Modulation of p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence by amino acid side chains and rational design of fluorescence probes of [alpha]-helix formation

A systematic study of the effects of different side chains on p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence which could be used as probe to study the protein folding, protein-membrane interactions, protein-peptide interactions and amyloid formation is reported. The quenching of p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence by specific side chains could be applied to develop specific, high-sensitivity, fluorescence probes of helix formation.