Fluorescent styryl dyes in nucleic acid and cell research

Abstract

Fluorescent dyes play a crucial role in various bioimaging applications, offering valuable insights into cellular processes and molecular interactions. These dyes have been widely explored as probes for visualizing cellular organelles and biomolecules, including nucleic acids. The noncovalent recognition of DNA by small fluorescent molecules primarily relies on dominant binding modes, such as intercalation, groove binding, or electrostatic interactions with the sugar–phosphate backbone. Herein, we demonstrated the study of styryl dyes as fluorescent probes for biomolecules and organelles (e.g., mitochondria, cytoplasm and membrane). Styryl dyes exhibit a unique “light-switch” behavior, remaining nonfluorescent until they interact with biomolecules (such us DNA), resulting in a strong fluorescence signal. This property, combined with their high affinity for nucleic acids, provides an advantage in detecting and visualizing specific DNA sequences without background interference. The synthesis, optical and cellular studies of asymmetrical bis(styryl) dyes indicated the high affinity of dye molecules to the binding toward ds-DNA/cl-RNA and showed strong emission upon addition of ds-DNA/RNA with large difference in fluorescence enhancement ds-DNA/RNA effects in water and cells. Thus, a fluorogenic bisdyes possessing the properties of highly soluble in water, cell permeable, high photoresistance, can be applied by recognition of DNA in the presence of RNA molecules.

Speaker

Olga A. Fedorova
A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement compounds of Russian Academy of Sciences
Russia

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