A new fluorescence reaction in protein cytochemistry: formation of naphthalimide fluorophores from primary amino groups and 1,8-naphthalic anhydride derivatives.

In this work we describe the formation of fluorescent naphthalimide derivatives as a new cytochemical method for revealing protein amino groups. The reaction is based on the condensation of 1,8-naphthalic anhydrides in organic solvents with primary aliphatic amines. Under optimal violet-blue (436 nm) excitation, a strong yellow-green emission is observed in specific cell components from blood smears treated with 3-amino-1,8-naphthalic anhydride in N,N-dimethylformamide, which were the most suitable reagent and solvent for microscopic studies. Cytoplasmic granules of mammalian eosinophils and avian heterophils showed the highest fluorescence reaction, which was abolished by blocking procedures for amino groups. Spectrofluorometric analysis confirmed the emission characteristics of the naphthalimides produced from n-butylamine and gelatin. Taking into account the chemical reactivity of 1,8-naphthalic anhydrides and present results, the reaction can be considered selective for lysine and arginine residues of proteins.