Molecular distribution sensing in a fluorescence resonance energy transferbased affinity assay for glucose

A newly developed method for determining molecular distribution functions i s applied to a widely researched glucose affinity sensor. The reduction in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to a malachite green (MG)-dex tran complex from allophycocyanin (APC) bound to concanavalin A (ConA) due to displacement of the complex by glucose from ConA provides the basis of t he assay. The higher sensitivity and specificity of a new approach to fluor escence decay analysis, over the methods based on conventional Forster-type models, is demonstrated and critical parameters in competitive binding FRE T sensing derived. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.