Fluorescent probes for adenosine receptors: Synthesis and biology of N-6-dansylaminoalkyl-substituted NECA derivatives

New fluorescent ligands for adenosine receptors are described; these compou nds were obtained by the insertion, in the N-6 position of NECA (a potent a denosine agonist), of dansylaminoalkyl moieties with alkyl spacers of incre asing carbon chain length (from 3 to 12). Among them, the compound with a C 6 alkyl spacer proved to be the most interesting one, showing a marked sele ctivity for the A(1) receptor subtype; furthermore, in fluorescence microsc opy assays it proved to be able to visualize and localize this receptor sub type at the level of the molecular layer of the rat cerebellar cortex. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.