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Synthesis and characterization of a small, membrane-permeant, caspase-activatable far-red fluorescent peptide for imaging apoptosis.

Journal of medicinal chemistry 2005 Aug 25; 48(17):5404-7

Link to PubMed abstract

Bullok K K, Piwnica-Worms D D

Molecular Imaging Center, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.

To image apoptosis in vivo with a small, membrane-permeant probe, TcapQ(647) was synthesized comprising a Tat-peptide-based permeation peptide sequence, an effector caspase recognition sequence, DEVD, and a flanking optically activatable pair comprising a far-red quencher, QSY 21, and a fluorophore, Alexa Fluor 647. Under baseline conditions, high quenching efficiencies were observed resulting in low background fluorescence. Upon exposure to executioner caspases, TcapQ(647) was specifically cleaved, thereby releasing the fluorophore from the quencher and enabling imaging of apoptosis.