Photolabile glutamate protecting group with high one- and two-photon uncaging efficiencies

A pi-extended [2-(2-nitrophenyl)propoxy]carbonyl (NPPOC) derivative has been prepared as an efficient UV and near-IR photolabile protecting group for glutamate. This glutamate cage compound exhibits efficient photorelease upon one-photon excitation (epsilonPhi=990 M(-1) cm(-1) at 315 nm). In addition, it also shows efficient photorelease in activation of glutamate receptors in electrophysiological recordings. Combined with a high two-photon uncaging cross-section (deltaPhi=0.45 GM at 800 nm), its overall properties make this new cage-3-(2-propyl)-4'-methoxy-4-nitrobiphenyl (PMNB)-for glutamate a very promising tool for two-photon neuronal studies.     

Photochemical modulation of Ras-mediated signal transduction using caged farnesyltransferase inhibitors: activation by one- and two-photon excitation

The creation of caged molecules involves the attachment of protecting groups to biologically active compounds such as ligands, substrates and drugs that can be removed under specific conditions. Photoremovable caging groups are the most common due to their ability to be removed with high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, the synthesis and photochemistry of a caged inhibitor of protein farnesyltransferase is described. The inhibitor, FTI, was caged by alkylation of a critical thiol group with a bromohydroxycoumarin (Bhc) moiety. While Bhc is well established as a protecting group for carboxylates and phosphates, it has not been extensively used to cage sulfhydryl groups. The resulting caged molecule, Bhc-FTI, can be photolyzed with UV light to release the inhibitor that prevents Ras farnesylation, Ras membrane localization and downstream signaling. Finally, it is shown that Bhc-FTI can be uncaged by two-photon excitation to produce FTI at levels sufficient to inhibit Ras localization and alter cell morphology. Given the widespread involvement of Ras proteins in signal transduction pathways, this caged inhibitor should be useful in a plethora of studies.     

Synthesis and Self-Organization of Fluorene-Conjugated Bisimidazolylporphyrin and Its Optical Properties

A conjugated-bisimidazolylporphyrin bridged by bis(ethynylfluorene) was synthesized and organized into linear polymer through self-coordination having mean molecular weights, M_w and M_n, of ~2.1 × 10⁵ Da and ~1.6 × 10⁵ Da, respectively. A large two-photon absorption cross section value of 3.4 × 10⁵ GM (per dimer unit) was observed. This value was comparable to that of the previously reported self-assembled linear polymer consisting of butadiyne-bridged imidazolylporphyrins. The two-photon absorption properties could be controlled by tuning the wavelength and absorption intensity of the one-photon absorption.     

2,5-二氰基-1,4-二(4′-甲氧基苯乙烯基)苯的合成和非线性光学性质

报道了具有典型D-A-D型共轭结构的反式2,5-二氰基-1,4-二(4′-甲氧基苯乙烯基)苯(DCHO)的合成。用核磁、红外和元素分析进行了表征。测试了紫外吸收光谱、单光子荧光光谱、双光子荧光光谱及双光子吸收截面。在800 nm的飞秒脉冲激光激发下,标题化合物发出很强的绿色上转换荧光。化合物2,5-二氰基-1,4-二(4′-甲氧基苯乙烯基)苯的最大吸收波长、单光子发射波长、最大双光子荧光波长、荧光量子产率、双光子吸收系数及双光子吸收截面分别是393 nm、470 nm、475 nm、0.12、0.8 cm/GW、270 GM。这些数据表明,对位甲氧基的D-A-D型化合物具有较好的双光子吸收性能,DCHO是双光子荧光显微与成像应用的一个良好的候选材料。     

Development of Anionically Decorated Caged Neurotransmitters: In Vitro Comparison of 7‐Nitroindolinyl‐ and 2‐(p‐Phenyl‐o‐nitrophenyl)propyl‐Based Photochemical Probes

