A fluorogenic ‘click’ reaction of azidoanthracene derivatives

Fluorogenic reactions have broad applications in biolabeling, combinatorial synthesis of fluorescent dyes, and materials development. It was recently reported that the highly selective and efficient Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction can be employed in designing new types of fluorogenic reactions. In this study, we report a fluorogenic reaction using anthracene azides as starting materials. The fluorescence of the anthryl core can be greatly inhibited upon introducing electron-donating azido groups in the proximity. Such weakly fluorescent anthracene azides demonstrate high reactivity with a variety of alkynes under the CuAAC conditions producing a strongly fluorescent triazole product with high quantum yields. This reaction can be used in the synthesis and screening of fluorescent dyes combinatorially. Compared with most existing methods, the fluorogenic CuAAC reaction is a much milder and simpler technique to prepare large libraries of fluorescent dyes without further purification. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of using anthracene azides for biolabeling applications, both small molecules and biomolecules including the multialkyne-derivatized cowpea mosaic virus and tobacco mosaic virus had been studied.     

Synthesis and characterization of dimaleimide fluorogens designed for specific labeling of proteins

A series of aromatic compounds were prepared bearing two maleimide groups attached directly to the fluorescent cores. The resulting derivatives do not fluoresce until the maleimide groups undergo their typical thiol addition reaction, thus removing their ability to quench fluorescence, as shown by kinetic and spectral characterization studies. In this way, the title compounds serve as fluorogens capable of detection of small thiols or appropriately sized dithiols. Recombinant alpha-helical proteins were then designed to bear two cysteine residues capable of regioselective dithiol addition reaction with the dimaleimide fluorogens, thus acting as spatially encoded substrates that form specifically labeled covalent complexes. The efficiency of this in vitro fluorescent protein-labeling reaction demonstrates the feasibility of the development of a method for the fluorescent labeling of specific recombinant proteins.     

THE FLUORESCENT PRODUCT OF SCALEWORM BIOLUMINESCENT REACTION: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Abstract— The fluorescence of scaleworms has been attributed by Harvey (1952) to a product of the bioluminescent reaction confined in the scales of these worms. We have purified this fluorescent molecule by gel filtration. This compound has an apparent low molecular weight as shown by polyacrylamide gel clectrophoresis in the presence of SDS. The yield of the fluorescent product, after gel filtration, varies with the stimulation of the bioluminescence, triggered either chemically or enzymatically. The fluorescence spectrum of the purified product is similar to the one observed in vivo , with a maximum centered at 520 nm. Consequently, the fluorescent compound isolated is likely the reaction product of the bioluminescent reaction.     

Rational design of a fluorescent hydrogen peroxide probe based on the umbelliferone fluorophore

In this study, we report a novel water-soluble umbelliferone-based fluorescent probe for hydrogen peroxide. This probe shows very large increases (up to 100-fold) in fluorescent intensity upon reaction with hydrogen peroxide, and good selectivity over other reactive oxygen species (ROS).     

Novel Coumarin-based Fluorescent Probe for Selective Detection of Bisulfite Anion in Water

Coumarins and its analogues have been widely used as chromophore in design of fluorescent probe, while less coumarin‐based fluorescent probe was reported for detection of anion in water. In this article, coumarin‐based fluorescent probes with salicylaldehyde functionality as recognition unit have been developed for selective detection of bisulfite anions in water. Four novel fluorescent probes were synthesized from 4‐haloresorcinol in three steps. The chemoprobe exhibited selective response to bisulfite over other anions. Moreover, the detection mechanism was studied. Upon bisulfite added, the fluorescent intensity of the probes was enhanced highly due to the nucleophilic addition reaction of formyl group with bisulfite anion.     

