Pyrene excimer nucleic acid probes for biomolecule signaling

Pyrene excimer nucleic acid probes are novel molecular probes that integrate the unique optical properties of pyrene excimer with excellent recognition capability of nucleic acids. Pyrene has the property of forming excimer that has a large Stokes shift and long fluorescence lifetime. Nucleic acid probes, like aptamers and molecular beacons, can directly bind to target molecules with a high selectivity and affinity. Possessing these outstanding characteristics of pyrene excimer and nucleic acid probes, pyrene excimer nucleic acid probes can be effectively used in detection of biomolecules, study of protein-DNA interactions, and investigation of enzymatic processes in complex biological systems. In this review, we will discuss the optical properties of pyrene excimer and summarize recent progresses on pyrene excimer signaling nucleic acid probes for the signaling of biomolecules and their interactions in complex biological samples.