Ncm, a Photolabile Group for Preparation of Caged Molecules: Synthesis and Biological Application.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27695074.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0163937 and PMC identifier 5047466.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Ncm, 6-nitrocoumarin-7-ylmethyl, is a photolabile protective group useful for making "caged" molecules. Ncm marries the reliable photochemistry of 2-nitrobenzyl systems with the excellent stability and spectroscopic properties of the coumarin chromophore. From simple, commercially available starting materials, preparation of Ncm and its caged derivatives is both quick and easy. Photorelease of Ncm-caged molecules occurs on the microsecond time scale, with quantum efficiencies of 0.05-0.08. We report the synthesis and physical properties of Ncm and its caged derivatives. The utility of Ncm-caged glutamate for neuronal photostimulation is demonstrated in cultured hippocampal neurons and in brain slice preparations.
Medical subject headings
- Coumarins