In this study, we developed a two-photon fluorescent probe for detection of peroxynitrite (ONOO-) near the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. This naphthalimide-based probe contains a boronic acid reactive group and an ifenprodil-like tail, which serves as an NMDA receptor targeting unit. The probe displays high sensitivity and selectivity, along with a fast response time in aqueous solution. More importantly, the probe can be employed along with two-photon fluorescence microscopy to detect endogenous ONOO- near NMDA receptors in neuronal cells as well as in hippocampal tissues. The results suggest that the probe has the potential of serving as a useful imaging tool for studying ONOO- related diseases in the nervous system.
This study was supported financially by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. 2012R1A3A2048814 for J.Y. and No. 2016R1E1A1A02920873 for H.M.K.). The Korea Basic Science Institute (Western Seoul) is acknowledged for the LC/MS data. FAB mass spectral data were obtained from the Korea Basic Science Institute (Daegu) on a Jeol JMS 700 high resolution mass spectrometer.
