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Updated: Apr 28, 2026
In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein
Published on: January 2, 2015
Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Novel Styryl Dyes as Fluorescent Probes for Tau Aggregate Detection in
Withsakorn Sangsuwan1,2, Kriangsak Faikhruea3, Kotchakorn Supabowornsathit3
1Center of Excellence in Natural Products Chemistry (CENP), Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
Abstract:
A series of novel styryl dye derivatives incorporating indolium and quinolinium core structures were successfully synthesized to explore their interacting and binding capabilities with tau aggregates in vitro and in cells. The synthesized dyes exhibited enhanced fluorescence emission in viscous environments due to the rotatable bond confinement in the core structure. Dye 4, containing a quinolinium moeity and featuring two cationic sites, demonstrated a 28-fold increase in fluorescence emission upon binding to tau aggregates. This dye could also stain tau aggregates in living cells, confirmed by cell imaging using confocal fluorescence microscopy. A molecular docking study was conducted to provide additional visualization and support for binding interactions. This work offers novel and non-cytotoxic fluorescent probes with desirable photophysical properties, which could potentially be used for studying tau aggregates in living cells, prompting further development of new fluorescent probes for early Alzheimer's disease detection.
