Design, synthesis and application of a near-infrared fluorescent probe for in vivo imaging of aminopeptidase N

Abstract

We have, for the first time, developed a near-infrared fluorescent probe for aminopeptidase N by combining a hemicyanine and an alanyl residue. The probe exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.8 ng mL^-1. With the probe, aminopeptidase N has been imaged in both cells and mice in vivo, indicating a promising tool for studying the function of the enzyme.