Synthesis of fluorescent probes based on the pyochelin siderophore scaffold.

Pyochelin is a siderophore common to several pathogenic bacterial strains. Two conjugates, 1 and 2, between the NBD (4-nitro-benzo[1,2,5]oxadiazole) fluorophore and an N3 "-functionalized pyochelin were synthesized. These fluorescent probes unexpectedly increased their fluorescence in an aqueous medium in the presence of iron(III) and were transported into bacterial cells.