Abstract

Cholestane is a fully saturated alkane with a structure analogous to cholesterol. We observed fluorescence emission from cholestane with a maximum near 235 nm when excited with picosecond laser pulses at 298 nm. This emission at 235 nm was shown to be due to two-photon excitation. The fluorescence lifetime of cholestane in cyclopentane was found to be near 1.4 ns. Cholestane is efficiently collisionaly quenched by methanol and oxygen. These results suggest that cholestane or its analogs can be used as intrinsic probes in biological membranes. Two-photon excitation avoids the use of vacuum ultraviolet wavelength (130-170 nm), which require special optics and exclusion of oxygen. This observation may lead to the more general use of alkane fluorescence as a probe of cell membranes.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Biotechnology Resource Grants (P41)
Project #
5P41RR008119-08
Application #
6315387
Study Section
Project Start
2000-04-01
Project End
2001-03-31
Budget Start
1998-10-01
Budget End
1999-09-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$28,294
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Maryland Baltimore
Department
Type
DUNS #
003255213
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21201

  Publications

Piao, Wenji; Shirey, Kari Ann; Ru, Lisa W et al. (2015) A Decoy Peptide that Disrupts TIRAP Recruitment to TLRs Is Protective in a Murine Model of Influenza. Cell Rep 11:1941-52
Hartman, Kira G; McKnight, Laura E; Liriano, Melissa A et al. (2013) The evolution of S100B inhibitors for the treatment of malignant melanoma. Future Med Chem 5:97-109
Fu, Yi; Zhang, Jian; Lakowicz, Joseph R (2009) Highly efficient detection of single fluorophores in blood serum samples with high autofluorescence. Photochem Photobiol 85:646-51
Zhang, Jian; Badugu, Ramachandram; Lakowicz, Joseph R (2008) Fluorescence Quenching of CdTe Nanocrystals by Bound Gold Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution. Plasmonics 3:3-11
Zhang, Jian; Fu, Yi; Chowdhury, Mustafa H et al. (2007) Metal-enhanced single-molecule fluorescence on silver particle monomer and dimer: coupling effect between metal particles. Nano Lett 7:2101-7
Zhang, Jian; Fu, Yi; Chowdhury, Mustafa H et al. (2007) Single-Molecule Studies on Fluorescently Labeled Silver Particles: Effects of Particle Size. J Phys Chem C Nanomater Interfaces 112:18
Zhang, Jian; Fu, Yi; Lakowicz, Joseph R (2007) Single cell fluorescence imaging using metal plasmon-coupled probe. Bioconjug Chem 18:800-5
Zhang, Jian; Fu, Yi; Lakowicz, Joseph R (2007) Emission Behavior of Fluorescently Labeled Silver Nanoshell: Enhanced Self-Quenching by Metal Nanostructure. J Phys Chem C Nanomater Interfaces 111:1955-1961
Zhang, Jian; Lakowicz, Joseph R (2007) Metal-enhanced fluorescence of an organic fluorophore using gold particles. Opt Express 15:2598-606
Fu, Yi; Lakowicz, Joseph R (2007) Single-Molecule Studies of Enhanced Fluorescence on Silver Island Films. Plasmonics 2:1-4

Showing the most recent 10 out of 44 publications