Development of novel caged compounds that can report the yield of uncaged products

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Fluorescence imaging is the most powerful technique currently available for continuous observation of dynamic intracellular processes in living cells. Suitable fluorescence probes are naturally of critical importance for fluorescence imaging, but only a very limited range of biomolecules can currently be visualized because of the lack of flexible design strategies for fluorescence probes. At present, design is largely empirical. We demonstrated here that the fluorescein molecule, which has been widely employed as a core of fluorescence probes, could be understood as a directly linked electron donor -fluorophore acceptor system and that the fluorescence properties of fluorescein derivatives could be controlled by intramolecular photoinduced electron tranfer. Based on these photo-physical findings, we could construct the first and totally rational design strategy for novel fluorescence probes. We could develop so far the following novel fluorescence probes; (a) DPAXs and DMAXs for singlet oxygen, (b) DAFs and DAMBOs for nitric oxide, (c) HPF and AIPF for highly reactive oxygen species including hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite, and so on. Further, we succeeded in developing novel caged compounds that can report the yield of uncaged products as an increase of fluorescence intensity by employing a nitrobeuzyl moiety as a caging protective group and fluorescein as a reporting fluorophore.