A high-affinity subtype-selective fluorescent probe for estrogen receptor ß imaging in living cells.

ABSTRACT

Estrogen receptor ß (ERß) has recently been identified as a pharmaceutical target in hormone replacement therapy for breast cancers. However, the biological function of ERß in disease progression remains unclear. A highly ERß-selective fluorescent probe (FPNM) was discovered exhibiting nanomolar affinity for ERß with an ERß/ERα selectivity as high as 80, which allowed specific labeling of intracellular ERß. Moreover, distinct ERß dynamics in various cellular bio-settings such as prostate cancer (DU-145) or triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells were directly observed for the first time viaFPNM staining.