Fluorescence-based techniques used in the fields of biology, pharmacy, and medicine are certainly not new, but there are still rapid technological advances. This must be matched by the development of fluorescent probes, upon which basically all fluorescence-based techniques depend. There is a lack of probes for selective labelling of membranes, especially plasma membranes. The latter are often of interest for determining cell boundaries, and if the probes are environmentally sensitive, e.g., to viscosity or polarity, they can provide useful information about membrane processes.
In this master's thesis, we succeeded in making an environmentally sensitive fluorescence probe from the planned two probes for plasma membrane characterization. The probe is based on Nile Red, which is considered a very environmentally sensitive fluorophore. Its fluorescence intensity and emission maximum change depending on the polarity of the environment. To convert Nile Red into a membrane probe, we first added an alkyne to the phenoxazine backbone of Nile Red to enable a copper(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition or a so-called click reaction with any azide. At the same time, we prepared an amine to which a lipophilic chain is attached and an azide on a short spacer. The click reaction between the prepared alkyne and the azide was then carried out and, in a final step, a zwitter ion with 1,3-propanesultone was introduced onto the probe. The final compound has a lipophilic anchor that allows it to be placed in the membrane and a zwitterion that is the polar head and should prevent or at least slow down the distribution of the probe to other membranes of the cell. Another important part of the master's thesis was to optimise the synthesis of Nile Red and identify the key conditions that affect the course of the reaction. In addition, the prepared Nile Red derivative with an alkyne group can be used for the preparation of new probes in the future. The efficiency of the prepared probe will be tested in the future at the Jožef Stefan Institute.
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