Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “FLUORESCENCE”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Directed evolution of a monomeric, bright and photostable version of Clavularia cyan fluorescent protein: structural characterization and applications in fluorescence imaging.

The arsenal of engineered variants of the GFP [green FP (fluorescent protein)] from Aequorea jellyfish provides researchers with a powerful set of tools for use in biochemical and cell biology research. The recent discovery of diverse FPs in Anthozoa coral species has provided protein engineers with an abundance of alternative progenitor FPs from which improved variants that complement or supersede existing Aequorea GFP variants could be derived. Here, we report the engineering of the first monomeric version of the tetrameric CFP (cyan FP) cFP484 from Clavularia coral. Starting from a designed synthetic gene library with mammalian codon preferences, we identified dimeric cFP484 variants with fluorescent brightness significantly greater than the wild-type protein. Following incorporation of dimer-breaking mutations and extensive directed evolution with selection for blue-shifted emission, high fluorescent brightness and photostability, we arrived at an optimized variant that we have named mTFP1 [monomeric TFP1 (teal FP 1)]. The new mTFP1 is one of the brightest and most photostable FPs reported to date. In addition, the fluorescence is insensitive to physiologically relevant pH changes and the fluorescence lifetime decay is best fitted as a single exponential. The 1.19 A crystal structure (1 A=0.1 nm) of mTFP1 confirms the monomeric structure and reveals an unusually distorted chromophore conformation. As we experimentally demonstrate, the high quantum yield of mTFP1 (0.85) makes it particularly suitable as a replacement for ECFP (enhanced CFP) or Cerulean as a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) donor to either a yellow or orange FP acceptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Enhanced green fluorescence by the expression of an Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein mutant in mono- and dicotyledonous plant cells.

The expression of the jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) in plants was analyzed by transient expression in protoplasts from Nicotiana tabacum, Arabidopsis thaliana, Hordeum vulgare, and Zea mays. Expression of GFP was only observed with a mutated cDNA, from which a recently described cryptic splice site had been removed. However, detectable levels of green fluorescence were only emitted from a small number of protoplasts. Therefore, other mutations in the GFP cDNA leading to single-amino acid exchanges in the chromophore region, which had been previously studied in Escherichia coli, were tested in order to improve the sensitivity of this marker protein. Of the mutations tested so far, the exchange of GFP amino acid tyrosine 66 to histidine (Y66H) led to detection of blue fluorescence in plant protoplasts, while the exchange of amino acid serine 65 to cysteine (S65C) and threonine (S65T) increased the intensity of green fluorescence drastically, thereby significantly raising the detection level for GFP. For GFP S65C, the detectable number of green fluorescing tobacco (BY-2) protoplasts was raised up to 19-fold, while the fluorimetricly determined fluorescence was raised by at least 2 orders of magnitude.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Deletions of the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein define the minimal domain required for fluorescence.

The Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria is a widely used marker for gene expression and protein localization studies. Dissection of the structure of the protein would be expected to shed light on its potential applications to other fields such as the detection of protease activity. Using deletion analysis, we have defined the minimal domain in GFP required for fluorescence to amino acids 7-229. This domain starts at the middle of the first small alpha helix at the N terminus of GFP and ends immediately following the last beta sheet. Studies of the amino acids at both termini of the minimal domain revealed that positions 6 and 7 at the N terminus are Glu-specific. Change of the Glu residues to other amino acids results in reduction of GFP fluorescence. Position 229 at the C terminus of GFP, however, is nonspecific: the Ile can be replaced with other amino acids with no measurable loss of fluorescence. A total of only 15 terminal amino acids can be deleted from GFP without disrupting fluorescence, consistent with findings of a previous study of GFP crystal structure (Ormo, M., Cubitt, A. B., Kallio, K., Gross, L. A., Tsien, R. Y., Remington, S. J. (1996) Science 273, 1392-1395 and Yang, F., Moss, L. G., and Phillips, G. N., Jr. (1996) Nat. Biotechnol. 14, 1246-1251) that a tightly packed structure exists in the protein. We also generated internal deletions within the loop regions of GFP according to its crystal structure and found that all such deletions eliminated GFP fluorescence.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Stability, specificity and fluorescence brightness of multiply-labeled fluorescent DNA probes.

In this work, we studied the fluorescence and hybridization of multiply-labeled DNA probes which have the hydrophilic fluorophore 1-(straightepsilon-carboxypentynyl)-1'-ethyl- 3,3,3', 3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine-5,5'-disulfonate (Cy3) attached via either a short or long linker at the C-5 position of deoxyuridine. We describe the effects of labeling density, fluorophore charge and linker length upon five properties of the probe: fluorescence intensity, the change in fluorescence upon duplex formation, the quantum yield of fluorescence (Phif), probe-target stability and specificity. For the hydrophilic dye Cy3, we have demonstrated that the fluorescence intensity andPhifare maximized when labeling every 6th base using the long linker. With a less hydrophilic dye, a labeling density this high could not be achieved without serious quenching of the fluorescence. The target specificity of multiply-labeled DNA probes was just as high as compared to the unmodified control probe, however, a less stable probe-target duplex is formed that exhibits a lower melting temperature. A mechanism that accounts for this destabilization is proposed which is consistent with our data. It involves dye-dye and dye-nucleotide interactions which appear to stabilize a single-stranded conformation of the probe.

Carbocyanines↗
PubMed2005

Increased sensitivity of bacterial detection in cerebrospinal fluid by fluorescent staining on low-fluorescence membrane filters.

A membrane-filter-based, fluorescent Gram stain method for bacterial detection in cerebrospinal fluid samples was developed and evaluated as a rapid, sensitive alternative to standard Gram stain protocols. A recently developed, modified version of the aluminium oxide membrane Anopore with low-fluorescence optical properties showed superior performance in this application. Other aspects of the fluorescent Gram stain system that were evaluated include membrane filter selection, strategies to reduce fluorescence fading and the effect of patient blood cells on bacterial detection in the fluorescently stained cerebrospinal fluid samples. The combination of the membrane filter's bacteria-concentrating ability and absolute retention along with high-contrast, fluorescent Gram discriminating dyes enabled rapid bacterial detection and Gram discrimination, with a 1-1.5 order of magnitude increase in the bacterial concentration limit of detection.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1996

Fluorescent characteristics and pharmacokinetic profiles of the fluorescent probe BCECF in various tissues: the role of blood content.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo spectral characteristics of the fluorescent pH-sensitive probe bis-carboxyethylcarboxyfluorescein (BCECF) in different tissues and its fluorescence kinetics profiles. The in vivo study was performed on anesthetized adult Wistar rats. After intravenous administration (4.8 mg/kg), fluorescence spectra were recorded on the following tissues: skin, an isolated blood vessel and liver. Measurements performed in vitro on blood samples show modifications of the BCECF emission spectrum with a blue-shift (10 nm) and a low fluorescence emission. Blood content greatly influences the pH measurement by increasing the I(490 exc., 530 em.)/I(470 exc., 530 em.) Fluorescence ratio value (ratio of the fluorescence intensities at 530 nm following excitation at 470 nm and 490 nm) when the hematocrit is high. A 0.35 ratio difference is observed between a BCECF-buffered solution and blood samples of 44% hematocrit. The emission spectra recorded on the skin are quite similar to the emission spectrum of BCECF in aqueous solution and are consistent with an extravascular localization of the dye a few minutes after injection. On the contrary, spectra recorded on the blood vessel and the liver are more similar than those recorded in vitro on high hematocrit solutions. Kinetic profiles in skin, liver and isolated blood vessels compared to the clearance obtained by blood sampling provide information about tissue perfusion. Then the variation of in vivo spectra in different tissues may be taken into account to measure tissue pH with special regard to the blood content of the illuminated area and the time range in which the measurement is performed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluorescence imaging method for in vivo pH monitoring during liposomes uptake in rat liver using a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye.

Liposomes are known to be taken up by the liver cells after intravenous injection. Among the few techniques available to follow this process in vivo are perturbed angular correlation spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and scintigraphy. The study of the intracellular pathways and liposomal localization in the different liver cells requires sacrifice of the animals, cells separation, and electronic microscopy. In the acidic intracellular compartments, the in situ rate of release of liposomes remains poorly understood. We present a new method to follow the in situ and in vivo uptake of liposomes using a fluorescent pH-sensitive probe 5,6-carboxyfluorescein (5,6-CF). 5,6-CF is encapsulated in liposomes at high concentration (100 mM) to quench its fluorescence. After laparotomy, liposomes are injected into the penile vein of Wistar rats. Fluorescence images of the liver and the skin are recorded during 90 min and the fluorescence intensity ratio is calculated. Ratio kinetics show different profiles depending on the liposomal formulation. The calculated intracellular liver pH values are, respectively, 4.5 to 5.0 and 6.0 to 6.5 for DSPC/chol and DMPC liposomes. After sacrifice and flush with a cold saline solution, the pH of the intracellular site of the liver (ex vivo) is found to be 4.5 to 5.0. This value can be explained by an uptake of liposomes by the liver cells and subsequent localization into the acidic compartment. An intracellular event such as dye release of a drug carrier (liposomes loaded with a fluorescent dye) can be monitored by pH fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy in vivo and in situ.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

With few and commercially available add-ons, both confocal and full-field fluorescence microscopes can be adapted to provide more information on the biological sample of interest. In this review we discuss the possibilities offered by two additional functionalities to fluorescence microscopes, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and fluorescence lifetime imaging mi croscopy (FLIM). FCS measurements at a single point in a sample allow kinetic and diffusion properties of fluorescently labeled molecules to be determined, as well as their concentration and aggregation state. Data from multiple points of the sample can be acquired using scanning-FCS, image correlation spectroscopy, and raster image correlation spectroscopy. These techniques cover phenomena with characteristic durations from sub-microsecond to second time scales. The power of FLIM lies in the fact that the measured fluorescent lifetime of a fluorophore is sensitive to the molecular environment of that fluorophore. FLIM is a robust means to quantify Forster resonance energy transfer and thus determine protein-protein interactions or protein conformational changes. In addition, FLIM is very valuable for functional imaging of ion concentrations in cells and tissues as it can be applied in heterogeneously labeled samples. In summary, FCS and FLIM allow information to be gathered beyond localization, including diffusional mobility, protein clustering and interactions, and molecular environment.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Correlated fluorescence-atomic force microscopy of membrane domains: structure of fluorescence probes determines lipid localization.

Coupling atomic force microscopy (AFM) with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy is an attractive means of identifying membrane domains by both physical topography and fluorescence. We have used this approach to study the ability of a suite of fluorescent molecules to probe domain structures in supported planar bilayers. These included BODIPY-labeled ganglioside, sphingomyelin, and three new cholesterol derivatives, as well as NBD-labeled phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and cholesterol. Interestingly, many fluorescent lipid probes, including derivatives of known raft-associated lipids, preferentially partitioned into topographical features consistent with nonraft domains. This suggests that the covalent attachment of a small fluorophore to a lipid molecule can abolish its ability to associate with rafts. In addition, the localization of one of the BODIPY-cholesterol derivatives was dependent on the lipid composition of the bilayer. These data suggest that conclusions about the identification of membrane domains in supported planar bilayers on the basis of fluorescent lipid probes alone must be interpreted with caution. The combination of AFM with fluorescence microscopy represents a more rigorous means of identifying lipid domains in supported bilayers.

Artifacts↗
PubMed1991

[The qualitative and quantitative analyses of protein with a novel fluorescence agent (EPQS) by fluorescent scanning on solid substrate].

We synthesized a new fluorescence agent, EPQS, which could be soluble in water and was stable in the analytical process. It was characteristic of good fluorescence parameters. Human serum albumin (HSA) was marked with EPQS and purified by the paper electrophoresis dialysis. We determined the fluorescent spectra and excitation spectra of the marked HSA, or EPQS on the cellulose acetate paper by RF-510 fluorescence spectrophotometer-thin-layer chromatoscanner. The former lambda ex = 370nm lambda em = 470nm; the latter lambda ex = 382nm lambda em = 476 nm. Then we touched different quantity of EPQS-HSA upon the cellulose acetate. The fluorescent scanning on the paper disclosed that the relationship between the quantity adopted and the fluorescence intensity is linear. These showed that the protein could be quickly determined qualitatively and quantitatively by this simple method, and EPQS was useful.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗
PubMed1993

Solution dynamics of p21ras proteins bound with fluorescent nucleotides: a time-resolved fluorescence study.

