Fluorescent Probes with Multiple Binding Sites for the Discrimination of Cys, Hcy, and GSH.

Biothiols such as cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH) play crucial roles in maintaining redox homeostasis in biological systems. This Minireview summarizes the most significant current challenges in the field of thiol-reactive probes for biomedical research and diagnostics, emphasizing the needs and opportunities that have been under-investigated by chemists in the selective probe and sensor field. Progress on multiple binding site probes to distinguish Cys, Hcy, and GSH is highlighted as a creative new direction in the field that can enable simultaneous, accurate ratiometric monitoring. New probe design strategies and researcher priorities can better help address current challenges, including the monitoring of disease states such as autism and chronic diseases involving oxidative stress that are characterized by divergent levels of GSH, Cys, and Hcy.

A single pH fluorescent probe for biosensing and imaging of extreme acidity and extreme alkalinity.

A simple tailor-made pH fluorescent probe 2-benzothiazole (N-ethylcarbazole-3-yl) hydrazone (Probe) is facilely synthesized by the condensation reaction of 2-hydrazinobenzothiazole with N-ethylcarbazole-3-formaldehyde, which is a useful fluorescent probe for monitoring extremely acidic and alkaline pH, quantitatively. The pH titrations indicate that Probe displays a remarkable emission enhancement with a pKa of 2.73 and responds linearly to minor pH fluctuations within the extremely acidic range of 2.21-3.30. Interestingly, Probe also exhibits strong pH-dependent characteristics with pKa 11.28 and linear response to extreme-alkalinity range of 10.41-12.43. In addition, Probe shows a large Stokes shift of 84 nm under extremely acidic and alkaline conditions, high selectivity, excellent sensitivity, good water-solubility and fine stability, all of which are favorable for intracellular pH imaging. The probe is further successfully applied to image extremely acidic and alkaline pH values fluctuations in E. coli cells.

Highly selective fluorescent and colorimetric probe for live-cell monitoring of sulphide based on bioorthogonal reaction.

H2S is the third endogenously generated gaseous signaling compound and has also been known to involve a variety of physiological processes. To better understand its physiological and pathological functions, efficient methods for monitoring of H2S are desired. Azide fluorogenic probes are popular because they can take place bioorthogonal reactions. In this work, by employing a fluorescein derivative as the fluorophore and an azide group as the recognition unit, we reported a new probe 5-azidofluorescein for H2S with improved sensitivity and selectivety. The probe shows very low background fluorescence in the absence of H2S. In the presence of H2S, however, a significant enhancement for excited fluorescence were observed, resulting in a high sensitivity to H2S in buffered (10 mmol/L HEPES, pH 7.0) aqueous acetonitrile solution (H2O/CH3CN = 1:3, v/v) with a detection limit of 0.035 µmol/L observed, much lower than the previously reported probes. All these features are favorable for direct monitoring of H2S with satisfactory sensitivity, demonstrating its value of practical application.

9,10-Dioxo-9,10-di-hydro-anthracene-1,4-diyl di-acetate.

In the title compound, C18H12O6, the anthra-quinone ring system is nearly planar [maximum deviation = 0.161 (3) Å] and both acetate groups are located on the same side of the ring plane. A supra-molecular architecture arises in the crystal owing to π-π stacking between parallel benzene rings of adjacent mol-ecules [centroid-centroid distance = 3.883 (4) Å] and weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding.

Ultraviolet-visible light (UV-Vis)-reversible but fluorescence-irreversible chemosensor for copper in water and its application in living cells.

An ultraviolet-visible light (UV-Vis)-reversible but fluorescence-irreversible chemosensor was developed for the detection of copper. Coordination between the probe, 2-pyridylaldehyde fluorescein hydrazone (FHP), and Cu(2+) gave a reversible UV-Vis response, Storage of the probe-Cu complex resulted in hydrolytic cleavage of the N═C bond, which released the fluorophore (ring-opened fluorescein hydrazine) and gave irreversible fluorescence. Thus, FHP becomes a multifunctional chemosensor, and its reversibility can be controlled by the reaction time. Cu(2+) in living cells could be detected using FHP and general fluorescence methods.

Indicator approach to develop a chemosensor for the colorimetric sensing of thiol-containing water and its application for the thiol detection in plasma.

A strategy for the determination of the presence of thiol-containing amino acids was successfully established by simply assembling copper chloride and xylenol orange (3,3'-bis[N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)aminomethyl]-o-cresolsulfonephthalein trisodium salt; XO) in a 1 : 1 molar ratio in quasi-physiological water solution (pH 6.0). The copper(II)-XO ensemble was highly selective for thiol species such as cysteine, homocysteine, and glutathione without interference from other amino acids and could quantitatively detect thiol in the range from 10 to 200 µM with a linear relationship having an average molar absorbance constant of 6530 L mol(-1) cm(-1) in pure water. The whole recognition process for thiol gave rise to a rapid visual color change from purple-red to yellow which can be observed simultaneously with the naked-eye.

Chromene "lock", thiol "key", and mercury(II) ion "hand": a single molecular machine recognition system.

A regenerative, molecular machine-like "ON-OFF-ON" chemosensor based on a chromene molecule with the pyran ring "OFF-ON-OFF" cycle is reported for the first time. It behaves as a molecular lock that requires a thiol "key" to open the lock and a mercury(II) ion "hand" that unlatches the key for unsheathing the key to close the lock.

Naked-eye determination of oxalate anion in aqueous solution with copper ion and pyrocatechol violet.

A novel strategy for the determination of oxalate anions was successfully established using a copper ion and pyrocatechol violet (PV) ensemble. The sensor ensemble can discriminate oxalate over other common anions including F(-), Cl(-), I(-), Br(-), HPO(4)(2-), PO(4)(3-), AcO(-), CO(3)(2-), SO(4)(2-), ClO(4)(-), P(2)O(7)(4-), S(2-) (deposited by Ag(+)), CN(-) (shielded by Fe(3+)) and can detect oxalate at low microgram levels in quasi-physiological aqueous solutions. The detection of the oxalate anion gives rise to a rapid observable visual color change from blue to yellow.

Colorimetric detection of thiols using a chromene molecule.

A new thiol-containing colorimetric probe has been developed by using a chromene derivative, 7-nitro-2,3-dihydro-1H-cyclopenta[b]chromen-1-one (1). The molecule exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity for detecting thiol species as cysteine, homocysteine, and glutathione in aqueous solution through a rapid visual color change from colorless to yellow.

A novel O-Zn bridging polymer complex of 2,6-bis[bis(carboxylatomethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenolate.

A new one-dimensional coordination polymer, catena-poly[[acetatohexaaqua{mu4-2,6-bis[bis(carboxylatomethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenolato}trizinc(II)] octahydrate], [Zn3(C17H17N2O9)(C2H3O2)(H2O)6] x 8 H2O, is a trinuclear complex consisting of three zinc centers joined by a phenolate bridge and Zn(H2O)4 units. In each complex polymer unit, the three Zn atoms have different coordination modes. Of the two phenolate-bridged Zn ions, one adopts a distorted octahedral coordination composed of two carboxylate ligands, one tertiary N atom, two water molecules and the bridging phenolate ligand, while the other adopts a pyramidal geometry composed of two carboxylate ligands, one tertiary N atom from another coordination arm, one acetate anion as the counter-anion and the bridging phenolate ligand. The third type of Zn centre is represented by two independent Zn atoms lying on inversion centres. They both have an octahedral coordination consisting of four O atoms from four water molecules and two acetate carbonyl O atoms from the ligand. The latter Zn atoms join the above-mentioned binuclear complex units through O atoms of the carboxylate groups into an infinite chain. Neighboring aromatic rings are distributed above and below the chain in an alternating manner. Between the coordination chains, the Zn...Zn separations are 5.750 (4) and 6.806 (4) A. The whole structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonds formed mainly by solvent water molecules.

The crystal structure, self-assembly, DNA-binding and cleavage studies of the [2]pseudorotaxane composed of cucurbit[6]uril.

The [2]pseudorotaxanes of cucurbit[6]uril with guest molecule 1,6-bis(imidazol-1-yl)hexane (BIMH) were synthesized and characterized by ESI-MS spectrometry, (1)H NMR spectra, and X-ray diffraction crystallography. The influence of different anions on self-assembly in solid-state was discussed by X-ray diffraction crystallography. However, more interestingly, and to our amazement, we discovered the CB[6]/BIMH [2]pseudorotaxane exhibiting efficient cleavage of pBR322 DNA in physiological environment. The cleavage mechanism were studied by fluorescence spectra and the hydrolysis of bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-phosphate (BDNPP). From DNA-binding mode being electrostatic force and the first-order kinetics equation, we prove indirectly that the mechanism may be hydrolytic cleavage.

An oxonium hydrogen sulfate of 3a,6a-diphenylglycoluril.

In the title compound, (5-oxo-3a,6a-diphenylperhydroimidazo[4,5-d]imidazol-2-ylidene)oxonium hydrogen sulfate, C16H15N4O2+ x HSO4-, the asymmetric unit contains a hydrogen sulfate anion and a 3a,6a-diphenylglycoluril oxonium cation. The hydrogen sulfate anion is joined to the oxonium cation via a strong O-H...O hydrogen bond (H...O = 1.69 A). The crystal packing is mainly dominated by interactions involving the hydrogen sulfate anion. The diphenylglycoluril oxonium cations also self-assemble through N-H...O hydrogen bonds, forming molecular chains along the [001] vector. Four intramolecular C-H...N hydrogen bonds are observed, having an S(5) motif.

3,3a-Dihydrocyclopenta[b]chromen-1(2H)-ones from the reaction of salicylaldehyde and 2-cyclopenten-1-one.

The two title chromene compounds, 3,3a-dihydrocyclopenta[b]chromen-1(2H)-one, C16H12O2, (I), and 2-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-3,3a-dihydrocyclopenta[b]chromen-1(2H)-one, C19H14O3, (II), have been determined in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n. Compound (I) is mainly stabilized by C-H...pi interactions. Compound (II) is linked into infinite one-dimensional chains with a C(3) motif via intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds. The intermolecular C-H...pi and pi-pi interactions also play key roles in stabilizing the crystal packing. Two intramolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonds with S(5) motifs were detected in (II).