BODIPY-Based Analogue of the TREM2-Binding Molecular Adjuvant Sulfavant A, a Chemical Tool for Imaging and Tracking Biological Systems

Anal Chem. 2024 Feb 27;96(8):3362-3372. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c04322. Epub 2024 Feb 13.

Abstract

Recently, we described synthetic sulfolipids named Sulfavants as a novel class of molecular adjuvants based on the sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerol skeleton. The members of this family, Sulfavant A (1), Sulfavant R (2), and Sulfavant S (3), showed important effects on triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2)-induced differentiation and maturation of human dendritic cells (hDC), through a novel cell mechanism underlying the regulation of the immune response. As these molecules are involved in biological TREM2-mediated processes crucial for cell survival, here, we report the synthesis and application of a fluorescent analogue of Sulfavant A bearing the 4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene moiety (Me4-BODIPY). The fluorescent derivative, named PB-SULF A (4), preserving the biological activity of Sulfavants, opens the way to chemical biology and cell biology experiments to better understand the interactions with cellular and in vivo organ targets and to improve our comprehension of complex molecular mechanisms underlying the not fully understood ligand-induced TREM2 activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology
  • Boron Compounds* / chemistry
  • Boron Compounds* / pharmacology
  • Fluorescent Dyes* / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Receptors, Immunologic

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene
  • Boron Compounds
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • TREM2 protein, human
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Receptors, Immunologic