ABSTRACT
Abstract Fluoride anions are indispensable trace elements required for sustaining life. To investigate the homeostasis and action of fluoride in the body, a new highly sensitive and selective fluorescence detection method was designed for fluoride in aqueous solutions. A fluorescent probe for fluoride (FP-F) was synthesized for imaging F- in living cells. The design strategy for the probe was based on the specific reaction between fluoride and silica to mediate deprotection of this probe to fluorescein. Upon treatment with F-, FP-F, a closed and weakly fluorescent lactone, was transformed into an open and strongly fluorescent product. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit for fluoride was 0.526 nM. FP-F could detect micromolar changes in F- concentrations in living cells by confocal microscopy.
Subject(s)
Fluorescein/pharmacology , Fluorescence , Fluorine/analysis , Trace Elements/adverse effects , Cells/metabolism , Microscopy, Confocal/methods , Diagnosis , Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacology , Homeostasis , MethodsABSTRACT
Fluorescent probes are potential fluorophores that display signals based on the changes in tissue microenvironment, interactions with analytes or specific biochemical reactions. Metabolic enzymes are the most important protein involved in bacteria activities. Complex dynamics of biological processes in bacteria are elucidated by these metabolic enzymes-based fluorescent probes with high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Here, we review recent advances in metabolic enzyme-responsive fluorescent probes for bacteria imaging. It was organized according to enzyme classification systems, focused on fluorescence masking strategies, molecular mechanisms of enzyme activation, and bio-related applications.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To construct an aggregation induced emission (AIE) self-assembled probe based on glutathione (GSH) response covalent cyclization and evaluate it in vitro.Methods:The peptide sequence containing the 2-cyano-6-aminobenzothiazole-cysteine (CBT-Cys) condensation sequence was synthesized by the solid-phase peptide synthesis method. After coupling with an AIE molecule by click chemical reaction, an AIE self-assembled probe 1 based on GSH response covalent cyclization was constructed, and probe 2 lacking Cys structure was used as the control. The absorption and emission spectra of probes were tested and the specificity of probes to GSH was analyzed. The hydrodynamic diameter and structure of the probes after response were compared. The effects of different pH values, temperatures, probe concentrations, and GSH concentrations on fluorescence intensity were investigated. The toxicity of probes to tumor cells such as HeLa, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231 was evaluated.Results:After GSH response, the fluorescence of probe 1 was enhanced by about 6 times and that of probe 2 was enhanced by about 2 times; probe 1 was converted into a dimer with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 896.1 nm. Probe 2 lacked a cyclization motif and was converted into a monomer with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 427.4 nm. The fluorescence intensity of probe 1 was significantly higher than that of probe 2 at pH=7.0 and 37 ℃, and the toxicity of probes to tumor cells (HeLa, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231) was low.Conclusions:After the disulfide bond of probe 1 was reduced by GSH, the probe molecule lost the hydrophilic sequence, resulting in fluorescence turn-on (the first aggregation), and probe 1 immediately generates an AIE dimer (the second aggregation) because it contains a CBT-Cys cyclization sequence, which realizes the dual AIE effect compared with the single aggregation of probe 2, and significantly enhances the fluorescence emission. Probe 1 has better applicability in physiological environments, which provides an idea for in-situ generation of covalent cycling probes in vivo and is expected to be used in tumor imaging and treatment in the later stages.
ABSTRACT
Vanin-1 is an amidohydrolase that catalyses the conversion of pantetheine into the amino-thiol cysteamine and pantothenic acid (coenzyme A precursor), which plays a vital role in multiple physiological and pathological processes. In this study, an enzyme-activated near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (DDAV) has been constructed for sensitively detecting Vanin-1 activity in complicated biosamples on the basis of its catalytic characteristics. DDAV exhibited a high selectivity and sensitivity toward Vanin-1 and was successfully applied to the early diagnosis of kidney injury in cisplatin-induced kidney injury model. In addition, DDAV could serve as a visual tool for in situ imaging endogenous Vanin-1 in vivo. More importantly, Enterococcus faecalis 20247 which possessed high expression of Vanin-1 was screened out from intestinal bacteria using DDAV, provided useful guidance for the rational use of NSAIDs in clinic. Finally, oleuropein as a potent natural inhibitor for Vanin-1 was discovered from herbal medicines library using a high-throughput screening method using DDAV, which held great promise for clinical therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.
