Highly selective tridentate fluorescent probes for visualizing intracellular Mg dynamics without interference from Ca fluctuation.

We developed highly selective fluorescent Mg probes based on a novel tridentate Mg-selective chelator. The superior selectivity for Mg over Ca enabled the detection of intracellular Mg concentration changes without any response to Ca influx. The new probes are potential keys to elucidating intracellular Mg dynamics under conditions of extremely sharp Ca fluctuation.