The solution dynamics of normal and transforming p21ras proteins in both the GTP- and GDP-bound forms were examined with time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescent 2'(3')-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl) derivatives (mant derivatives) of GTP, dGTP, and GDP and the aminocoumarin and fluorescein derivatives of GTP and GDP were synthesized and used as reporter groups. The fluorescence lifetimes at 5 degrees C of the mant nucleotide derivatives increased from approximately 4 ns in solution to approximately 9 ns when bound to p21ras. At 30 degrees C, there was a 7.8% difference in lifetime between normal p21ras.mantGTP and p21ras.mantGDP, but no difference between similar complexes of the [Asp-12]p21ras protein. These data are consistent with steady-state fluorescence intensity differences among p21ras.mantGTP, p21ras.mantGDP, and the free nucleotides. Rotational correlation times for the mantGTP- and mantGDP-bound p21 proteins, N-ras, K-ras, and H-ras, were similar at 26 ns (5 degrees C), which is significantly longer than the 15-ns rotational correlation time predicted for a globular 21,000-Da protein. The p21-bound fluorescein and aminocoumarin nucleotide derivatives reported correlation times of 19 and 29 ns, respectively. Global analysis of the three fluorophore.p21 complexes with linked protein rotational correlation functions were best fit with a common rotational correlation time of 28 ns. Gel permeation chromatography of the GDP and mantGDP complexes of normal p21N-ras also showed greater apparent molecular weights than were expected in both cases, demonstrating that the high rotational correlation times obtained from time-resolved fluorescence measurements were not a result of the introduction of the fluorophore.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed2003

Analysis of the performance of antibody capture methods using fluorescent peptides with capillary zone electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence.

A method to analyze the performance of an antibody capture method using fluorescent peptides by capillary zone electrophoresis using laser-induced fluorescence (CZE-LIF) for detection has been developed. Fluorescent peptides from the prion protein were synthesized and the corresponding antibodies were produced in rabbits against these peptides. The antibodies were used to capture the fluorescent peptides. The antibodies were then bound to protein A Sepharose. After elution, the amount of fluorescent peptide that was captured vs. the total amount placed in the assay was evaluated by CZE-LIF. Of the three peptides used in this evaluation, it was found that the recovery was approximately 25-35%. When the abnormal prion protein was prepared from scrapie-infected brain samples from hamsters and a sheep using the previously described extraction method and this method, the amount of abnormal prion protein that was measured in the fluorescence immunoassay correlated with amounts estimated from Western blot. We conclude that this method can be used to detect abnormal prion protein in a tissue sample.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1976

Quantitative fluorescence studies of the effects of catecholamines and hydrocortisone on endogenous amine levels in neurones and small intensely fluorescent cells of embryonic chick sympathetic ganglia in vivo and in vitro.

Chick embryo lumbar sympathetic ganglia (11 day) cultured for three days and uncultured (in vivo) ganglia of comparable age were freeze-dried and processed by the formaldehyde-induced fluorescence technique for the demonstration of biogenic monoamines. The catecholamine levels within principal neurone cell bodies and small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells were then examined in plastic sections of the in vivo and in vitro ganglia by a quantitative fluorescence method under various experimental conditions. Culture of ganglia for three days in the presence of hydrocortisone acetate (10 mug/ml) resulted in an increased SIF cells fluorescence (P less than 0.001 compared to control) and a green to yellow colour shift in the fluorophore of SIF cells. No detectable alteration in the fluorescence level of neurones was observed. When neurones after three days in culture were incubated for 1 h in exogenous catecholamines, a significant increase in fluorescence levels (interpreted as an increase in catecholamine content) occurred with noradrenaline (2 X 10(-6) M; 2 X 10(-5) M). SIF cells in ganglia removed directly from 14-day old chicks similarly took up noradrenaline and dopamine, and also adrenaline (2 X 10(-5) M). Morphological results are presented which indicate that the cellular appearances and architecture of cultured ganglion explants are very similar to those in comparable ganglia in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Fusogenic properties of reconstituted hybrid vesicles containing Sendai and influenza envelope glycoproteins: fluorescence dequenching and fluorescence microscopy studies.

Co-reconstitution of influenza and Sendai virus phospholipids and glycoproteins resulted in the formation of membrane vesicles containing the envelope glycoproteins from both viruses within the same membrane. Reconstituted influenza-Sendai hybrids (RISH) were able to lyse human erythrocytes and fuse with their membranes or with living cultured cells at pH 5.0 as well as at pH 7.4, thus exhibiting the fusogenic properties of both viruses. This was also inferred from experiments showing that the fusogenic activity of RISH was inhibited by anti-influenza as well as by anti-Sendai virus antibodies. Fusion of FISH and of reconstituted influenza (RIVE) or reconstituted Sendai virus envelopes (RSVE) with recipient membranes was determined by the use of fluorescently labeled envelopes and fluorescence dequenching methods. Observations with the fluorescence microscope were used to study localization of fused reconstituted envelopes within living cells. Incubation of RISH and RSVE with living cells at pH 7.4 resulted in the appearance of fluorescence rings around the cell plasma membranes and of intracellular distinct fluorescent spots indicating fusion with cell plasma membranes and with membranes of endocytic vesicles, respectively. The fluorescence microscopy observations clearly showed that RIVE failed to fuse, at pH 7.4, with cultured cell plasma membranes, but fused with membranes of endocytic vesicles.

Cell Communication↗
PubMed2004

Fluorescence microscopy studies with a fluorescent glibenclamide derivative, a high-affinity blocker of pancreatic beta-cell ATP-sensitive K+ currents.

Hypoglycemic sulfonylureas (e.g. tolbutamide, glibenclamide) exert their stimulatory effects on pancreatic beta-cells by closure of ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels. Pancreatic K(ATP) channels are composed of two subunits, a pore-forming inwardly rectifying K(+) channel (Kir6.2) subunit and a regulatory subunit (the sulfonylurea receptor of subtype 1 (SUR1)) in a (SUR1/Kir6.2)(4) stoichiometry. The aim of the present study was to characterize the interaction of green-fluorescent 3-[3-(4,4 difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-S-indacen-3-yl)propanamido] glibenclamide (Bodipy-glibenclamide) with pancreatic beta-cell K(ATP) channels using patch-clamp and fluorescence microscopy techniques. Bodipy-glibenclamide inhibited K(ATP) currents from the clonal insulinoma cell line RINm5F half-maximally at a concentration of 0.6nM. Using laser-scanning confocal microscopy Bodipy-glibenclamide was shown to induce a diffuse fluorescence across the RINm5F cell, but only about 17% of total Bodipy-glibenclamide-induced fluorescence intensity in RINm5F cells was due to specific binding to SUR1. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, it could be demonstrated that the fluorescence label contributes to the protein binding and, therefore, possibly also to the non-specific binding of Bodipy-glibenclamide observed in RINm5F cells. Specific binding of Bodipy-glibenclamide to SUR1 in RINm5F cells might be localized to different intracellular structures (nuclear envelope, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi compartment, insulin secretory granules) as well as to the plasma membrane. In conclusion, Bodipy-glibenclamide is a high-affinity blocker of pancreatic beta-cell K(ATP) currents and can be used for visualizing SUR1 in intact pancreatic beta-cells, although non-specific binding must be taken into account in confocal microscopy experiments on intact beta-cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Chlorin e6-polyvinylpyrrolidone as a fluorescent marker for fluorescence diagnosis of human bladder cancer implanted on the chick chorioallantoic membrane model.

The use of fluorescence diagnosis as a modern cancer diagnostic modality is rapidly gaining importance in the field of urology. It is based on the detection of distinctive light emission of tissues sensitized by fluorescent dyes, commonly referred to as photosensitizers, after irradiation with a specific light source. Therefore, the search for specific fluorescent dyes with high sensitivity and specificity for bladder cancer is constantly being sought after. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of a new formulation consisting a mixture of chlorin e6 and polyvinylpyrrolidone (Ce6-PVP) for the detection of human bladder cancer cells (MGH) implanted on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Uptake kinetics studies were quantitatively determined for both systemic and topical administrations of Ce6-PVP to the normal CAM as well as the MGH human bladder tumor implanted on CAM using fluorescence imaging technique. Rapid elimination of Ce6-PVP was displayed following topical application compared to systemic administration in the normal CAM system. Ce6-PVP was found to localize selectively in the xenografted bladder tumor in contrast to the CAM tissue. Neither dark toxicity nor irritancy was observed on the CAM tissue at the dose of 2 mg/kg Ce6-PVP. In conclusion, the Ce6-PVP formulation appeared to have the potential as a fluorescent marker for fluorescence diagnosis of human bladder cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Fluorescence spectroscopy combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX fluorescence in detecting oral premalignancy.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of premalignant/malignant lesions in the oral cavity can certainly improve the patient's prognosis. This study presents fluorescence imaging with the topical application of 5-aminolevulinic as a way to improve detection of various oral tissue pathologies. This procedure depends mainly on comparing the intensity of red and green fluorescence emitted from tissues during examination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients who presented with clinically suspicious oral leukoplakia were recruited for this study. Each of the patients was required to have 5-aminolevulinic acid in the form of mouth rinse prior to fluorescence imaging. Following this a surgical biopsy was acquired from the exact examination site. The results of the fluorescence spectroscopy have been compared with histopathology. RESULTS: A Student's t-test was applied to test the viability of the ratio between red and green fluorescence. The red-to-green ratio was found to increase significantly when the lesion was identified as dysplastic or carcinoma in situ. By applying a threshold line to discriminate between normal and dysplastic lesions; a sensitivity of 83-90% and specificity of 79-89% were obtained. CONCLUSION: Fluorescence spectroscopy combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX was found as a valuable tool in the diagnosis of oral premalignancy. This technique offers the potential to be advantageous over other non-optical techniques in terms of providing real-time diagnosis, in situ monitoring, cost effectiveness and more tolerated by patient compared to surgical biopsy.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Characterization of DOM as a function of MW by fluorescence EEM and HPLC-SEC using UVA, DOC, and fluorescence detection.

To investigate the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a function of apparent molecular weight (MW) by rapid analytical methods, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was conducted with sequential on-line detectors consisting of UV, fluorescence, and quantitative DOC measurement. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectrophotometry was used to select wavelengths for the HPSEC on-line fluorescence system. The chosen peak maxima locations of excitation-emission wavelengths were 278-353 nm for protein-like substances and 337-423 nm for fulvic-like substances based on an analysis of EEM spectra for various samples and reference materials. This system provides quantitative and qualitative information on the specific MW components of DOM, including proportion of DOC (by DOC measurement), aromaticity (by comparison of UV and DOC measurements), and chemical properties (by fluorescence measurement). It further allows determination of organic matter characteristics (e.g., fulvic-like, protein-like, and polysaccharide-like substances) as a function of MW. Three types of samples (Irvine Ranch ground water (IRWD-GW), Barr Lake surface water (BL-SW), and Hawaii wastewater secondary effluent) were analyzed by the HPSEC-UVA-fluorescence-DOC system. These results were compared with fluorescence EEM for samples fractionated by HPLC-SEC. The DOM fraction in the high apparent MW range (over 10,000g/mol) consisted of polysaccharide-like substances for IRWD-GW and a mixture of polysaccharide-like/protein-like substances for BL-SW and wastewater secondary effluent. Minimal amounts of fulvic-like substances were found in the wastewater secondary effluent sample. The DOM fractions in a medium apparent MW range (5000-1000 g/M) showed higher aromaticity (fulvic in character) than any other fractions for all samples. For the DOM fraction in the low apparent MW range (below 680 g/M), additional aliphatic organic matter was found in IRWD-GW, while BL-SW contained protein-like processes. DOM plays an important role in drinking water and wastewater treatment processes. An enhanced HPSEC technique with multiple on-line detectors enables a better understanding of quantitative and qualitative DOM properties and can help to design and optimize water/wastewater treatment facilities.

Carbon↗