to the hypervariable loops of the antibody. (ii) It was adjacent, along the amino acid sequence of the antibody, to a residue which was functionally important for the interaction with the antigen. (iii) It was not important in itself for the interaction with the antigen. Eight conjugates between a single chain variable fragment of mAb4E11 and an environment-sensitive fluorophore were constructed. Three of them showed an increase in their fluorescence intensity by 1.5-2.8-fold on antigen binding, without loss of affinity. This increase allowed the titration of the antigen in serum above a threshold concentration of 10nM. Experiments of quenching with potassium iodide suggested that the fluorescence variation was due to a shielding of the fluorescent group from the solvent by the binding of the antigen, and that therefore its mechanism is general.     

Molecular stabilization effects of interactions between anti-metatype antibodies and liganded antibody.

Anti-metatype antibodies have been described as antibodies which recognize ligand-induced conformational changes in the antibody variable region. Additionally, anti-metatype antibodies, produced by multiple immunizations with liganded high affinity monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibody 4-4-20, enhanced the lifetime of monoclonal antibody 4-4-20-fluorescein complex. To better understand the mechanism of the delayed dissociation rate, deuterium oxide was used to probe the liganded active site. The rate and extent of deuterium oxide-mediated fluorescence enhancement of bound ligand served to monitor the conformational dynamics of the active site in the presence and absence of anti-metatype antibodies. Results showed that anti-metatype antibodies reduced the rate and extent of deuterium oxide-mediated fluorescence enhancement of 4-4-20, a single-chain derivative of 4-4-20 (consisting of the variable domains and a polylinker), and idiotypically related monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibodies suggesting that anti-metatype stabilized the liganded active site. Size exclusion liquid chromatography was utilized to isolate the liganded antibody-anti-metatype complex. Liganded single chain antibody 4-4-20 was mixed with 10-fold molar excess anti-metatype Fab fragments, and a major complex eluted with an apparent M(r) 249,000. The apparent molecular weight of this complex inferred that one liganded single chain antibody was bound by five antimetatype Fab fragments. Spectral analysis confirmed these results and the characteristic delayed rate of ligand dissociation was also observed for the isolated complex. The results suggest that anti-metatype antibodies stabilize the liganded conformation by forming a large, stable, macromolecular complex.     

Mechanisms of ligand binding by monoclonal anti-fluorescyl antibodies

Binding of fluorescyl ligand by five IgG anti-fluorescyl hybridoma proteins (4-4-20, 6-10-6, 20-4-4, 20-19-=1, 20-20-3) was examined. Relative reduction in fluorescence of bound fluorescein, deuterium oxide (D2O)-induced enhancement of fluorescence, and the effects of pH on binding kinetics were measured for each clone. Individual hybridoma proteins (all of which bind fluorescein with relatively high affinity) exhibited significant differences in the relative contribution of various forces (hydrophobicity, hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions) to binding and hence, affinity. The extent of such variations in binding mechanisms among monoclonal antibodies binding the same hapten is indicative of the extreme functional diversity of active sites. In addition, ligand binding by clone 20-20-3 was examined in greater detail. ABsorption spectra of ligand bound by purified intact antibody, Fab fragments, and reassociated heavy and light chains indicated that protonation of the fluorescyl ligand by a residue within the active site contributed significantly to the binding free energy. Comparative dissociation rates of fluorescein and a structural analog, rhodamine 110, were used to quantitatively substantiate the contribution of this interaction. Association and dissociation rate studies with fluorescein and antibody indicated that: 1) the active site appeared to undergo a conformational change upon ligand binding, and 2) neither intact disulfides nor intersite cooperativity affected the dissociation rate of bound ligand. Observed mechanisms of ligand binding are discussed in terms of proposed mechanisms of antibody affinity maturation and diversity.     

Fluorescence measurements of immune complexes of Mab 4-4-20 with isomeric haptens.

