Advances in the chemistry of small molecule fluorescent probes

Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2011 Dec;15(6):752-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2011.10.013. Epub 2011 Nov 10.

Abstract

Small molecule fluorophores are essential tools for chemical biology. A benefit of synthetic dyes is the ability to employ chemical approaches to control the properties and direct the position of the fluorophore. Applying modern synthetic organic chemistry strategies enables efficient tailoring of the chemical structure to obtain probes for specific biological experiments. Chemistry can also be used to activate fluorophores; new fluorogenic enzyme substrates and photoactivatable compounds with improved properties have been prepared that facilitate advanced imaging experiments with low background fluorescence. Finally, chemical reactions in live cells can be used to direct the spatial distribution of the fluorophore, allowing labeling of defined cellular regions with synthetic dyes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescent Dyes / analysis
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemical synthesis*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Photochemistry / methods
  • Small Molecule Libraries / analysis
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemical synthesis
  • Small Molecule Libraries / metabolism
  • Staining and Labeling / methods*

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Small Molecule Libraries