Green Fluorescence Protein Chromophores Meet the M eta ‐Amino Effect: Fluorescence Turn‐On and Beyond
Authors:
- 30 July 2026
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in ChemPhotoChem
- Vol. 10 (8)
Abstract
Achieving fluorescence activation of green fluorescence protein (GFP) chromophores in solution under ambient conditions has been a long‐standing challenge in organic photochemistry. In this context, the meta‐ amino substituent effect, originally recognized for promoting fluorescence in stilbenes, has been identified as a powerful design principle for enhancing emissive properties of GFP chromophores. Beyond fluorescence turn‐on, m‐ amino‐substituted GFP chromophores exhibit distinctive photophysical characteristics, including pronounced solvatofluorochromism and atypical excited‐state deactivation pathways in both protic and polar aprotic solvents. These unique features have enabled their development as environmentally sensitive fluorescent probes and wash‐free cell‐imaging dyes. This review concisely summarizes key advances in this area over the past 2 decades.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Science and Technology Council (NSTC 114–2123‐M‐002–007)
- National Taiwan University (NTU‐CC‐115L895401)
This publication has 90 references indexed in Scilit:
- Substituent and Positional Effects on the Photophysics of Nitrogen‐Donor‐Substituted Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore AnaloguesChemPhotoChem, 2026
- Reversing the Solvent Polarity Effect on Fluorescence Quantum Yields of a GFP Chromophore Analogue by Inhibiting the Polarity‐Promoted Hula TwistChemPhotoChem, 2025
- Twisted intramolecular charge‐transfer state of trans‐3‐(N,N‐Dimethylamino)‐4'‐cyanostilbene: The C−C bond twistingJournal of the Chinese Chemical Society, 2023
- A Highly Fluorescent cis‐Stiff‐StilbeneChemPhotoChem, 2022
- Hydrogen Bonding‐Induced H‐Aggregation for Fluorescence Turn‐On of the GFP Chromophore: Supramolecular Structural RigidityChemistry – A European Journal, 2020
- Hydrogen Bond Fluctuations Control Photochromism in a Reversibly Photo‐Switchable Fluorescent ProteinAngewandte Chemie International Edition, 2015
- Highly Fluorescent Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Analogues Made by Decorating the Imidazolone RingChemistry – A European Journal, 2015
- The N‐Arylamino Conjugation Effect in the Photochemistry of Fluorescent Protein Chromophores and AminostilbenesChemistry – An Asian Journal, 2010
- Constructing and Exploiting the Fluorescent Protein Paintbox (Nobel Lecture)Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2009
- Concerning the Thermal Diastereomerization of the Green Fluorescent Protein ChromophoreMonatshefte für Chemie - Chemical Monthly, 2005