title: Facile synthesis of symmetric, monofunctional cyanine dyes for imaging applications.
abstract: Efficient syntheses of several members of a new class of symmetric, monocarboxylate-functionalized cyanine dyes have been developed. The synthesis is a simple two-step method, typically with greater than 60% yield and easy final product purification. The new monocarboxylate-functionalized cyanine dyes exhibit excellent water solubility and similar excitation and emission properties to those of Cy5 and Alexa Fluor 647. The application of the new dyes in cellular imaging has been demonstrated through direct conjugating of the dye with an antibody, then imaging of microtubules inside cells, visualized by near-infrared fluorescence microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Life Technologies, 29851 Willow Creek Road, Eugene, OR 97402, United States. lai-qiang.ying@lifetech.com
authors.forename: Lai-Qiang
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Bruce P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Branchaud
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D002417:Cattle; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012995:Solubility; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D002232:Carbocyanines; D014867:Water