Neurotransmitter uncaging, especially that of glutamate, has been used to study synaptic function for over 30 years. One limitation of caged glutamate probes is the blockade of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐A receptor function. This problem comes to the fore when the probes are applied at the high concentrations required for effective two‐photon photolysis. To mitigate such problems one could improve the photochemical properties of caging chromophores and/or remove receptor blockade. We show that addition of a dicarboxylate unit to the widely used 4‐methoxy‐7‐nitroindolinyl‐Glu (MNI‐Glu) system reduced the off‐target effects by about 50–70 %. When the same strategy was applied to an electron‐rich 2‐(p‐Phenyl‐o‐nitrophenyl)propyl (PNPP) caging group, the pharmacological improvements were not as significant as in the MNI case. Finally, we used very extensive biological testing of the PNPP‐caged Glu (more than 250 uncaging currents at single dendritic spines) to show that nitro‐biphenyl caging chromophores have two‐photon uncaging efficacies similar to that of MNI‐Glu.     

The facile synthesis of novel phenothiazine derivatives for blue,yellow-green,and red light emission

Two blue emitters, 3,7-bis(5′-(trifluoromethyl)-1′H-pyrazole-3′-yl)10-ethylphenothiazine and 3,7-bis(5′-(phenyl)-1′H-pyrazole-3′-yl)10-ethyl-phenothiazine and one red, bis-dioxaborine emitter, each based on two, yellow-green emitting, bis-β-diketonate, phenothiazine derivatives, were obtained in high yield and characterized. Systematic investigation of the two-photon absorption characteristics was carried out using one-photon absorption, one-photon excited fluorescence as well as two-photon excited fluorescence spectra. TDDFT computational studies were undertaken to secure an insight into the nature of the compounds' electrochemical and photophysical properties. Low-energy absorption transmissions resemble those observed for the experimental one-photon absorption spectra.     

Design and synthesis of caged fluorescent nucleotides and application to live-cell RNA imaging

A binary photocontrolled nucleic acid probe that contains a nucleotide modified with one photolabile nitrobenzyl unit and two hybridization-sensitive thiazole orange units has been designed for area-specific fluorescence imaging of RNA in a cell. The synthesized probe emitted very weak fluorescence regardless of the presence of the complementary RNA, whereas it showed hybridization-sensitive fluorescence emission at 532 nm after photoirradiation at 360 or 405 nm for uncaging. Fluorescence suppression of the caged probe was attributed to a decrease in the duplex-formation ability. Caged fluorescent nucleotides with other emission wavelengths (622 and 724 nm) were also synthesized in this study; they were uncaged by 360 nm irradiation, and emitted fluorescence in the presence of the complementary RNA. Such probes were applied to area-specific RNA imaging in a cell. Only probes in the defined irradiation area were activated by uncaging irradiation, and subnuclear mRNA diffusion in a living cell was monitored.     

The synthesis and two-photon excited fluorescence properties of novel branched fluorene derivatives

Two novel, V-shaped fluorene derivatives branched from triphenylamine and their linear analogue were synthesized via Cu-mediated Ullmann condensation and subsequent Pd-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction. Their two-photon excited fluorescence properties as well as their linear absorption and single-photon excited fluorescence properties were examined. When excited at 730 nm by a Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser, the compounds exhibited strong two-photon excited blue fluorescence. The two-photon excited fluorescence cross-sections of V-shaped derivatives in toluene at 730 nm were ∼506 GM in the case of N, N-bis{7-[4′-(N, N-diphenylamino)styryl]-9,9-diethyl-9H-fluorene-2-yl}-aniline) and 397 GM for N, N-Bis{7-[4′-(N, N-diphenylamino)styryl]-9,9-diethyl-9H-fluorene-2-yl}-4-acetyl-aniline), respectively.     

