Fluorescent Diarylethenes With Polar Groups: Synthesis, Spectra, and Optical Microscopy Applications

Area of Science:

• Chemical Biology
• Optical Microscopy
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Photoactivatable fluorescent diarylethenes (fDAEs) offer tunable spectral properties for bio-imaging.
• Limitations exist in current fDAEs regarding structural variability and spectral control.
• Developing new fDAEs is crucial for advancing light microscopy techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel "turn-on" fDAEs with adaptable structural and spectral characteristics.
• To create cell-permeant mitochondrion-selective probes and protein bioconjugates.
• To demonstrate multicolor superresolution imaging using newly developed fDAEs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of HO-fDAEs with four hydroxyl groups and a single core functionality.
• Preparation of cell-permeant mitochondrion-selective probes and protein bioconjugates.
• Combination of HO-fDAEs with thiophene-substituted fDAE (Th-fDAE) for multicolor imaging.

Main Results:

• HO-fDAEs emit green light and enable bioconjugation.
• Th-fDAE exhibits red-shifted absorption/emission and efficient on-switching.
• Large Stokes shifts (80-110 nm) allowed color separation and two-color superresolution imaging.
• Photoactivation of HO-fDAEs and blinking of Th-fDAE enabled multicolor imaging.

Conclusions:

• Novel HO-fDAEs and Th-fDAEs overcome limitations in fDAE-based microscopy.
• The developed probes facilitate multicolor superresolution imaging of cellular structures.
• These fDAEs offer versatile applications in chemical biology and advanced imaging.