Fluorescent sensors are valuable tools for studying mobile zinc in complex biological systems. Because of the rapid and tight zinc-binding properties of these sensors, there is limited temporal control over their activity after application to a biological sample. We recently developed zinc sensors that could be activated with short pulses of UV light. These probes are constructed by masking the binding sites of a parent zinc sensor with protecting groups to prevent a zinc response. Photo-induced removal of the protecting groups restores the binding site, allowing for zinc-dependent changes in fluorescence. Here, we present the design, synthesis, and applications of these sensors in live cell and tissue imaging experiments.

Development of photoactivatable sensors for detecting mobile zinc

256th National Meeting (2018)

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