Theory of the energy transfer efficiency and fluorescence lifetime distribution in single-molecule FRET

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1205120109
• Publication Date: 2012-05-02T02:57:49Z
• Authors: Irina V. Gopich; Attila Szabo
• Keywords: Single-molecule FRET; Acceptor

In single-molecule FRET experiments with pulsed lasers, not only the colors of photons but also fluorescence lifetimes can be monitored. Although these quantities appear to random, they are modulated by conformational dynamics. order extract information about such dynamics, we develop theory joint distribution efficiencies and determined from bins (or bursts) photons. Our starting point is a rigorous formal expression for numbers donor acceptor in bin that treats influence dynamics on all timescales. This formula leads an analytic result two-state system interconverting timescale slower than interphoton time efficient simulation algorithm multistate The shape contains more efficiency histogram alone. favorable cases, connectivity underlying states directly simple inspection projection efficiency-lifetime plane.