Relative differences in the active site environment of a monoclonal antibody when covalently bound to two isomeric haptens were studied using fluorescence quenching and lifetime measurements. Murine monoclonal antibody 4-4-20, a well-characterized high affinity antifluorescein antibody, served as the model IgG protein. Isomeric haptenic probes comparatively studied were fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC I, the immunogen) and fluorescein-6-isothiocyanate (FITC II). In kinetic binding studies, the association rate for the interaction of 4-4-20 with FITC I was greater than 2,000 times faster than the reaction with FITC II. Fluorescence lifetimes for FITC I covalently bound to 4-4-20 were 3.89 ns and 0.37 ns, indicative of hapten bound outside and inside the active site, respectively. Fluorescence lifetime for FITC II within the active site was indistinguishable from bound FITC I, indicating that interactions with active site residues which resulted in a decreased lifetime were similar for both isomers. A decreased lifetime for active site bound FITC I was consistent with the 90-95% quenching of fluorescein fluorescence. Dynamic fluorescence quenching experiments with iodide and FITC I in the active site showed no solvent accessibility, whereas bound FITC II showed significant accessibility. These results suggest that the difference in bond angle which accompanies binding of isomer II relative to isomer I within the active site probably leads to steric constraints resulting in a more open configuration of the 4-4-20 active site.     

Failure of the usual anti-Ig antibody method for quantitative measurement of low affinity antibodies

The usual anti-Ig antibody method, consisting of the precipitation of soluble antigen-antibody complexes by heterologous anti-Ig antibody, was applied for quantitative estimation of guinea pig IgG2 anti-ovalbumin and anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) antibodies by measuring the maximum amounts of antibody-bound antigens. However, the amounts of antibodies estimated were less than those obtained by other methods: the precipitin reaction, the precipitation of antigen-antibody complexes with 50% saturated ammonium sulfate, and equilibrium dialysis. In particular, the anti-Ig antibody method greatly underestimated the amount of anti-DNP antibody with low affinity for epsilon-DNP-L-lysine. Thus, it was concluded that partial dissociation of the antigen-antibody complexes occurring upon precipitation with anti-Ig antibody made the anti-Ig antibody method unsuitable for quantitative determination of antibodies.     

酵母羧甲基化及光照甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶在碘化钾溶液中荧光发色团的形成

CM-GAPDH在碘化钾溶液中,NAD~+的存在下,形成发射波长为383nm的荧光物。对照的NAD~+与碘化钾溶液混合不产生荧光物。全位及半位修饰光照酶的内源荧光在碘化钾溶液中的变化与天然酶的有明显不同。两者在碘化钾中都形成383nm的荧光,但全位修饰光照酶形成383nm荧光的最适碘化钾浓度为1.0M;半位修饰的为0.8M。以上结果暗示:383nm荧光物的形成需要GAPDH和NAD~+同时存在,并且与活性部位巯基修饰的多少有关,该荧光物可能位于GAPDH的活性部位。     

Location and dynamics of anthracyclines bound to unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles

We have exploited the intrinsic fluorescence properties of the anthracycline antitumor antibiotics to study the dependence on drug structure of relative drug location and dynamics when the anthracyclines were bound to sonicated dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) vesicles at 27.5 degrees C. Iodide quenching experiments at constant ionic strength were used to evaluate the relative accessibilities of the bound fluorophores to membrane-impermeable iodide. Iodide was found to quench the fluorescence of anthracyclines in free solution by both static and dynamic mechanisms, whereas quenching of membrane-bound fluorophores was predominantly due to the dynamic mechanism. Modified Stern-Volmer plots of anthracyclines bound to fluid-phase DMPC bilayers were linear, and the biomolecular rate constant (kq) values ranged from 0.6 X 10(9) to 1.3 X 10(9) M-1 s-1. Modified Stern-Volmer plots of anthracyclines bound to solid-phase DPPC bilayers were curved, indicative of a heterogeneous-bound drug population. A strong correlation between drug hydrophobicity and penetration of the fluorophore into the bilayer was observed for the daunosamine-containing anthracyclines. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy measurements under iodide quenching conditions were used to investigate the diffusive motions of anthracyclines in isotropic solvent and in fluid-phase DMPC bilayers. Anthracycline derivatives free in solution exhibited limiting anisotropy (alpha infinity) values which decayed to zero at times long compared to the excited-state lifetime, in contrast to anthracyclines bound to fluid-phase DMPC bilayers, which showed nonzero alpha infinity values. Steady-state anisotropies of membrane-bound anthracyclines were found to be governed principally by alpha infinity and not by the mean rotational rate (R).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

