Study of a 1,8-naphtylimide derivative as uridine diphosphate selective probe: Synthesis, optical properties and in vivo imaging application

A 1, 8-naphtylimide-based probe 1 was developed for fluorescence sensing of uridine diphosphate (UDP). Probe 1 selectively recognized UDP in solvant system (DMSO-H2O) over other structurally similar nucleotides. Among all the tested targets, only the addition of UDP resulted in fluorescence enhancement of about 13-fold. Probe 1, the first receptor moiety without metal center, could recognize UDP only by multi H-bonds formed between the organic ligand and the base group in nucleotide. Moreover, probe 1 exhibited excellent cell permeability. The fluorescence imaging of UDP by probe 1 in Hela cells and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) demonstrated its potential as a fluorescent sensor for in vivo imaging of UDP.