In this review, recent progress in tetrazine-based fluorogenic probes for bioorthogonal chemistry is comprehensively analyzed, with a focus on advancements in probe design and their imaging applications for molecular processes in live cells.
The luminogenic click reaction of 1,2,4-triazine-functionalised phenanthroline iridium(III) complexes opens easy pathways for luminescent bioconjugates.
Evaluation of tetrazine-modulated fluorogenic Cy3 probes revealed that internal conversion-based quenching of fluorescence results in better fluorogenic performances even in spectral ranges where tetrazines have diminished modulation power.
Click’n lock describes a reaction system capable of switching on-demand from reversible to irreversible click reactions and is based on the chemoselective tetrazine–thiol exchange. Here, click’n lock is applied for dynamic modifications of peptides.
This review highlights photophysical mechanisms guiding the rational design of fluorogenic probes for high-contrast, real-time, wash-free bioimaging.