Synthesis of 1,5-bis(4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazinylamino)naphthalene and its application to spectrofluorimetric determination of aniline

A new fluorescent reagent 1,5-bis(4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazinylamino)naphthalene (DTAN) was synthesized. The optimum conditions of fluorescent reaction of this reagent with aniline (PA) were also investigated. Based on this reaction, a new spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of aniline. The fluorescent intensity was directly proportional to the concentration of aniline in the ranges 0.05-2.0 microg mL(-1) and 2.0-50 microg mL(-1) with the detection limits of 34 ng mL(-1) and 90 ng mL(-1). This method is simple, practical and can afford good precision and accuracy and can be successfully applied to assess aniline in water samples. A possible mechanism of the change of fluorescence intensity introduced by putting the aniline into the system is also discussed.     

Preparation of Micron-size Functional Fluorescent Microspheres

As a kind of special functional microspheres, fluorescent polymer microspheres could be used in cell label and separation, blood flow assay, flow cytometer marking, chemical reaction assay,and in analyst of the transform and diffusion of particles in soil 1. However, one of the most important applications of fluorescent microspheres is in the high-throughput screening of drugs (HTS) 2. Through affinity interaction, radioactive ligands (latent drugs) are bound to fluorescent microspheres covered by receptor, and luminescence is produced by radioactivity, so ligands can be assayed and screened.In this study, we developed a technique for preparing micron-size fluorescent microspheres with different functional groups. The methods included the synthesis of micron-size polystyrene microspheres through the dispersion polymerization of styrene in different media such as ethanol,ethanol-water, and isopropanol; the functional polystyrene microspheres were prepared by introduction of functional monomers into the reaction system of styrene; the functional fluorescent microspheres were obtained by the way of dying functional microspheres in the fluorescent material's ethanol solvent.The average diameter of microspheres was in the range of 1～10 μm, and the distribution was normal distribution. The functional groups included -OH, -CHO, -COOH, -CONH2, and SO3H. The absorbing spectrum and exciting spectrum were tested, the results showed that the maximal absorbance of fluorescent microsphere was near 306.5 nm, and its maximal excitation was near 362 nm. The excitation spectrum of fluorescent material (DPO) and fluorescent microspheres were shown in figure 1, and it indicated that the developed fluorescent microspheres showed the same excitation behavior like DPO, which related to the fluorescent microspheres had stable luminescence property.     

Determination of glyoxylic acid in urine by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, using a novel derivatization procedure based on the Petasis reaction

The Petasis reaction is the multi-component reaction of a carbonyl compound, amine, and arylboronic acid to form an α-amino acid or a β-aminoalcohol. In this work, as the first analytical application of the Petasis reaction, a high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with fluorescence detection was developed for determination of glyoxylic acid. The glyoxylic acid was derivatized with 1-pyreneboronic acid, as fluorescent arylboronic acid, in the presence of N-methylbutylamine, as amine, to give a fluorescent α-amino acid. HPLC separation of the fluorescent derivative was performed within 30 min on an octyl column eluted with a gradient prepared from acetonitrile and 50 mmol L(-1) acetate buffer (pH 4.0). The detection limit (S/N=3) for glyoxylic acid was 5.0 nmol L(-1) (20 fmol/injection). The method can be used to determine the concentration of glyoxylic acid in human urine without interference from biological components.     

Studies on Fluorescamine. Part II - Thin-Layer Chromatographic Mobilities of Fluorescamine Positive Drugs

Abstract

Fluorescamine reacts with primary amines, it does not react with secondary or tertiary amines, to yield bright acquamarine fluorescent products. This reaction has been developed into a spot test useful for differentiation of amphetamine from methamphetamine; previous spot tests did not have this degree of specificity. The fluorescent products of several primary amines have been demonstrated to have sufficient stability to permit thin-layer chromatography comparisons with authentic materials. The fluorescent derivative of amphetamine has been demonstrated to be capable of differentiation from other fluorescent products formed from fluorescamine based on its unique migration in three different TLC systems.     

