Synthesis and study of novel pH-independent fluorescent mitochondrial labels based on Rhodamine B

Abstract

Several Rhodamine B derivatives based on a tri-substituted pyrimidine core were prepared using solid-phase chemistry with a combinatorial approach. These compounds were screened for their basic fluorescence properties and their ability to penetrate through eukaryotic cell membranes. Most can penetrate through the cell membrane and specifically accumulate in mitochondria. Notably, some of our new rhodamine derivatives showed partially sustained mitochondrial localization and exhibited fluorescence at high pH, making them promising candidates for molecular probes to elucidate mitochondrial biology and pathology.