The synthesis and two-photon excited fluorescence properties of novel branched fluorene derivatives

Two novel, V-shaped fluorene derivatives branched from triphenylamine and their linear analogue were synthesized via Cu-mediated Ullmann condensation and subsequent Pd-catalyzed Heck coupling reaction. Their two-photon excited fluorescence properties as well as their linear absorption and single-photon excited fluorescence properties were examined. When excited at 730 nm by a Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser, the compounds exhibited strong two-photon excited blue fluorescence. The two-photon excited fluorescence cross-sections of V-shaped derivatives in toluene at 730 nm were 506 GM in the case of N, N-bis{7-[4′-(N, N-diphenylamino)styryl]-9,9-diethyl-9H-fluorene-2-yl}-aniline) and 397 GM for N, N-Bis{7-[4′-(N, N-diphenylamino)styryl]-9,9-diethyl-9H-fluorene-2-yl}-4-acetyl-aniline), respectively.     

Vinyl-pyridinium triphenylamines: novel far-red emitters with high photostability and two-photon absorption properties for staining DNA

A series of mono-, bis- and trisvinyl-pyridinium triphenylamines (TP-py) has been synthesised and evaluated for its one- and two-photon absorption (2PA) induced-fluorescence properties under biological conditions. Interestingly, these compounds are only weakly fluorescent in water, whereas their fluorescence emissions are strongly restored (exaltation factors of 20-100) upon binding to double-stranded DNA. Additional measurements in glycerol indicate that the fluorescence increases are the result of immobilisation of the dyes in the DNA matrix, which inhibits rotational de-excitation modes. This particular feature is especially remarkable in the case of the bis and tris derivatives (TP-2 py, TP-3 py), which each display a high affinity (K(d) ~ microM) for dsDNA. TPIF measurements have shown that TP-2 py and TP-3 py each have a large 2PA cross section (delta up to 700 GM) both in glycerol and in the presence of DNA, which ranks them amongst the best 2PA biological fluorophores. Finally, one- and two-photon confocal imaging in cells revealed that these compounds perform red staining (lambda(em)=660-680 nm) of nuclear DNA with excellent contrast. The remarkable optical properties of the TP-py series, combined with their high photostability and their easy synthetic access, make these compounds extremely attractive for use in confocal and 2PA microscopy.     

Optimization of Caged Electrophiles for Improved Monitoring of Cysteine Reactivity in Living Cells

Cysteine residues play critical roles in protein function and are susceptible to numerous post‐translational modifications (PTMs) that serve to modulate the activity and localization of diverse proteins. Many of these PTMs are highly transient and labile, thus necessitating methods to study these modifications directly within the context of living cells. We previously reported a caged electrophilic probe, CBK1, that can be activated by UV for temporally controlled covalent modification of cysteine residues in living cells. To improve upon the number of cysteine residues identified in cellular cysteine‐profiling studies, the reactivity and uncaging efficiency of a panel of caged electrophiles were explored. We identified an optimized caged electrophilic probe, CIK4, that affords significantly improved coverage of cellular cysteine residues. The broader proteome coverage afforded by CIK4 renders it a useful tool for the biological investigation of cysteine‐reactivity changes and PTMs directly within living cells and highlights design elements that are critical to optimizing photoactivatable chemical probes for cellular labeling.     

Two-photon absorption properties of push–pull oxazolones derivatives

New fluorescent oxazolone derivatives with high two-photon absorption cross-section were synthesized. Electron donor (phenyl, dimethylaniline and furanyl) and acceptor (nitrobenzene and ethenyl-phenyl-benzimidazol) groups have been appended to the methylene end of 4-(methylidene)-2-phenyl-1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-one in order to produce an highly conjugated π-system with push–pull geometry. The linear and nonlinear optical properties of the oxazolones have been determined. The compounds with a high charge transfer from the substituent group to the oxazolone ring have relatively high two-photon absorption cross-sections (80–100 GM). The best performing nonlinear fluorophore being the benzimidazol derivative with a two-photon absorption cross-section of 80 GM and a relatively high emission quantum yield, ϕ = 0.31.     