酵母羧甲基化及光照甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶在碘化钾溶液中荧光发色团的形成

CM-GAPDH在碘化钾溶液中,NAD~+的存在下,形成发射波长为383nm的荧光物。对照的NAD~+与碘化钾溶液混合不产生荧光物。全位及半位修饰光照酶的内源荧光在碘化钾溶液中的变化与天然酶的有明显不同。两者在碘化钾中都形成383nm的荧光,但全位修饰光照酶形成383nm荧光的最适碘化钾浓度为1.0M;半位修饰的为0.8M。以上结果暗示:383nm荧光物的形成需要GAPDH和NAD~+同时存在,并且与活性部位巯基修饰的多少有关,该荧光物可能位于GAPDH的活性部位。     

Exploring membrane organization and dynamics by the wavelength-selective fluorescence approach

Wavelength-selective fluorescence comprises a set of approaches based on the red edge effect in fluorescence spectroscopy which can be used to directly monitor the environment and dynamics around a fluorophore in a complex biological system. A shift in the wavelength of maximum fluorescence emission toward higher wavelengths, caused by a shift in the excitation wavelength toward the red edge of absorption band, is termed red edge excitation shift (REES). This effect is mostly observed with polar fluorophores in motionally restricted media such as very viscous solutions or condensed phases where the dipolar relaxation time for the solvent shell around a fluorophore is comparable to or longer than its fluorescence lifetime. REES arises from slow rates of solvent relaxation (reorientation) around an excited state fluorophore which is a function of the motional restriction imposed on the solvent molecules in the immediate vicinity of the fluorophore. Utilizing this approach, it becomes possible to probe the mobility parameters of the environment itself (which is represented by the relaxing solvent molecules) using the fluorophore merely as a reporter group. Further, since the ubiquitous solvent for biological systems is water, the information obtained in such cases will come from the otherwise 'optically silent' water molecules. This makes REES and related techniques extremely useful since hydration plays a crucial modulatory role in a large number of important cellular events, including lipid-protein interactions and ion transport. The interfacial region in membranes, characterized by unique motional and dielectric characteristics, represents an appropriate environment for displaying wavelength-selective fluorescence effects. The application of REES and related techniques (wavelength-selective fluorescence approach) as a powerful tool to monitor the organization and dynamics of probes and peptides bound to membranes, micelles, and reverse micelles is discussed.     

Antibody-hapten interactions: circular and linear polarization of the fluorescence of dansyl bound to anti-dansyl antibodies

The fluorescence spectra of several dansyl derivatives (dansylamide, ?-N-dansyl-l-lysine, dansyl-l-alanine, and α-N-dansyl-l-alanine amide) bound to anti-dansyl antibodics (induced by an α-N-dansyl-poly d,l-alanine-poly l-lysine conjugate) are shifted by about 60 nm to the blue, and the quantum yields are markedly enhanced, compared to their respective fluorescence properties in water. The light emitted by the bound haptens is partly circularly polarized, reflecting the asymmetry induced in the bound chromophores by the antibody combining site. In contradistinction, the fluorescence spectrum of 1-dansyl-2-alanine diaminoethane bound to anti-alanine antibodies is similar to that of the free fluorophore in water and lacks circular polarization. These results imply that in this case the fluorophore of the hapten protrudes out of the site into the aqueous solvent. No circular dichroism is observed in the 300 to 400 nm region for the dansyl-anti-dansyl complex. Thus a change in the mode of interaction between the chromophore and its binding site takes place upon electronic excitation. The heterogeneity of the antibody binding sites is expressed by the dependence of the circular polarization of fluorescence on excitation wavelength. Differences in the circular polarization of luminescence were also observed when the residues attached to the dansyl group have been varied. This may reflect differences in the alignment of the fluorophore within the binding sites for the different dansyl derivatives.The linear polarization of dansylamide dissolved in glycerol is not constant across the emission band, indicating that the transition dipole moments related to the various vibronic states do not have the same spatial directions. Vibronic mixing of the emitting excited state with higher electronic states is thus indicated. Dansyl-l-alanine bound to anti-dansyl antibodies exhibitsan even more pronounced variation of the linear polarization across the emission band. In this case, the dependence of the linear polarization of the emitted light on excitation wavelength is anomalous, which is again a reflection of the heterogeneity of the population of the antibody molecules. The implications of these results to the studies of the fluorescence polarization of dansyl-protein complexes are discussed.     

