Abstract
We report what we believe to be the first near-infrared pH-sensitive fluorescence lifetime molecular probe suitable for biological applications in physiological range. Specifically, we modified a known fluorophore skeleton, hexamethylindotricarbocyanine, with a tertiary amine functionality that was electronically coupled to the fluorophore, to generate a pH-sensitive probe. The pKa of the probe depended critically on the location of the amine. Peripheral substitution at the 5-position of the indole ring resulted in a compound with pKa ∼ 4.9 as determined by emission spectroscopy. In contrast, substitution at the meso-position shifted the pKa to 5.5. The resulting compound, LS482, demonstrated steady-state and fluorescence-lifetime pH-sensitivity. This sensitivity stemmed from distinct lifetimes for protonated (∼1.16 ns in acidic DMSO) and deprotonated (∼1.4 ns in basic DMSO) components. The suitability of the fluorescent dyes for biological applications was demonstrated with a fluorescencelifetime tomography system. The ability to interrogate cellular processes and subsequently translate the findings in living organisms further augments the potential of these lifetime-based pH probes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2063-2072 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Biophysical journal |
Volume | 100 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 20 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics