Anionically substituted 7-nitroindoline derivatives and their uses

1. A compound represented by the formula:

wherein:

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of —CO—CH 2 —NH 2 , —CO—CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —NH 2 , —CO—CH(CH 2 —CH 2 —COOH)—NH 2 and —CO—CH 2 —CH 2 —CH(COOH)—NH 2 ;

R 2 and R 3 are selected from hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, or R 2 and R 3 together form a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group;

R 4 is a group represented by the formula:

—O—CH 2 CH(OPO 3 2− )CH 2 OPO 3 2− , or

—OCH(CH 2 OPO 3 2− ) 2 , or

—O—CH 2 (CHOPO 3 2− ) 2 CH 2 OPO 3 2− , or

—O—CH 2 C(CH 2 OPO 3 2− ) 3 , or

—O(CH 2 ) a OP 2 O 6 3− , or

—O(CH 2 ) a OP 3 O 9 4−

wherein when a is present in the formula, it is an integer between 1 and 5; and

R 5 is hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, a triplet sensitizing group selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted and substituted benzophenones, substituted and unsubstituted anthrones, substituted and unsubstituted xanthones, substituted and unsubstituted carbazoles, substituted and unsubstituted triphenylenes and substituted and unsubstituted 3- or 4-benzoylpyridines, a group represented by (CH 2 ) n Y or (CH 2 ) m —O—(CH 2 ) n Y;

wherein m and n are independently between 1 and 10 and Y is selected from hydrogen, CO 2 H or salts thereof, OPO 3 2− or salts thereof, OSO 3 − or salts thereof, or CO 2 R 6 , wherein R 6 is an alkyl or substituted alkyl group;

or a salt, protected form or partially or fully protonated form of the compound.

2. A compound of the formula:

wherein:

R 1 represents —CO—CH 2 —NH 2 , —CO—CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —NH 2 , —CO—CH(CH 2 CH 2 COOH)—NH 2 or —CO—CH 2 CH 2 CH(COOH)—NH 2 , or a salt, protected form or partially or fully protonated form of said compound.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is —CO—CH 2 —NH 2 or R 1 is —CO—CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —NH2.

4. The compound of claim 3 , wherein the compound is a Li + , Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + , trialkylammonium or tetraalkylammonium salt.

5. A method of irradiating a compound of claim 1 , which comprises irradiating the compound to cause it to photolyse and release an effector species wherein said effector species is selected from the group consisting of glycine, GABA and glutamate.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the photolysis and release steps are used in a patch clamp experiment or in a method of high throughput screening.

7. The compound of claim 3 , wherein said triplet sensitizing group is a 4-substituted benzophenone or a 4,4′-disubstituted benzophenone wherein said substituent is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group.

8. The compound of claim 7 , wherein said benzophenone substituent is a —O—(CH 2 ) n —OPO 3 2− group, wherein n is an integer between 1 and 10.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein said effector species is selected from the group consisting of glycine and GABA.