Spacer-separated binding site

The separation of binding site and fluorophore by a nonconjugating spacer opens the path to other mechanisms of communication, most prominently ET and exci-mer/exciplex formation. In the first case, the electronic nature of both fluorophore and receptor unit and the steric nature of the spacer are the important parameters for signal generation. In the second case, for most systems the electronic nature of the fluorophores and the steric nature of the receptor as well as its change upon analyte binding determine the signal. 

The polymer must possess reactive functional groups as suitable binding sites for drug attachment. These sites should be separated from the linear main chain by short (5-15 constituent atoms) spacer segments so as to increase their steric accessibility. 

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors. Figure 2 Binding of PPAR RXR heterodimers to DR1 PPRE-responsive elements. Abbreviations DR1, a direct repeat organization of the A/GGGTCA hexamer half-site separated by a single nucleotide spacer. 

The switching efficiency of lumophore-spacer-receptor systems can be improved by using multiple receptor modules. The PET rate is increased in the device when free of guest ions since more than one site can provide the transiting electron. The simplest cases, such as 4, are those where the receptor units are well separated to prevent interdependent ion binding with an interposed lumophore to minimize the lumophore-receptor spacing for maximum PET rates. Besides this statistical effect, receptors may also cooperatively participate in PET. This may be the case in 5 and 6. ... 

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