PK 11195 is a ligand of the peripheral translocator protein (TSPO) which was previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor. PK 11195 binds to TSPO with selectivity and high affinity (Ki = 3.1 nM in cerebellum, 4.1 nM in spinal cord), capable of blocking binding of typical benzodiazepines to TSPO. TSPO, a protein primarily localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane, is present in many peripheral tissues but highly enriched in steroid-synthesizing tissues including the brain, based on which the binding of labeled PK 11195 to tissues is used to detect the presence of TSPO and discriminate the central benzodiazepine receptor from TSPO.?
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