Research OverviewMolecular Optical Probes Optical probes, or photoprobes, can be used to detect, and sometime to quantify, specific molecules of biological interest. Often, these molecules are present in very low concentrations, and need to be distinguished from other similar molecules. For these reasons, sensitivity, specificity and low signal-to-noise ratio are of great importance in their design. Two classes of photoprobes are considered here: fluorescent photoprobes, which are detected by the emission of a specific wavelength of light, and caged molecules, which are inactive until they are split by a pulse of light, and become biologically active in some way that can be detected in a diagnostic or laboratory setting. | Research DescriptionResearch Area: Nanobiology Research Specialties: photoprobes, calcium regulation, neuronal excitability Technical Development Photoprobes for Physiology and Neuroscience
We design, synthesize, and develop biological applications for, molecular optical probes, or "photoprobes." Photoprobes fall into two classes: fluorescent indicators and "caged" molecules. A fluorescent indicator is simply a molecule that responds to a change in its physical or chemical environment by displaying changes in its fluorescence properties. Fluorescent probes currently under development are: 1) a calcium indicator that has very low diffusional mobility and thus should allow us to observe fast, localized changes in [Ca2+] that occur in subcellular domains; and 2) a membrane potential indicator that allows the voltage across the cell membrane to be monitored without having to use electrodes or electronic amplifiers. Such an indicator would immediately allow us to track the electrical behavior of ensembles of nerve cells that are linked in a neural circuit. A caged probe is an inert but photosensitive precursor molecule that can be photolyzed by a pulse of light to generate a biologically active ... Complete Information... |
Representative PublicationsMoore, K.A., A.S. Cohen, R. Bangalore, J.P.Y. Kao, and D. Weinreich. 1998. Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release mediates a slow post-spike hyperpolarization in rabbit vagal afferent neurones. J. Neurophysiol. 79:688-694. Rossi, F.M., M. Margulis, R.E. Hoesch, C.-M. Tang., and J.P.Y. Kao. 1998. Caged probes for studying cellular physiology: Application of the Nmoc caging method to glutamate and a Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor. Meth. Enzymol. 291:431-443. Cordoba-Rodriguez, R., K.A. Moore, J.P.Y. Kao, and D. Weinreich. 1999. Calcium regulation of a slow post-spike hyperpolarization in vagal afferent neurons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 96:7650-7657. Complete Listing... |
