This thesis concerns the design and implementation of novel auto-immolative spacers for use in probes for enzymatic activity in vivo.The first part relates the development and in vitro validation of cyclisation spacers which couple the action of an aminopeptidase to the release of a phenol. The modular three-component fluorogenic probes based on these 1,2-diamine spacers are very robust (halflife > 560 h), but are also rapidly enzymatically processed, and quickly (halftime ~3 min) release an exceptionally photostable, insoluble ESIPT fluorophore. The probes have excellent detection sensitivity relative to current methods (signal to control ratio > 3000:1), and provide the first demonstration of a macroscopically binary off-ON system for phenol-releasing probes of aminopeptidase activity. The probe system may allow the exceptionally sensitive, ESIPT-based molecular imaging of a range of exopeptidases. The spacers may also be applied in off ON peptidase probes of other phenolic fluorophores, to peptidase-specific phenol/alcohol prodrugs for targeted therapy, or more generally in chemical adapter technologies.In the second part, two novel families of auto-immolative elimination/tautomerisation spacers were designed for use in three-component off ON magnetogenic probes sensing glycosidase activity. The first known substrate-spacer designs based on 2-hydroxyfurans and on carbimidates were explored. Notably, 2 furanol glycosides were synthesised in pursuit of high-energy alternatives to quinone methides, and a general method for preparing model carbimidate-bearing ligands for pro-magnetic probes was elaborated.

This thesis concerns the design and implementation of novel auto-immolative spacers for use in probes for enzymatic activity in vivo.The first part relates the development and in vitro validation of cyclisation spacers which couple the action of an aminopeptidase to the release of a phenol. The modular three-component fluorogenic probes based on these 1,2-diamine spacers are very robust (halflife > 560 h), but are also rapidly enzymatically processed, and quickly (halftime ~3 min) release an exceptionally photostable, insoluble ESIPT fluorophore. The probes have excellent detection sensitivity relative to current methods (signal to control ratio > 3000:1), and provide the first demonstration of a macroscopically binary off-ON system for phenol-releasing probes of aminopeptidase activity. The probe system may allow the exceptionally sensitive, ESIPT-based molecular imaging of a range of exopeptidases. The spacers may also be applied in off ON peptidase probes of other phenolic fluorophores, to peptidase-specific phenol/alcohol prodrugs for targeted therapy, or more generally in chemical adapter technologies.In the second part, two novel families of auto-immolative elimination/tautomerisation spacers were designed for use in three-component off ON magnetogenic probes sensing glycosidase activity. The first known substrate-spacer designs based on 2-hydroxyfurans and on carbimidates were explored. Notably, 2 furanol glycosides were synthesised in pursuit of high-energy alternatives to quinone methides, and a general method for preparing model carbimidate-bearing ligands for pro-magnetic probes was elaborated.

Cette thèse traite de la conception et mise en œuvre d’espaceurs auto-effondrables novateurs pour une utilisation dans des sondes d’activité enzymatique in vivo.La première partie détaille la synthèse et la validation in vitro d’espaceurs cyclisant, couplant l’activité d’un aminopeptidase à la libération d’un phénol. Les sondes fluorogènes modulaires basées sur ces espaceurs 1,2-diamine sont très robustes (demi-vie > 560 h), mais sont rapidement enzymatiquement hydrolysées, et puis relâchent rapidement (demi-temps ~ 3 min) un fluorophore ESIPT insoluble et exceptionnellement photostable.Ces sondes ont une excellente sensibilité (rapport signal:contrôle > 3000:1), et fournissent la première démonstration d’un système macroscopiquement binaire éteint–ALLUMÉ, pour la libération de phénols sous activité d’aminopeptidases. Ce système pourrait permettre de faire de l’imagerie moléculaire ultra-sensible d’une gamme d’exopeptidases. Ces espaceurs pourraient également servir dans des sondes comportant d’autres fluorophores phénoliques, dans des promédicaments de phénols/alcools activés par des peptidases spécifiques (thérapies ciblées), ou comme adaptateurs chimiques en générale.La deuxième partie détaille les synthèses de deux familles d’espaceurs tautomérisant/éliminant pour utilisation dans des sondes magnétogènes d’activité de glycosidases. Les premières architectures substrat-espaceur basées sur des 2-furanols et des carbimidates cycliques ont été explorées. Notamment, des glycosides 2-furanoliques ont été abordés comme espaceurs énergétiques alternatifs aux quinone méthydes, et des carbimidates ont été explorés comme espaceurs pour ligands modèles des sondes promagnétiques. / This thesis concerns the design and implementation of novel auto-immolative spacers for use in probes for enzymatic activity in vivo.The first part relates the development and in vitro validation of cyclisation spacers which couple the action of an aminopeptidase to the release of a phenol. The modular three-component fluorogenic probes based on these 1,2-diamine spacers are very robust (halflife > 560 h), but are also rapidly enzymatically processed, and quickly (halftime ~3 min) release an exceptionally photostable, insoluble ESIPT fluorophore. The probes have excellent detection sensitivity relative to current methods (signal to control ratio > 3000:1), and provide the first demonstration of a macroscopically binary off–ON system for phenol-releasing probes of aminopeptidase activity. The probe system may allow the exceptionally sensitive, ESIPT-based molecular imaging of a range of exopeptidases. The spacers may also be applied in off ON peptidase probes of other phenolic fluorophores, to peptidase-specific phenol/alcohol prodrugs for targeted therapy, or more generally in chemical adapter technologies.In the second part, two novel families of auto-immolative elimination/tautomerisation spacers were designed for use in three-component off ON magnetogenic probes sensing glycosidase activity. The first known substrate-spacer designs based on 2-hydroxyfurans and on carbimidates were explored. Notably, 2 furanol glycosides were synthesised in pursuit of high-energy alternatives to quinone methides, and a general method for preparing model carbimidate-bearing ligands for pro-magnetic probes was elaborated.