Photoswitchable Fluorescent Hydrazone for Super-Resolution Cell Membrane Imaging.

ABSTRACT: Advancing the field of super-resolution microscopy will require the design and optimization of new molecular probes whose emission can be toggled "ON" and "OFF" using light. Recently, we reported on a hydrazone photochrome (1) whose emission can be photoswitched on demand, although its low brightness and UV light-dependent back isomerization limited its use in such applications. Here, we report on the optimization of this parent fluorophore by replacing its dimethylamine electron-donating group with conformationally more rigid groups, namely, azetidine (2), 3,3-difluoroazetidine (3), and julolidine (4). This structural change resulted in enhanced brightness (i.e., extinction coefficient multiplied by fluorescence quantum yield), specifically in 4 because

SUBMITTER: Qi Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12318359 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature