Gui_2024_Spectrochim.Acta.A.Mol.Biomol.Spectrosc_329_125587

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a vital role in various neurological diseases including brain disorders, neurotransmission alterations, and cancer. Developing effective methods to image AChE in biological samples is essential for understanding its mechanisms in biosystems. Here, we introduce a novel fluorescent probe CNA, that enables detection of AChE at 520 nm with rapid response time of 60 s and a detection limit of 0.014 U/mL. We successfully applied CNA to image endogenous and exogenous AChE in PC12 cells and in living mice. These findings highlight the potential of CNA as an effective method to study the physiological and pathological roles of AChE in complex living systems.