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Abstract

This invention describes bifunctional polysaccharides conjugated to both a chelating group suitable for the selective complexation of metal cations, and a targeting peptide specific for a cellular substructure. These bifunctional polysaccharides are primarily useful for the regulation, detection and quantification of metal ion levels, such as Ca.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, or Li.sup.+, in specific cellular structures. Localization within the cellular structure is accomplished by the targeting peptide, whereupon the large, water-soluble polysaccharide prevents diffusion of the chelating group from the targeted site. When the target cell structure is the nucleus of a fertilized egg cell, the polysaccharide-chelator conjugate remains sequestered within the nucleus until the breakdown of the nuclear envelope, whereupon the reagent becomes sequestered into both daughter nuclei. This means of tracking daughter cells is practical even through several cell divisions.

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First Claim