PubMed · 8599081
The source did not provide an abstract. Follow the original record for more information.
Explore connections, maps & timelines
M M Davis. 1996-02-23. Evolving catalysts in real time.. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.271.5252.1078
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.
KEEP EXPLORING
Catalytic antibodies, or artificial enzymes, act as catalysts by lowering the energy of the transition state of a reaction. In his Perspective, Brauman highlights the study by Simeonov et al., who have applied similar principles to photochemical processes and shown that intense fluorescence can be achieved. The approach provides a way of measuring internal molecular motion within the antibody on a very fast time scale. Fluorescent antibodies may find applications in immunochemistry, histological assays, and genomic studies.
The forte of catalytic antibodies has resided in the control of the ground-state reaction coordinate. A principle and method are now described in which antibodies can direct the outcome of photophysical and photochemical events that take place on excited-state potential energy surfaces. The key component is a chemically reactive optical sensor that provides a direct report of the dynamic interplay between protein and ligand at the active site. To illustrate the concept, we used a trans-stilbene hapten to elicit a panel of monoclonal antibodies that displayed a range of fluorescent spectral behavior when bound to a trans-stilbene substrate. Several antibodies yielded a blue fluorescence indicative of an excited-state complex or "exciplex" between trans-stilbene and the antibody. The antibodies controlled the isomerization coordinate of trans-stilbene and dynamically coupled this manifold with an active-site residue. A step was taken toward the use of antibody-based photochemical sensors for diagnostic and clinical applications.
A reagent capable of detecting and selectively destroying tumor cells while leaving healthy cells intact would be a powerful tool for cancer therapy. This concept of the magic bullet has been approached by a number of strategies. Here we present a recent approach based on catalytic antibodies.