A novel water-soluble quinoline-indole derivative as a three-photon fluorescent probe for identifying nucleolus RNA and mitochondrial DNA

Chem Commun (Camb). 2020 Feb 11;56(12):1859-1862. doi: 10.1039/c9cc09640j. Epub 2020 Jan 17.

Abstract

We present the design and synthesis of water-soluble quinoline-indole-based derivatives (IM-1, IM-2, and IM-3) with three-photon absorption activity. IM-3 can specifically target DNA and RNA accompanied by an obvious three-photon fluorescence enhancement in the second near-infrared window (1000-1700 nm). The in vitro experiments demonstrate that IM-3 can simultaneously stain mitochondria and the nucleolus both in living and fixed cells. The organelle-specific targeting behaviour is successfully visualized under stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Nucleolus / chemistry
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / analysis*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Indoles / chemistry*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Optical Imaging
  • Photons*
  • Quinolines / chemistry*
  • RNA, Neoplasm / analysis*
  • Solubility
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Indoles
  • Quinolines
  • RNA, Neoplasm
  • Water
  • indole
  • quinoline