A Two-Photon Excitation Based Fluorogenic Probe for Sialome Imaging in Living Systems

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Chemical Biology
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Glycoproteins play crucial roles in various biological processes.
• Accurate imaging of glycoproteins is essential for understanding cellular functions and disease mechanisms.
• Current imaging methods may have limitations in sensitivity or specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel two-photon excited fluorogenic probe for sensitive and specific imaging of azide-tagged mannosyl glycoproteins.
• To demonstrate the utility of the probe in both cellular imaging and in vivo studies using vertebrate model organisms.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of an alkyne-modified naphthalimide derivative as a fluorogenic probe (Naph-yne).
• Utilizing the fluorescence property of the probe for two-photon excitation.
• Application of the probe for imaging azide-tagged mannosyl glycoproteins in cellular and organismal models.

Main Results:

• The Naph-yne probe exhibits strong fluorescence upon reaction with azide-tagged targets.
• Successful imaging of mannosyl glycoproteins at the cellular level was achieved.
• The probe demonstrated efficacy in imaging mannosyl glycoproteins within vertebrate model organisms.

Conclusions:

• Naph-yne is a highly effective two-photon excited fluorogenic probe for visualizing azide-tagged mannosyl glycoproteins.
• The probe offers a valuable tool for advanced biological imaging in diverse model systems.
• This work advances the field of molecular imaging for glycoprotein studies.