Abstract: The present invention provides for novel reagents whose fluorescence increases in the presence of particular proteases. The reagents comprise a characteristically folded peptide backbone each end of which is conjugated to a fluorophore. When the folded peptide is cleaved, as by digestion with a protease, the fluorophores provide a high intensity fluorescent signal at a visible wavelength. Because of their high fluorescence signal in the visible wavelengths, these protease indicators are particularly well suited for detection of protease activity in biological samples, in particular in frozen tissue sections. Thus this invention also provides for methods of detecting protease activity in situ in frozen sections.

Abstract: The present invention provides for novel reagents whose fluorescence changes upon cleavage or a change in conformation of a backbone. The reagents comprise a backbone (e.g. nucleic acid, polypeptide, etc.) joining two fluorophores of the same species whereby the fluorophores form an H-dimer resulting in quenching of the fluorescence of the fluorophores. When the backbone is cleaved or changes conformation, the fluorophores are separated, no longer forming an H-type dimer, and are de-quenched thereby providing a detectable signal. The use of a single fluorophore rather than an “acceptor-donor” fluoresecence resonance energy transfer system offers synthesis and performance advantages.