Iodide penetration into lipid bilayers as a probe of membrane lipid organization.

The quenching efficiency of iodide as a penetrating fluorescence quencher for a membrane-associated fluorophore was utilized to measure the molecular packing of lipid bilayers. The KI quenching efficiency of tryptophan-fluorescence from melittin incorporated in DMPC bilayer vesicles peaks at the phase transition temperature (24 degrees C) of DMPC, whereas acrylamide quenching efficiency does not depend on temperature. The ability of iodide to penetrate the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer was examined by measuring the fluorescence quenching of the pyrene-phosphatidylcholine incorporated into DMPC vesicles (pyrene was attached to the 10th carbon of the sn-2 chain). The quenching efficiency of pyrene by iodide again shows a maximum at the lipid phase transition. We conclude that iodide penetrates the membrane hydrocarbon region at phase transition through an increased number of bilayer defects. The magnitude of change in quenching efficiency of iodide during lipid phase transition provides a sensitive technique to probe the lipid organization in membranes.     

Knowledge-based design of reagentless fluorescent biosensors from recombinant antibodies

The possibility of obtaining from any antibody a fluorescent conjugate which responds to the binding of the antigen by a variation of its fluorescence, would be of great interest in the analytical sciences and for the construction of protein chips. This possibility was explored with antibody mAbD1.3 directed against hen egg white lysozyme. Rules of design were developed to identify the residues of the antibody to which a fluorophore could be chemically coupled, after changing them to cysteine by mutagenesis. These rules were based on: the target residue belonging to a topological neighbourhood of the antigen in the structure of the complex between antibody and antigen; its absence of functional importance for the interaction with the antigen; and its solvent accessibility in the structure of the free antibody. Seventeen conjugates between the single-chain variable fragment scFv of mAbD1.3 and an environment-sensitive fluorophore were constructed. For six of the ten residues which fully satisfied the design rules, the relative variation of the fluorescence intensity between the free and bound states of the conjugate was comprised between 12 and 75% (in non-optimal buffer), and the affinity of the conjugate for lysozyme remained unchanged relative to the parental scFv. In contrast, such results were true for only one of the seven residues which failed to satisfy one of the rules and were used as controls. One of the conjugates was studied in more detail. Its fluorescence increased proportionally to the concentration of lysozyme in a nanomolar range, up to 90% in a defined buffer, and 40% in serum. This increase was specific for hen egg lysozyme and it was not observed with a closely related protein, turkey egg lysozyme. The residues which gave operational conjugates (six in V(L) and one in V(H)), were located in the immediate vicinity of residues which are functionally important, along the sequence of FvD1.3. The results suggest rules of design for constructing antigen-sensitive fluorescent conjugates from any antibody, in the absence of structural data.     