Controlled synthesis of fluorescent silica nanoparticles inside microfluidic droplets

We study the droplet-based synthesis of fluorescent silica nanoparticles (50-350 nm size) in a microfluidic chip. Fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) dye is first chemically linked to aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) in ethanol and this reaction product is subsequently mixed with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to yield a fluorescent silicon alkoxide precursor solution. The latter reacts with an aqueous ethanol-ammonia hydrolysing mixture inside droplets, forming fluorescent silica nanoparticles. The droplets are obtained by pinching-off side-by-side flowing streams of alkoxide solution/hydrolysing mixture on a microfluidic chip using a Fluorinert oil continuous phase flow. Synthesis in droplets leads to a faster reaction and allows drastically improved nanoparticle size uniformity (down to 3% relative standard deviation for 350 nm size particles) when compared to conventional bulk synthesis methods, thanks to the precise control of reagent concentrations and reaction times offered by the microfluidic format. Incorporating FITC inside silica nanoparticles using our method leads to reduced dye leakage and increases the dye's stability, as evidenced by a reduced photochemical bleaching compared to a pure FITC solution.     

Fluorescent assays to quantitate enzymatic activities yielding as end product an aqueous-insoluble indigo-blue dye

Hydrolytic enzymes acting upon indoxyl-derivatized substrates produce a water-insoluble indigo-blue dye. The generation of indigo dye works well in nonquantitative histochemical or diagnostic assays. For quantitative analyses however, the technique is unsuited. In this paper two fluorescent methods are described that permit quantitative measurement of sialidase/neuraminidase activity toward indoxyl-derivatized N-acetyl-neuraminic acid substrates. The first method is based upon the reaction of the sialic/ N-acetyl-neuraminic acid with pyridoxamine and Zn2+ to produce a fluorescent chelate. This method is not sialic acid-specific and could be used for the quantitation of alpha-oxo acids. The optimum conditions for sialic acid fluorescent chelation are described. The second method is based upon the fluorescence of the reaction intermediates, indoxyl- and indigo-white, by arresting their conversion to nonfluorescent indigo-blue. This method is suitable for measuring any enzymatic activity toward indoxyl-derivatized substrates. Enzyme kinetics derived for influenza viral neuraminidase using the two techniques are described in this paper.     

A sensitive and selective detection method for thiol compounds using novel fluorescence probe

In this work, a sensitive and selective detection method based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was developed for analyzing thiol compounds by using a novel fluorescent probe. The new fluorescent probe contains a disulfide bond which selectively reacts with nucleophilic thiolate through the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. An obvious fluorescence recovery can be observed upon addition of the thiol compound in the fluorescent probe solution due to the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction and the destruction of FRET. This novel probe was successfully used to determine dithiothreitol (DTT), glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys). The limits of detection (LOD) were 2.0 μM for DTT, 0.6 μM for GSH, and 0.8 μM for Cys. This new detection method was further investigated in the analysis of compound amino acid injection.     

Rapid, photoactivatable turn-on fluorescent probes based on an intramolecular photoclick reaction

Photoactivatable fluorescent probes are invaluable tools for the study of biological processes with high resolution in space and time. Numerous strategies have been developed in generating photoactivatable fluorescent probes, most of which rely on the photo-"uncaging" and photoisomerization reactions. To broaden photoactivation modalities, here we report a new strategy in which the fluorophore is generated in situ through an intramolecular tetrazole-alkene cycloaddition reaction ("photoclick chemistry"). By conjugating a specific microtubule-binding taxoid core to the tetrazole/alkene prefluorophores, robust photoactivatable fluorescent probes were obtained with fast photoactivation (～1 min) and high fluorescence turn-on ratio (up to 112-fold) in acetonitrile/PBS (1:1). Highly efficient photoactivation of the taxoid-tetrazoles inside the mammalian cells was also observed under a confocal fluorescence microscope when the treated cells were exposed to either a metal halide lamp light passing through a 300/395 filter or a 405 nm laser beam. Furthermore, a spatially controlled fluorescent labeling of microtubules in live CHO cells was demonstrated with a long-wavelength photoactivatable taxoid-tetrazole probe. Because of its modular design and tunability of the photoactivation efficiency and photophysical properties, this intramolecular photoclick reaction based approach should provide a versatile platform for designing photoactivatable fluorescent probes for various biological processes.     

High-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism typing by fluorescent single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis with capillary electrophoresis

In this study, we performed high-throughput and precise single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing by fluorescent capillary electrophoresis single-strand conformation polymorphism (CE-SSCP) analysis. A system composed of a multicapillary DNA analyzer, a newly developed sieving matrix, four different colors of fluorescent labels, and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enabled low-cost and highly reliable SNP typing. Moreover, this system enabled the estimation of SNP allele frequencies using pooled DNA samples, which should be beneficial for large-scale association studies. Thus, fluorescent CE-SSCP analysis is a useful method for large-scale SNP typing.     

Hybridization and reaction-based fluorogenic nucleic acid probes

We developed fluorogenic probes, which are photoactivated in the presence of specific nucleic acid templates with the release of fluorescent dyes. This templated reaction can be used to target specific nucleic acids in complex mixtures. We further demonstrate that this reaction can be monitored by single-molecule fluorescence imaging.     

4,4'-二苯乙烯基联苯衍生物的合成和光学特性

以Wittig Horner反应合成了18个对称和非对称的4,4'-二取代芳基乙烯基联苯类化合物,并在DMF溶液中分别测定了它们的紫外吸收、荧光光谱和荧光量子效率,计算出它们的摩尔吸光度和Stokes位移.结果表明,此方法可合成出非对称的4,4'-二取代芳基乙烯基联苯类化合物,并可用于合成共轭长链D-A结构的化合物.这类化合物是理想的荧光材料.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of trace amounts of aluminium with 5-bromo-salicylaldehyde salicyloylhydrazone

The fluorescent reagent 5-bromo-salicylaldehyde salicyloylhydrazone (5-Br-SASH) was synthesized and its ionization constants were established spectrophotometrically. The fluorescent reaction of this reagent with aluminium was studied. Based on this chelation reaction, a spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the determination of aluminium in acetic acid-ammonium acetate buffer solution of pH 5.4. Under these conditions, the A1-5-Br-SASH complex has excitation and emission maxima at 370 and 460 nm, respectively. The linear range of the method is from 0 to 120 ppb and the detection limit is 1.1 ppb of aluminium. The molar ratio of aluminium to the reagent is 1:3. Interferences of other ions were studied. The method was successfully applied to the determination of aluminium in glucose injection and common beverages.     

A base-mediated three-component coupling reaction for the synthesis of phosphorohydrazones

A simple and efficient three-component coupling reaction for the synthesis of phosphorohydrazones was developed. Both aldehydes and ketones participated in the reaction to afford the corresponding phosphorohydrazones in moderate-to-good yields. Moreover, a novel P–N ligand was synthesized by this method, which can act as a fluorescent sensor for iron ion.     

流动注射时间扫描荧光分析法测定青霉素V钾

研究了H2SO4颜色反应用于青霉素V钾(PMPP)荧光测定的新方法。PMPP为弱荧光物质,与浓H2SO4反应后荧光显著增强。结合流动注射进样技术,借助时间扫描荧光方式,提出了流动注射时间扫描荧光分析法测定PMPP的新方法。在最大激发236.0 nm、最大发射波长306.0 nm处,PMPP在3.6×10-5g/L~4.0×10-2g/L范围内与荧光强度呈良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.9999。方法检出限为1.0×10-5g/L,相对标准偏差为0.6%(n=11,ρ=1.0×10-3g/L),进样量为0.18 mL。方法已用于药物及尿样中PMPP的测定。     

用于一氧化氮检测的小分子荧光探针研究进展

生物小分子NO以其重要的生理学和病理学作用受到科学家们的广泛关注。高选择性、高灵敏度、低毒性NO分子荧光探针的设计和开发,在环境检测、食品安全及人体内NO检测等领域具有重要意义。本文以小分子荧光探针对NO的识别机制为主线,从唑环的形成、螺内酰胺开环、还原脱氨、二氢吡啶的芳构化、NO与金属络合物的反应、与非金属Se的反应和亚硝胺的形成出发,综述了近年来NO小分子荧光探针的研究进展。对NO探针设计及其识别性能研究方面的工作进行了总结,并讨论了NO荧光探针今后的设计思路和重点研究方向。