Toward the development of new photolabile protecting groups that can rapidly release bioactive compounds upon photolysis with visible light.
The synthesis and characterization of a new photolabile protecting group (caging group) for carboxylic acids, the 2-(dimethylamino)-5-nitrophenyl (DANP) group, is described. This compound has a major absorption band in the visible wavelength region with a maximum near 400 nm (epsilon400 = 9077 M(-1) cm(-1) at pH 7.4 and 21 degrees C). The caging group is attached through an ester linkage to the carboxyl functionality of beta-alanine, which activates the inhibitory glycine receptor in the mammalian central nervous system. Such caged compounds play an important role in transient kinetic investigations of fast cellular processes. Upon photolysis of DANP-caged beta-alanine, the caging group is released within 5 micros. Quantum yields of 0.03 and 0.002 were obtained in the UV region (308 and 360 nm) and the visible region (450 nm), respectively. Laser-pulse photolysis experiments, using 337 or 360 nm light, were performed with the caged compound equilibrated with HEK 293 cells transiently transfected with cDNA encoding the alpha1 homomeric, wild-type glycine receptor. The experiments demonstrated that neither DANP-caged beta-alanine nor its byproducts inhibit or activate the glycine receptors on the cell surface. Under physiological conditions, the DANP-caged beta-alanine is water-soluble and stable and can be used for transient kinetic measurements.
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
Anamitro
A
Banerjee
Christof
C
Grewer
Latha
L
Ramakrishnan
Jürgen
J
Jäger
Armanda
A
Gameiro
Hans-Georg A
HG
Breitinger
Kyle R
KR
Gee
Barry K
BK
Carpenter
George P
GP
Hess
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D007834:Lasers; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009596:Nitrophenols / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D010782:Photolysis; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007473:Ion Channels; D009596:Nitrophenols; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D014867:Water; D015091:beta-Alanine