Steady-state fluorescence emission from the fluorescent probe, 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, bound to hemoglobin

In the past, fluorescence emission from an extrinsic fluorophore bound to heme-proteins would only be studied with the removal of the heme since fluorescence from the fluorophore could not be detected using right-angle optics. Using front-face fluorometry, a significant steady state emission signal originating from the probe bound to hemoglobin is detected. This is the first report of the detection of extrinsic fluorescence of a probe bound to a heme-protein. We also demonstrate that the extrinsic probe, 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, is covalently bound to hemoglobin, specifically at beta 93 Cysteine. Ligand binding results in a change in the fluorophore fluorescence intensity as predicted by hemoglobin crystallographic studies. Efficiency of energy transfer measurements are made.     

Restriction in IgM expression. III. Affinity analysis of monoclonal anti-lactose antibodies

A clonal analysis has been made of the murine BALB/C response to lactose-containing immunogens with respect to the affinity restriction in IgM expression. Monoclonal IgM and IgG antibodies were prepared from antilactosyl hybridomas generated from mice immunized with p-aminophenyl-beta-lactoside (PAPL) coupled to BGG or with a vaccine of Streptococcus faecalis (Strain N). Association constants for the binding of monovalent derivatives of PAPL were measured by quenching fluorescence. These derivatives carried a probe (2,4-dinitrophenyl or 1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl) that served to quench the protein fluorescence when the ligand was complexed with the protein. The central finding was that with both immunogens a restriction in the affinity of IgM was demonstrated since the highest values exhibited by IgG antibody exceeded by at least a factor of 50 the highest comparable values of the association constants for IgM antibody. It is suggested that the hypothesis of germ-line restriction, previously proposed as the basis for the affinity restriction of IgM, may also be applicable to the T cell receptor since its distinctive properties parallel those of IgM antibody.     

On-line post-capillary affinity detection of immunoglobulin G for capillary zone electrophoresis

To address the quality issues of antibody manufacturing, post-capillary affinity detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) is developed for capillary zone electrophoresis. In analogy to a two-dimensional separation system, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), as the first dimension, resolves IgG variants based on their differences in molecular structure. IgG variants separated by CZE are discriminated against other serum and cellular proteins by affinity complex formation with protein A binding fragment in a post-capillary reactor. The analytical power of post-capillary affinity detection is demonstrated for rapid and selective heterogeneity analysis of human IgG subclasses and monoclonal antibodies in complex sample matrices. By comparing with pre-capillary formation of affinity complexes between IgG and protein A, post-capillary affinity detection clearly exhibit greater resolving power for examining IgG microheterogeneity. Affinity complex formation prior to CZE analysis, however, has the advantage of lower detection limits. Detection limits suffer with post-capillary affinity detection because of the high fluorescence background contributed by the fluorescently labeled protein A in the post-capillary reactor, and the need to determine a small change in the background level upon complex formation.     

Fluorescent membrane probes incorporating dipyrrometheneboron difluoride fluorophores.

The spectroscopic properties of a new series of fatty acid analogs in which a dipyrrometheneboron difluoride fluorophore forms a segment of the acyl methylene chain are presented and their characteristics as fluorescent membrane probes are examined. When incorporated as a low mole fraction component in model phospholipid membranes, the probes retain the principal characteristics of the parent fluorophore: green fluorescence emission with high quantum yield, extensive spectral overlap, and low environmental sensitivity. The fluorescence quantum yield is typically two to three times that of comparable membrane probes based on the nitrobenzoxadiazole fluorophore. The spectral overlap results in a calculated F?rster energy transfer radius (Ro) of about 57 A. Consequently, increasing fluorescence depolarization and quenching are observed as the mole fraction of the probe species incorporated in the membrane is increased. Low environmental sensitivity is manifested by retention of high quantum yield emission in aqueous dispersions of fatty acids. Partition coefficient data derived from fluorescence anisotropy measurements and iodide quenching experiments indicate that in the presence of fluid phase phospholipid bilayers the aqueous fraction of fatty acid is very small. Fluorescence intensity and anisotropy responses to phospholipid phase transitions are examined and found to be indicative of nonrandom fluorophore distribution in the gel phase. It is concluded that the spectroscopic properties of the fatty acid probes and their phospholipid derivatives are particularly suited to applications in fluorescence imaging of cellular lipid distribution and membrane level studies of lateral lipid segregation.     

