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Fluorescence Polarization Probes

Chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization, or CIDNP, is a nuclear spin state that can be detected by NMR spectroscopy. In particular, the DNP mechanism operates well in many fluorine-containing radicals. In a typical reaction, a blue light photon is used to excite the photosensitized nucleus, yielding a fluorescence that can be detected by a fluorescence polarization probe. This enables scientists to see molecules that would normally be difficult to detect due to their low ionization potential, like phenols and polyaromatics.

Fluorescence polarization probing is used to detect and characterize transient free radicals in organic systems. It's enabled scientists to track the reaction mechanisms of free radicals that could otherwise not be traced. In some cases, CIDNP has helped fluorescence polarization probes increase their sensitivity by magnitudes.

In most cases, fluorescence polarization probes are used to look at proteins with aromatic amino acid residues like histidine, tryptophan, and tyrosine; these residues can generally be polarized with flavins or other aza-aromatics to make them more photosensitive. Only solvent-accessible residues can be prepared for nuclear fluorescence polarization.

Using fluorescence polarization probes, scientists have been able to examine the surface structure of proteins in both native and partially folded states, giving clues that would otherwise be lost to their ability to react with other molecules.

Web Resources On Fluorescence Polarization Probes

Optical Insights: Fluorescence Polarization
Fluorescence Polarization in Homogeneous Nucleic Acid Analysis

Book Resources On Fluorescence Polarization Probes

Fluorescence Probes in Oncology by Elli Kohen et a.
Fluorescence Microscopy and Fluorescent Probes by Jan Slavík (Ed)

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