The
human P2Y2 receptor (hP2Y2R)
is a G-protein-coupled receptor that shows promise as a therapeutic
target for many important conditions, including for antimetastatic
cancer and more recently for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. As such,
there is a need for new hP2Y2R antagonists
and molecular probes to study this receptor. Herein, we report the
development of a new series of non-nucleotide hP2Y2R antagonists, based on the known, non-nucleotide hP2Y2R antagonist AR-C118925 (1),
leading to the discovery of a series of fluorescent ligands containing
different linkers and fluorophores. One of these conjugates, 98, displayed micromolar affinity for hP2Y2R (pKd = 6.32 ± 0.10, n = 17) in a bioluminescence-energy-transfer (BRET) assay.
Confocal microscopy with this ligand revealed displaceable membrane
labeling of astrocytoma cells expressing untagged hP2Y2R. These properties make 98 one of the
first tools for studying hP2Y2R distribution
and organization.