Development of a novel FRET immunosensor technique

We report on a novel technique to develop an optical immunosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). IgG antibodies were labeled with acceptor fluorophores while one of three carrier molecules (protein A, protein G, or F(ab')2 fragment) was labeled with donor fluorophores. The carrier molecule was incubated with the antibody to allow specific binding to the Fc portion. The labeled antibody-protein complex was then exposed to specific and nonspecific antigens, and experiments were designed to determine the 'in solution' response. The paper reports the results of three different donor-acceptor FRET pairs, fluorescein isothiocyanate/tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate, Texas Red/Cy5, and Alexa Fluor 546/Alexa Fluor 594. The effects of the fluorophore to protein conjugation ratio (F/P ratio) and acceptor to donor fluorophore ratios between the antibody and protein (A/D ratio) were examined. In the presence of specific antigens, the antibodies underwent a conformational change, resulting in an energy transfer from the donor to the acceptor fluorophore as measured by a change in fluorescence. The non-specific antigens elicited little or no changes. The Alexa Fluor FRET pair demonstrated the largest change in fluorescence, resulting in a 35% change. The F/P and A/D ratio will affect the efficiency of energy transfer, but there exists a suitable range of A/D and F/P ratios for the FRET pairs. The feasibility of the FRET immunosensor technique was established; however, it will be necessary to immobilize the complexes onto optical substrates so that consistent trends can be obtained that would allow calibration plots.     

Solute accessibility to N epsilon-fluorescein isothiocyanate-lysine-23 cobra alpha-toxin bound to the acetylcholine receptor. A consideration of the effect of rotational diffusion and orientation constraints on fluorescence quenching.

To obtain information on the disposition of alpha-toxin when bound to the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), we evaluated the accessibility of solutes to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated to alpha-toxin (siamensis 3) at lysine 23 (FITC-toxin) by measuring the rate constants for iodide quenching of the fluorescence of fluorescein free in solution and FITC-toxin free in solution and bound to AChR. Relative to the free fluorescein, we observed a 55% reduction in the quenching rate constant for the unbound FITC-toxin and 80% reduction for the AChR-bound FITC-toxin. It is tempting to interpret a decrease in the quenching rate constant as due to an increase in the masking of the labeling fluorophore, which in our case would then be indicative of masking of fluorescein conjugated to the free toxin and masking of FITC-toxin, in the region of lysine 23, when bound to AChR. However, elementary considerations indicate that the quenching rate depends not only on geometrical masking factors but also on the translational and rotational mobilities of the labeled molecules as well as orientational constraints. To evaluate these effects we have established quantitative relations between the rate of fluorescence quenching, the degree of masking of fluorophore, translational and rotational rates, and orientational constraints of the labeled macromolecules, using recent formulations for the rate of reaction between asymmetric molecules (Shoup et al., 1981, Biophys. J., 36:619-714). These relations predict that the decrease in quenching constant observed for the labeled FITC-toxin as well as the AChR-bound FITC-toxin is largely due to differences in translational and rotational rates and orientational constraints and not to significant increases in geometrical masking. Our theoretical formulation shows that the quenching rate can be decreased by a factor of 2-5 merely by immobilizing a fluorophore on the surface of a large protein without any significant increase in geometrical masking.     

Ligand binding of a ribosome-displayed protein detected in solution at the single molecule level by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Interaction of a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) with its cognate antigen while still attached to the ribosome was studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In experiments with purified scFv, FCS was capable of resolving the difference in diffusion time between free and antibody-bound labelled antigen. Ribosome-displayed antibody fragments generated by in vitro translation, in which neither the protein nor the mRNA leaves the ribosome owing to the absence of a stop codon and stabilizing buffer conditions, could be shown to specifically bind the antigen. The antibody-antigen interaction was specific, as shown by inhibition or displacement with unlabelled antigen and by control experiments with a non-cognate antibody fragment.