A structurally compact aqueous soluble oxypicolinium photocage with high photosensitivity.

ABSTRACT: Photocages are protecting groups that can be unmasked with light irradiation and provide spatiotemporal control over the activity of a biomolecule. Ideally, photocages have high quantum yields for deprotection and good water solubility. Small photocages are preferred in applications where minimal biological perturbations of the photocage are desired or where large photocage structures stymie needed binding or activity, such as in the incorporation of unnatural photocaged amino acids into proteins. Here, we report N-methyl-3-oxypicolinium ester, by molecular weight the smallest photocage reported to date. The photocage is smaller (by MW) than even the parent nitrobenzyl photocage, but has improved properties, including being more water soluble as a result of its zwitterionic characte

SUBMITTER: Dissanayake KC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11912023 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature