Visualization of α1-adrenergic receptors with phenylpiperazine-based fluorescent probes

Several novel fluorescent probes targeting α1-adrenergic receptors were well designed and synthesized by conjugating phenylpiperazine pharmacophore with coumarin and fluorescein fluorophores. These compounds showed suitable fluorescence property, high receptor affinity, and low cytotoxicity. Moreover, the cell imaging results displayed that these probes can be effective tools for the real-time detection of ligand-receptor interactions, as well as the visualization and location of α1-adrenergic receptors in living cells.