“Photophysics and photochemistry of pterins in aqueous solution”

CAROLINA LORENTE; ANDRÉS THOMAS

ACCOUNTS OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH

Año: 2006 vol. 39 p. 395 - 402

0001-4842

Pterins belong to a family of heterocyclic compounds present in a wide range of living systems and participate in relevant biological functions. Interest in the photochemistry and photophysics of this group of compounds has increased since the participation of pterin derivatives in different photobiological processes has been suggested or demonstrated in recent decades. This account describes and connects basic studies on the fluorescence emission, the photooxidation, and the photosensitizing properties of oxidized 6-substituted pterins in aqueous solution under UV-A irradiation. The biological implications of these studies are also discussed.