Synthesis, optical properties and ultrafast dynamics of a 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based red emitter with intense fluorescence and large two-photon absorption cross-section

A new 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based red fluorescent compound with a D-A-D type structure was synthesized and characterized. The central 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole core was symmetrically connected via the 4,7-positions with two donor groups in which the 7-position of a fluorenyl ring was substituted with a carbazol-9-yl moiety and the 2-position was substituted by a 5-thienyl moiety. The carbazol moieties were further derivatized by two 2-naphthyl moieties at the 3,6-positions. Femtosecond laser spectroscopic techniques including excited state fluorescence and pump-probe technique investigations, together with steady state absorption and one-photon fluorescence spectra, were employed to systematically investigate the optical properties and ultrafast dynamics of the new compound in tetrahydrofuran solution. It shows a large two-photon absorption cross-section and high fluorescence quantum yield, indicating potential application in two-photon fluorescence imaging field. The ultrafast dynamics results reveal competition between a pure excited state relaxation process and stimulated radiation in the red wavelength region.     

Synthesis and two-photon photolysis of 6-(ortho-nitroveratryl)-caged IP3 in living cells

The synthesis of a photolabile derivative of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) is described. This new caged second messenger (6-ortho-nitroveratryl)-IP3 (6-NV-IP3) has an extinction coefficient of 5000 M(-1) cm(-1) at 350 nm, and a quantum yield of photolysis of 0.12. Therefore, 6-NV-IP3 is photolyzed with UV light about three times more efficiently than the widely used P(4(5))-1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl-caged IP3 (NPE-IP3). 6-NV-IP3 has a two-photon cross-section of about 0.035 GM at 730 nm. This absorbance is sufficiently large for effective two-photon excitation in living cells at modest power levels. Using near-IR light (5 mW, 710 nm, 80 MHz, pulse-width 70 fs), we produced focal bursts of IP3 in HeLa cells, as revealed by laser-scanning confocal imaging of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Therefore, 6-NV-IP3 can be used for efficient, subcellular photorelease of IP3, not only in cultured cells but also, potentially, in vivo. It is in the latter situation that two-photon photolysis should reveal its true forte.     

Photoactivatable caged cyclic RGD peptide for triggering integrin binding and cell adhesion to surfaces

We report the synthesis and properties of a photoactivatable caged RGD peptide and its application for phototriggering integrin- and cell-binding to surfaces. We analysed in detail 1) the differences in the integrin-binding affinity of the caged and uncaged forms by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) studies, 2) the efficiency and yield of the photolytic uncaging reaction, 3) the biocompatibility of the photolysis by-products and irradiation conditions, 4) the possibility of site, temporal and density control of integrin-binding and therefore human cell attachment, and 5) the possibility of in situ generation of cell patterns and cell gradients by controlling the UV exposure. These studies provide a clear picture of the potential and limitations of caged RGD for integrin-mediated cell adhesion and demonstrate the application of this approach to the control and study of cell interactions and responses.     

Zap-Pano: a Photocaged Prodrug of the KDAC Inhibitor Panobinostat

We report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a light-activated (caged) prodrug of the KDAC inhibitor panobinostat (Zap-Pano). We demonstrate that addition of the 4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzyl group to the hydroxamic acid oxygen results in an inactive prodrug. In two cancer cell lines we show that photolysis of this compound releases panobinostat and an unexpected carboxamide analogue of panobinostat. Photolysis of Zap-Pano causes an increase in H3K9Ac and H3K18Ac, consistent with KDAC inhibition, in an oesophageal cancer cell line (OE21). Irradiation of OE21 cells in the presence of Zap-Pano results in apoptotic cell death. This compound is a useful research tool, allowing spatial and temporal control over release of panobinostat.     

