A "Clickable" Photoconvertible Small Fluorescent Molecule as a Minimalist Probe for Tracking Individual Biomolecule Complexes

J Am Chem Soc. 2019 Feb 6;141(5):1893-1897. doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b13094. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Abstract

Photoconvertible fluorophores can enable the visualization and tracking of a specific biomolecules, complexes, and cellular compartments with precise spatiotemporal control. The field of photoconvertible probes is dominated by fluorescent protein variants, which can introduce perturbations to the target biomolecules due to their large size. Here, we present a photoconvertible small molecule, termed CPX, that can be conjugated to any target through azide-alkyne cycloaddition ("click" reaction). To demonstrate its utility, we have applied CPX to study (1) trafficking of biologically relevant synthetic vesicles and (2) intracellular processes involved in transmission of α-synuclein (αS) pathology. Our results demonstrate that CPX can serve as a minimally perturbing probe for tracking the dynamics of biomolecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aza Compounds / chemistry*
  • Click Chemistry
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry*
  • alpha-Synuclein / analysis*

Substances

  • Aza Compounds
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • alpha-Synuclein