Fluorescent Saxitoxins for Live Cell Imaging of Single Voltage-Gated Sodium Ion Channels beyond the Optical Diffraction Limit

A desire to better understand the role of voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) in signal conduction and their dysregulation in specific disease states motivates the development of high precision tools for their study. Nature has evolved a collection of small molecule agents, including the shellfish poison (+)-saxitoxin, that bind to the extracellular pore of select NaV isoforms. As described in this report, de novo chemical synthesis has enabled the preparation of fluorescently labeled derivatives of (+)-saxitoxin, STX-Cy5, and STX-DCDHF, which display reversible binding to NaVs in live cells. Electrophysiology and confocal fluorescence microscopy studies confirm that these STX-based dyes function as potent and selective NaV labels. The utility of these probes is underscored in single-molecule and super-resolution imaging experiments, which reveal NaV distributions well beyond the optical diffraction limit in subcellular features such as neuritic spines and filopodia.