A meso-acyl-BODIPY-based fluorogenic probe for the selective monitoring of aldo-keto reductase 1C1 in living cells

Abstract

Aldo-keto reductase 1C1 (AKR1C1) plays critical roles in steroid metabolism, but the selective imaging of AKR1C1 activity over that of its isoforms is highly challenging. The BODIPY-based fluorogenic probe 1-CO enabled the selective detection of AKR1C1 activity through a ketone reduction that proceeded with 50-fold fluorescence enhancement, nanomolar sensitivity, excellent isoform selectivity, and real-time imaging capability in living cells.