Inhibitors of the serotonin transporter protein (SERT): The design and synthesis of biotinylated derivatives of 3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-pyridin-4-yl)-1H-indoles. High-affinity serotonergic ligands for conjugation with quantum dots

There is a growing demand for compounds with specificity for the serotonin transporter protein (SERT) that can be conjugated to cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide core shell nanocrystals. This letter describes the design and synthesis of two different biotinylated SERT antagonists that can be attached to streptavidin-coated cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide core shell nanocrystals.

Graphical abstractBiotinylated derivatives of 3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-pyridin-4-yl)-1H-indoles with high affinity for the serotonin transporter have been synthesized and attached to fluorescent quantum dots. These conjugates have been shown to retain biological activity.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide