Excimer-Based Molecular Tool for Detection of Proximally Phosphorylated Protein Sites

Protein phosphorylation is major molecular mechanism through which protein function is regulated in response to extracellular stimuli, it often acts as a switch to proteins' activation and is frequently perturbed in diseases. Currently there are a number of commercialized techniques to detect phospho-proteins, however none of them offers information about the relative spatial arrangement of phosphorylated residues. In biological systems, the extent of phosphorylation of a target is often associated different physiological response and disease state. This invention is the first turn-on fluorescent sensor for the selective detection of proximally phosphorylated protein sites, suitable for application in both aqueous solutions and polyacrylamide gels.