ABSTRACT
italic>α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous systems, and is closely related to a variety of neurological diseases and inflammation response. α-Conotoxin [A10L]PnIA, as an antagonist targeting α7 nAChR, plays an important role in studying the physiological and pathological processes involved in α7 nAChR. [A10L]PnIA was labeled with fluorescein 5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine, and the active peptide ([A10L]PnIA-F) was obtained by a two-step oxidative folding procedure in vitro. The Xenopus oocyte expression system and the two-electrode voltage clamp technique were used to identify the potency of [A10L]PnIA-F fluorescent peptide, and its cytotoxicity was detected by mouse macrophages and CCK8 method. The molecular weight of [A10L]PnIA-F fluorescent peptide was identified by mass spectrometry as 2 077.28 Da, which was consistent with the theoretical value. Electrophysiological determination of its half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for α7 nAChR is 17.32 nmol·L-1, which is consistent with [A10L]PnIA (IC50, 13.84 nmol·L-1). The cytotoxicity test results showed that within the concentration range of 5 nmol·L-1 to 10 μmol·L-1, there was no significant inhibition on the growth of mouse macrophages. The results showed that the α-conotoxin fluorescent probe [A10L]PnIA could provide pharmacological tools for the research of α7 nAChR-related neurophysiological and pathological mechanisms.
ABSTRACT
Bioorthogonal fluorogenic probes are becoming an ideal tool for live-cell fluorescence imaging. With the tetrazine bioorthogonal fluorogenic probe that displays fluorescence enhancement, the tetrazine plays the dual-role of a bioorthogonal reaction unit and the fluorescence quenching unit. The "off" and "on" states of the fluorescence probe are mainly controlled through inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) bioorthogonal reaction. We designed a series of turn-on tetrazine fluorescent probes with Donor-π-Acceptor (D-π-A) structure to achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio and specificity of fluorescence imaging. This series of probes reacted with the dienophile bicyclononyne, and then generated pyridazine structure in-situ that acted as an electron acceptor, resulting in a new D-π-A effect of fluorescent dyes, turning on the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect. By adjusting the electron-donating groups and the degree of conjugation, tunable fluorescence spectra between 400-647 nm with fluorescence turn-on enhanced up to 500-fold have been achieved. This research lays the foundation for the further optimization of tetrazine bioorthogonal fluorescent probes and their applications in molecular imaging and biomedical fields.
ABSTRACT
The role of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics is important in public health. With the support of smartphones, POC diagnostic technologies can be greatly improved. This opportunity has arisen from not only the large number and fast spread of cell-phones across the world but also their improved imaging/diagnostic functions. As a tool, the smartphone is regarded as part of a compact, portable, and low-cost system for real-time POC, even in areas with few resources. By combining near-infrared (NIR) imaging, measurement, and spectroscopy techniques, pathogens can be detected with high sensitivity. The whole process is rapid, accurate, and low-cost, and will set the future trend for POC diagnostics. In this review, the development of smartphone-based NIR fluorescent imaging technology was described, and the quality and potential of POC applications were discussed.
ABSTRACT
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plays a significant role in regulating a variety of biological processes. Dys-regulation of H2O2 can lead to various diseases. Although numerous fluorescent imaging probes for H2O2 have been reported, the development of H2O2 ratiometric fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift re-mains rather limited. Such probes have shown distinct advantages, such as minimized interference from environment and improved signal-to noise ratio. In this work, we reported a new pyrene-based com-pound Py-VPB as H2O2 fluorescent probe in vitro. The probe demonstrated ratiometric detection behavior, large Stokes shift and large emission shift. In addition, the probe showed high sensitivity and selectivity towards H2O2 in vitro. Based on these excellent properties, we successfully applied Py-VPB to the visualization of exogenous and endogenous H2O2 in living cells. Cell imaging study also showed that our probe was localized in the mitochondria. We envision that the probe can provide a useful tool for unmasking the biological roles of mitochondrial H2O2 in living systems.
ABSTRACT
@#Lipid rafts composed of saturated phospholipids,sphingomyelin,and cholesterol are usually defined as liquid ordered microdomains located in the cell membrane. Lipid rafts are involved in many physiological and pathological processes of cells. Based on the difference in composition and distribution between lipid raft and non-raft domains,a lipid raft probe with aggregation-induced emission (AIE),cholesterol-triethylene glycol-tetraphenylethylene (TCHS-TPE),was designed and synthesized for convenient and specific imaging of lipid raft domains on cell membranes in this study. In this paper,TCHS-TPE was successfully synthesized,and the photophysical properties of TCHS-TPE were measured to evaluate its AIE characteristics. And finally the specific imaging of TCHS-TPE on the lipid raft region of B16F10 melanoma cell membrane was studied using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Compared with the existing lipid raft probe cholera toxin B (CTxB),the TCHS-TPE lipid raft probe has the advantages of simple operation and high specificity. The successful synthesis of the fluorescent probe will provide a useful tool for studying the physiological and pathological processes related to lipid raft domains,and offer a theoretical basis for the design of imaging probes for other lipid raft domains.
ABSTRACT
The abnormal expression of monoamine oxidases (MAOs), which distributed on the outer mitochondrial membrane can cause the dysfunction of neurotransmitter delivery and related to mental and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the specific detection of MAOs (MAO-A/B) and the regulation of their activities will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases. In order to distinguish the two subtypes of MAO-A/B, fluorescence detection and imaging techniques with highly specific and sensitive properties have important biological relevance. Herein, our research group based on the concept of "spatial configuration conversion" have designed the two-photon small molecule fluorogenic probes of U1 and F1, which capable of specific fluorescence "Switch-ON" behaviour, and combined with two-photon fluorescence microscopic imaging technology to realize the activity detection of endogenous MAO-B/A in cells and tissues. It is hoped that this works will benefit the understanding of physiological function about MAOs and developing innovative inhibitors, as well as diagnosing and treating in neurological diseases.
ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a nucleic acid assay for detection of Echinococcus granulosus based on recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RAA) assay. Methods The 12S rRNA gene of E. granulosus was selected as the target gene, and the specific primers and fluorescent probes for RAA assay were designed, screened and synthesized to establish a fluorescent RAA assay for detection of E. granulosus. The sensitivity of the fluorescent RAA assay was evaluated using different copy numbers of target gene sequence-contained recombinant plasmids and various concentrations of E. granulosus genomic DNA as templates, and the specificity of the fluorescent RAA assay was evaluated using the genomic DNA from E. granulosus, E. multilocularis, Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni, Ancylostoma duodenale, Clonorchis sinensis, Taenia saginata, Spirometra mansoni and Taenia solium as templates. Results A fluorescent RAA assay was successfully established for detection of E. granulosus, which achieved specific amplification of E. granulosus genomic DNA within 20 min at 39 ℃. The lowest detection limit of the fluorescent RAA assay was 10 copies/μL of recombinant plasmids and 0.1 ng/μL E. granulosus genomic DNA, which exhibited a high sensitivity, and the fluorescent RAA assay was all negative for the genomic DNA from E. multilocularis, S. japonicum, S. mansoni, A. duodenale, C. sinensis, T. saginata, Spirometra mansoni and T. solium, which exhibited a high specificity. In addition, this fluorescent RAA assay successfully detected genomic DNA from E. granulosus cysts. Conclusions A rapid, sensitive and specific fluorescent RAA assay is successfully established for nucleic acid detection of E. granulosus.
ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RAA) assay for nucleic acid detection of Schistosoma mansoni. Methods The 121 bp highly-repeated sequence of S. mansoni was selected as the target gene fragment to be detected. The primers and fluorescent probes were designed using the Amplfix software, and a fluorescent RAA assay was established and optimized. The fluorescent RAA assay was performed to detect gradient diluent recombinant plasmids containing target gene fragment and different concentrations of S. mansoni genomic DNA to determine the sensitivity, and this assay was applied to detect the genomic DNA of S. japonicum, S. haematobium, Ancylostoma duodenale and Clonorchis sinensis to evaluate the specificity. Results A fluorescent RAA assay was successfully established, which was effective to amplify the specific gene fragments of S. mansoni within 20 min at 39 ℃. The minimum detectable limit of the fluorescent RAA assay was 10 copies/μL using recombinant plasmids as templates and 0.1 fg/μL using S. mansoni genomic DNA samples as templates. The fluorescent RAA assays were all negative for detecting the genomic DNA from S. japonicum, S. haematobium, A. duodenale and C. sinensis. Conclusions A novel fluorescent RAA assay is successfully established, which is simple, rapid, sensitive and specific to detect genomic DNA of S. mansoni.
ABSTRACT
The near-infrared-IIb (NIR-IIb, 1 500-1 700 nm) window fluorescence with long emission wavelength has reduced light scattering and tissue auto-fluorescent background, achieving deep tissue imaging with high spatial resolution. Herein, we prepared an NIR-IIb fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) composed of lead sulfide (PbS). The fluorescence spectrum of PbS QDs were adjusted by controlling the size of the PbS core. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) shell was synthesized by the cation exchange method to form the core/shelled lead sulfide/cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CSQDs). The surface of CSQDs was modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to increase their stability in aqueous solution. The resulting PEG-modified CSQDs (PEG-CSQDs) had the emission peak at ~1 550 nm with quantum yield of 7.2%. The animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of Fudan University School of Pharmacy. At 2 h postinjection, PEG-CSQDs clearly delineated the tumor region of mice bearing orthotopic CT26-Luc colon cancer model in the NIR-IIb fluorescence imaging. The fluorescent intensity ratio of primary tumor and adjacent normal tissue was 42.3, and that of metastatic tumor and adjacent normal tissue was 22.3, which allowed to detect the primary tumor of 3.4 mm×2.5 mm in dimension and the metastatic tumor of 1.2 mm×0.9 mm in dimension, and accurately guided the excision of tumors. The PEG-CSQDs prepared in this study provided a new approach for the early diagnosis and guidance of surgical resection of colon cancer.
ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RAA) assay for detection of Cryptosporidium. Methods Based on Cryptosporidium-specific 18S rRNA selected as the target gene to be detected, and the primer sequences and fluorescent probes designed using the software Amplfix, and a fluorescent RAA assay was established and optimized. The fluorescent RAA assay was performed to detect 18S RNA target sequence-contained recombinant plasmids at various copies, genomic DNA of Cryptosporidium oocysts at various concentrations, and genomic DNA extracted from various numbers of Cryptosporidium oocysts to assess the sensitivity of the assay, and to detect genomic DNA extracted from Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia lamblia cysts, Schistosoma japonicum eggs, Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, Clonorchis sinensis eggs, Salmonella and Shigella to determine the specificity of the assay. Results A fluorescent RAA assay was successfully established, which was effective to amplify the specific 18S RNA gene fragments of Cryptosporidium within 20 min at 39 ℃. The lowest limits of the fluorescent RAA assay were 102 copies/μL for detection of 18S RNA target sequence-contained recombinant plasmids at various copies, 1 pg/μL for detection of genomic DNA of Cryptosporidium oocysts at various concentrations, and one Cryptosporidium oocyst/μL for detection of genomic DNA extracted from various numbers of Cryptosporidium oocysts, and the fluorescent RAA assay was all negative for detection of genomic DNA from G. lamblia cysts, S. japonicum eggs, A. lumbricoides eggs, C. sinensis eggs, Salmonella and Shigella. Conclusion A novel fluorescent RAA assay is successfully established, which is simple, rapid, sensitive and specific to detect genomic DNA of Cryptosporidium oocysts.
ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a recombinase-aided isothermal amplification (RAA) assay for detection of Cryptosporidium. Methods Based on Cryptosporidium-specific 18S rRNA selected as the target gene to be detected, and the primer sequences and fluorescent probes designed using the software Amplfix, and a fluorescent RAA assay was established and optimized. The fluorescent RAA assay was performed to detect 18S RNA target sequence-contained recombinant plasmids at various copies, genomic DNA of Cryptosporidium oocysts at various concentrations, and genomic DNA extracted from various numbers of Cryptosporidium oocysts to assess the sensitivity of the assay, and to detect genomic DNA extracted from Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia lamblia cysts, Schistosoma japonicum eggs, Ascaris lumbricoides eggs, Clonorchis sinensis eggs, Salmonella and Shigella to determine the specificity of the assay. Results A fluorescent RAA assay was successfully established, which was effective to amplify the specific 18S RNA gene fragments of Cryptosporidium within 20 min at 39 ℃. The lowest limits of the fluorescent RAA assay were 102 copies/μL for detection of 18S RNA target sequence-contained recombinant plasmids at various copies, 1 pg/μL for detection of genomic DNA of Cryptosporidium oocysts at various concentrations, and one Cryptosporidium oocyst/μL for detection of genomic DNA extracted from various numbers of Cryptosporidium oocysts, and the fluorescent RAA assay was all negative for detection of genomic DNA from G. lamblia cysts, S. japonicum eggs, A. lumbricoides eggs, C. sinensis eggs, Salmonella and Shigella. Conclusion A novel fluorescent RAA assay is successfully established, which is simple, rapid, sensitive and specific to detect genomic DNA of Cryptosporidium oocysts.
ABSTRACT
Sirtuins (SIRTs) are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent histone deacetylases with diverse physiological functions. A variety of small molecules have been developed to interrogate the physiological function of SIRTs. Therefore, it is desirable to establish efficient and convenient assays to screen SIRTs modulators. In this study, we designed a series of fluorescent nonapeptide probes derived from substrates of SIRT1-SIRT3. Fluorescence increment of these probes is based on SIRT-mediated removal of the acyl side chain with fluorophore, which makes this system free of lysine-recognizing protease. Comparing the reaction of these fluorescent nonapeptide substrates with SIRT1-SIRT3 and SIRT6, it was confirmed that this assessment system was the most suitable for SIRT2 activity detection. Thus, SIRT2 was used to modify substrates by truncating the amino acids or lysine side chain of nonapeptide. Finally, two specific and efficient fluorescent probes for SIRT2, ne-D9 and ne-K4a, were developed. Evaluation of the results revealed that ne-K4a based assay was more suitable for modulators screening , while the other specific substrate ne-D9 was stable in cell lysate and could detect the activity of SIRT2 in the same. In summary, this study presents a novel strategy for detecting SIRT2 activity and in cell lysate.
ABSTRACT
Objective To establish a molecular method for the identification of different serotypes of group B streptococcus(GBS)based on TaqMan fluorescence probe technology,and to lay the foundation for the sub-sequent study of multiple fluorescent probe technology to detect different serotypes of GBS.Methods Primers and probes were designed according to the different serotypes of capsular polysaccharide(CPS).CPS se-quences were amplified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.GBS classification methods of different serotypes were established.The results were compared with latex agglutination test and the method was evaluated from the aspects of sensitivity,specificity and detection of clinical isolates.Results The logarithmic concentration of DNA in the same serotype GBS was linearly correlated with the value of Ct. The detection limit of this method is 1 pg/μL,a probe could only detect the corresponding serotype GBS.The results of TaqMan fluorescence probe test of 10 strains were consistent with the results of latex agglutination test.Conclusion TaqMan fluorescence probe technique is a simple,rapid,highly sensitive and specific method for the detection of different GBS serotypes,and it is better than latex agglutination test for the classification of clinical isolates.
ABSTRACT
A novel method for rapid detection of arginine based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer effect (FRET) between carbon quantum dots ( CQDs) and gold nanoparticles ( AuNPs) was developed. Firstly, the CQDs with excellent fluorescence properties were synthesized by one-step microwave assisted method. The AuNPs/ CQDs composites were characterized and their quenching mechanism was analyzed. Then the amount of AuNPs/ CQDs, the pH value and the reaction time were optimal. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence system was used to detect the content of arginine, showing a good linear relationship ( R2 = 0. 993 ) between fluorescence intensity and concentration of arginine in the range of 0. 1-10. 0 μmol/ L, and the detection limit was 5. 8 nmol/ L. Finally, the content of arginine in grape juice was determined by this method with recoveries of 105. 4% -110. 8% , which indicated that the proposed FRET system had the potential for practical detection of arginine in fruit juice.
ABSTRACT
A fluorescence enhancement probe (ZY8) for the detection of N2H4was designed and synthesized by employing 3-hydroxyflavone as a fluorophore,and its spectral properties had been investigated. The results showed that ZY8 had relatively good selectivity and specificity to N2H4in Tris-HCl-ethanol solution (9:1, V/V, pH 7.40). The fluorescent intensity of ZY8 exhibited good linear relationship with concentration of N2H4in the concentration range of 1.6×10-7mol/L-6.2×10-5mol/L,and its detection limit was estimated to be 1. 6×10-7mol/L. ZY8 itself had weak fluorescence, upon addition of N2H4, an approximate 9-fold fluorescence enhancement was observed, and the color of the solution changed from light grayish green to bright grass-green at UV light of 365 nm. So ZY8 might be used to the visual recognition of N2H4. ZY8 could detect N2H4in near-physiological pH range, and it had fast response and strong anti-interference ability. Moreover,ZY8 could be loaded as test paper for naked-eye detection of N2H4at mmol/L level in water solution,and it was also applied in the determination of N2H4in various water samples by the standard addition recovery experiments, with the recovery ratio ranged from 96.0% to 104.2% %, and RSD of all< 4%. The results of this study demonstrated that ZY8 had potential application to the detection of N2H4in the monitoring of environmental pollution.
ABSTRACT
A temperature-responsive hydrophilic block copolymer fluorescence sensor based on selective analysis of Al3+was designed and synthesized. The polymer fluorescent probe (L64-BTPA-SHMA) was synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and characterized by 1 H NMR,and the recognition performance of the polymer probe was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that the fluorescence response of Al3+detected by this polymer fluorescence probe was significantly affected by temperature. The higher the temperature, the lower the fluorescence intensity was observed. The results showed that 0.1 g/L polymer fluorescent probe had a good selectivity to Al3+in buffer solution at 25℃and pH 7.4,and was not affected by other metal ions. A fluorescence detection method based on this polymer probe for Al3+was developed. In this method,the fluorescence intensity was linear with Al3+concentration in the range of 2. 0 -18. 0 μmol/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0. 9977 and a detection limit of 1.43 μmol/L. The fluorescence response between the polymer fluorescence chemosensor and Al3+could be altered by controlling the temperature change. The successful application of the polymer fluorescence probe for detecting Al3+residues in agricultural products has practical application value.