Development and Characterization of Fluorescent Mannose and Sialic Acid Based Chemical Probes for Lectin Discovery and Enzyme Studies

BODIPY (4,4–Difluoro-4-boro-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) dyes are relatively nonpolar fluorescent molecules used as biological labeling reagents. The advantages of using BODIPY dyes as tags include their unique photochemical properties, allowing for an easy and sensitive monitoring of target components. This thesis will discuss the synthesis of novel fluorescent “BODIPY”-labeled carbohydrate-based chemical probes and highlight their uses in different biological applications. In chapter one, we have focused on the development of BODIPY-mannose-based chemical probes for the discovery and characterization of mannose-binding lectins on surfaces of Actinobacteria. The synthesis of these probes and their efficiency to detect mannose-binding lectins using different techniques such as Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry are discussed. In chapter two, we have focused on the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of BODIPY-sialic acid based chemical probes for enzymatic detection of specific glycoconjugates on proteins. The use of these probes as donor substrates to probe the enzymes involved in glycan sialylation are discussed