Design of a NIR-I Viscosity-Sensitive Fluorescent Probe for Tracking Nuclear Physiological Changes During Different Cell Cycle Stages.

ABSTRACT: Organic small-molecule fluorescent probes represent an important class of fluorescence imaging tools that play crucial roles in cellular imaging. In this study, we designed a novel nonconventional viscosity-sensitive probe, YY-2, to facilitate live-cell nuclear tracking through intermolecular interactions, such as weak hydrogen bonding between the aniline group and thymine, electrostatic attraction, and π-π stacking. The DNA binding energy of YY-2 (-5.24 kJ/mol) is comparable to that of the commercial nuclear dye Hoechst 33342 (-10.98 kJ/mol), while exhibiting lower DNA toxicity. Computational results indicate that the aminophenyl rotor contributes more significantly to the excited-state relaxation process than its nitrophenyl and phenyl counterparts. ESP analysis reveals tha

SUBMITTER: Yu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856832 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature