Wierzchowski J, Antosiewicz JM, Shugar D. 8-Azapurines as isosteric purine fluorescent probes for nucleic acid and enzymatic research.
MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2015;
10:2756-74. [PMID:
25124808 DOI:
10.1039/c4mb00233d]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The 8-azapurines, and their 7-deaza and 9-deaza congeners, represent a unique class of isosteric (isomorphic) analogues of the natural purines, frequently capable of substituting for the latter in many biochemical processes. Particularly interesting is their propensity to exhibit pH-dependent room-temperature fluorescence in aqueous medium, and in non-polar media. We herein review the physico-chemical properties of this class of compounds, with particular emphasis on the fluorescence emission properties of their neutral and/or ionic species, which has led to their widespread use as fluorescent probes in enzymology, including enzymes involved in purine metabolism, agonists/antagonists of adenosine receptors, mechanisms of catalytic RNAs, RNA editing, etc. They are also exceptionally useful fluorescent probes for analytical and clinical applications in crude cell homogenates.
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