Chemical Activation in Blood Serum and Human Cell Culture: Improved Ruthenium Complex for Catalytic Uncaging of Alloc‐Protected Amines

Chemical (as opposed to light‐induced) activation of caged molecules is a rapidly advancing approach to trigger biological processes. We previously introduced the ruthenium‐catalyzed release of allyloxycarbonyl (alloc)‐protected amines in human cells. A restriction of this and all other methods is the limited lifetime of the catalyst, thus hampering meaningful applications. In this study, we addressed this problem with the development of a new generation of ruthenium complexes for the uncaging of alloc‐protected amines with superior catalytic activity. Under biologically relevant conditions, we achieved a turnover number >300, a reaction rate of 580 m ^?1 s^?1, and we observed high activity in blood serum. Furthermore, alloc‐protected doxorubicin, as an anticancer prodrug, could be activated in human cell culture and induced apoptosis with a single low dose (1 μm ) of the new catalyst.     

Tunable photoactivation of a post-translationally modified signaling protein and its unmodified counterpart in live cells

An ideal technology for direct imaging of post-translationally modified proteins would be one in which the appearance of a fluorescent signal is linked to a modification dependent protein-activation event. Herein, we utilize the protein semisynthesis technique, expressed protein ligation (EPL), to prepare caged analogues of the signaling protein Smad2; the function and fluorescence of the analogues were then photocontrolled in a correlated fashion. We show that this strategy permits titration of the cellular levels of active phosphorylated Smad2 in its biologically relevant, full-length form. We also prepared a nonphosphorylated, caged full-length Smad2 analogue labeled with an orthogonal fluorophore, and simultaneously imaged the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms of the protein in the same cell. This strategy should enable the dissection of the cellular consequences of post-translational modifications (PTMs) by direct comparison of the behavior of the modified and unmodified forms of the protein following uncaging.     

Characterization of Pheromone Blend for Grapevine Moth, Lobesia botrana by Using Flight Track Recording

The behavioral responses of Lobesia botrana males to calling females, pheromone gland extracts, and synthetic sex pheromones were recorded in a wind tunnel. Gland extracts and synthetic pheromones were released from a pheromone evaporator. The numbers of males reaching the source and their flight tracks in response to calling females and pheromone gland extracts were compared to those of synthetic blends. Upwind flights to natural sex pheromone were straighter and faster than to a three-component blend of (E)-7,(Z)-9-dodecadienyl acetate (E7,Z9–12:Ac), (E)-7,(Z)-9-dodecadien-1-ol (E7,Z9–12:OH), and (Z)-9-docecenyl acetate (Z9–12:Ac) (100:20:5). The optimum ratio of E7,Z9–12:OH and Z9–12:Ac to E7,Z9–12:Ac was found to be 5% and 1%, respectively. An additional seven compounds identified in the sex pheromone gland were investigated for their biological activity. Two unsaturated acetates, i.e., (E)-9-dodecenyl acetate (E9–12:Ac) and 11-dodecenyl acetate (11–12:Ac), increased the number of males reaching the source as well as straightness, linear velocity, and decreased the track angle of upwind flight. Optimum response was obtained by releasing 10 pg/min E7,Z9–12:Ac in a mixture with 0.5 pg/min E7,Z9–12:OH, 0.1 pg/min Z9–12:Ac, 0.1 pg/min E9– 12:Ac and 1 pg/min 11-12–Ac. The saturated acetates previously identified in the female glands were biologically inactive.     

Coumarin-based octopamine phototriggers and their effects on an insect octopamine receptor

We have developed and characterized efficient caged compounds of the neurotransmitter octopamine. For derivatization, we introduced [6-bromo-8-(diethylaminomethyl)-7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl]methoxycarbonyl (DBHCMOC) and {6-bromo-7-hydroxy-8-[(piperazin-1-yl)methyl]coumarin-4-yl}methoxycarbonyl (PBHCMOC) moieties as novel photo-removable protecting groups. The caged compounds were functionally inactive when applied to heterologously expressed octopamine receptors (AmOctα1R). Upon irradiation with UV-visible or IR light, bioactive octopamine was released and evoked Ca2+ signals in AmOctα1R-expressing cells. The pronounced water solubility of compounds 2-4 in particular holds great promise for these substances as excellent phototriggers of this important neurotransmitter.