700-nm Zwitterionic Near-Infrared Fluorophores for Dual-Channel Image-Guided Surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a family of 700-nm zwitterionic pentamethine indocyanine near-infrared fluorophores that would permit dual-channel image-guided surgery.

Procedures: Three complementary synthetic schemes were used to produce novel zwitterionic chemical structures. Physicochemical, optical, biodistribution, and clearance properties were compared to Cy5.

Hydroxylated near-infrared BODIPY fluorophores as intracellular pH sensors.

In this study, a series of new, highly sensitive BF2-chelated tetraarylazadipyrromethane dyes are synthesized and analyzed to be suitable as on/off photo-induced electron transfer modulated fluorescent sensors for determination of intracellular pH. The ethanolic solutions of the new indicators feature absorption maxima in the range of 696-700 nm and a fluorescence emission maximum at 720 nm. Molar absorptivity and fluorescence quantum yield data were determined for the studied set of aza-BODIPY indicators.

Labeling lysine acetyltransferase substrates with engineered enzymes and functionalized cofactor surrogates.

Elucidating biological and pathological functions of protein lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) greatly depends on the knowledge of the dynamic and spatial localization of their enzymatic targets in the cellular proteome. We report the design and application of chemical probes for facile labeling and detection of substrates of the three major human KAT enzymes. In this approach, we create engineered KATs in junction with synthetic Ac-CoA surrogates to effectively label KAT substrates even in the presence of competitive nascent cofactor acetyl-CoA.

The fluorescence-based acetylation assay using thiol-sensitive probes.

Lysine acetyltransferases (KATs) catalyze the acetylation of specific lysine residues in histone and nonhistone proteins. The enzymatic activities of KATs are involved in a broad spectrum of cellular processes. Thus far, the reaction of KAT catalysis has been studied by various bioanalytical methods such as radioisotopic labeling, spectrophotometric and fluorometric measurements, and antibody-dependent immunosorbent assays.

Comparative studies of thiol-sensitive fluorogenic probes for HAT assays.

Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) catalyze the acetylation of specific lysine residues in histone and nonhistone proteins. Recent studies showed that acetylation is widely distributed among cellular proteins, suggestive of diverse functions of HATs in cellular pathways. Nevertheless, currently available assays for HAT activity study are still quite limited.

6-alkylsalicylates are selective Tip60 inhibitors and target the acetyl-CoA binding site.

Histone acetyltransferases are important enzymes that regulate various cellular functions, such as epigenetic control of DNA transcription. Development of HAT inhibitors with high selectivity and potency will provide powerful mechanistic tools for the elucidation of the biological functions of HATs and may also have pharmacological value for potential new therapies. In this work, analogs of the known HAT inhibitor anacardic acid were synthesized and evaluated for inhibition of HAT activity.