A Novel Fluorescent Probe Based on Perylene Derivative for Hg2+ Ions and Biological Thiols and its Application in Live Cell Imaging and Theoretical Calculations

The selective and sensitive detection of biothiols; cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH) in aqueous solutions is of considerable importance because of their pivotal roles in maintaining the reducing environment in the cells. This study describes a strategy for the determination of biothiols based on the PDI/Met‐Hg²⁺complex platform. We designed and fabricated methionine modified perylene diimide molecule as a selective sensing probe for Hg²⁺ ions in aqueous solutions ( PDI/Met‐Hg ²⁺). The complex between perylene bisimide derivative ( PDI/Met) and Hg²⁺ was investigated and it demonstrated turn‐on fluorescence response for the detection of the biological thiols. Besides, PDI/Met displayed fluorescence quenching response in the presence of mercury ions and the emission intensity of PDI/Met‐Hg²⁺ was recovered after transferring biothiols (Cys, Hcy, and GSH). Thus, PDI/Met could be utilized as a fluorescent chemosensor for the sequential recognition of mercury ions and biological thiols.     

Highly sensitive and selective detection of biothiols using graphene oxide-based “molecular beacon”-like fluorescent probe

A fluorometric method for quantity analysis of biothiols was developed using a graphene oxide (GO)-based “molecular beacon”-like probe, which consisted of FITC labeled thymine (T)-rich single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), GO and Hg²⁺ ions. The labeled ssDNA containing T–T mismatches would self-hybridize to duplex in the presence of Hg²⁺, which can avoid its adsorption on GO and the fluorescence of this GO-based probe was recovered. The fluorescence of the probe quenched after the addition of biothiols such as glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) owing to thiol groups can selectively competitive ligation of Hg²⁺ ions with T–T mismatches. In the present work, the GO-based probe was used for the determination of GSH and Cys. Under the optimal conditions, a linear correlation was established between fluorescence intensity ratio I₀/I and the concentration of GSH in the range of 2.0 × 10⁻⁹–5.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The linear range for Cys is from 5.0 × 10⁻⁹ to 4.5 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 2.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The proposed method was applied to the determination of GSH in human serum and cell extract samples with satisfactory results.     

Rational Design of an “OFF–ON” Phosphorescent Chemodosimeter Based on an Iridium(III) Complex and Its Application for Time‐Resolved Luminescent Detection and Bioimaging of Cysteine and Homocysteine

Biothiols, such as cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy), play very crucial roles in biological systems. Abnormal levels of these biothiols are often associated with many types of diseases. Therefore, the detection of Cys (or Hcy) is of great importance. In this work, we have synthesized an excellent “OFF‐ON” phosphorescent chemodosimeter 1 for sensing Cys and Hcy with high selectivity and naked‐eye detection based on an Ir^III complex containing a 2,4‐dinitrobenzenesulfonyl (DNBS) group within its ligand. The “OFF‐ON” phosphorescent response can be assigned to the electron‐transfer process from Ir^III center and C^N ligands to the DNBS group as the strong electron‐acceptor, which can quench the phosphorescence of probe 1 completely. The DNBS group can be cleaved by thiols of Cys or Hcy, and both the ³M LCT and ³LC states are responsible for the excited‐state properties of the reaction product of probe 1 and Cys (or Hcy). Thus, the phosphorescence is switched on. Based on these results, a general principle for designing “OFF‐ON” phosphorescent chemodosimeters based on heavy‐metal complexes has been provided. Importantly, utilizing the long emission‐lifetime of phosphorescence signal, the time‐resolved luminescent assay of 1 in sensing Cys was realized successfully, which can eliminate the interference from the short‐lived background fluorescence and improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio. As far as we know, this is the first report about the time‐resolved luminescent detection of biothiols. Finally, probe 1 has been used successfully for bioimaging the changes of Cys/Hcy concentration in living cells.     

Selective optical sensing of biothiols with Ellman's reagent: 5,5′-Dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)-modified gold nanoparticles

Development of sensitive and selective methods of determination for biothiols is important because of their significant roles in biological systems. We present a new optical sensor using Ellman's reagent (DTNB)-adsorbed gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) (DTNB-Au-NP) in a colloidal solution devised to selectively determine biologically important thiols (biothiols) from biological samples and pharmaceuticals. 5,5′-Dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB), a versatile water-soluble compound for quantitating free sulfhydryl groups in solution, was adsorbed through non-covalent interaction onto Au-NPs, and the absorbance changes associated with the formation of the yellow-colored 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoate (TNB²⁻) anion as a result of reaction with biothiols was measured at 410 nm. The sensor gave a linear response over a wide concentration range of standard biothiols comprising cysteine, glutathione, homocysteine, cysteamine, dihydrolipoic acid and 1,4-dithioerythritol. The calibration curves of individual biothiols were constructed, and their molar absorptivities and linear concentration ranges determined. The cysteine equivalent thiol content (CETC) values of various biothiols using the DTNB-Au-NP assay were comparable to those of the conventional DTNB assay, showing that the immobilized DTNB reagent retained its reactivity toward thiols. Common biological sample ingredients like amino acids, flavonoids, vitamins, and plasma antioxidants did not interfere with the proposed sensing method. This assay was validated through linearity, additivity, precision and recovery, demonstrating that the assay is reliable and robust. DTNB-adsorbed Au-NPs probes provided higher sensitivity (i.e., lower detection limits) in biothiol determination than conventional DTNB reagent. Under optimized conditions, cysteine (Cys) was quantified by the proposed assay, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.57 μM and acceptable linearity ranging from 0.4 to 29.0 μM (r = 0.998).     

A fluorescence turn-on probe for cysteine and homocysteine based on thiol-triggered benzothiazolidine ring formation

We synthesized a new coumarin-based probe TP, containing a disulfide moiety, to detect biothiols in cells. A fluorescence turn-on response is induced by the thiol–disulfide exchange of the probe, with subsequent intramolecular benzothiazolidine ring formation giving rise to a fluorescent product. The probe exhibits an excellent selectivity for cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy) over glutathione (GSH) and other amino acids. The fluorescent probe also exhibits a highly sensitive fluorescence turn-on response to Cys and Hcy with detection limits of 0.8 μM for Cys and 0.5 μM for Hcy. In addition, confocal fluorescence microscopy imaging using RAW264.7 macrophages demonstrates that the probe TP could be an efficient fluorescent detector for thiols in living cells.     

The development of a fluorescence turn-on sensor for cysteine, glutathione and other biothiols. A kinetic study

Two fluorescence probes for the detection of cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH) and other biothiols, such as homocysteine (Hcy) and cysteinyl-glycine (Cys-Gly), were developed. These molecular probes are coumarin-based derivatives containing a chalcone-like moiety that reacts with biothiols through a Michael addition reaction, leading to strong fluorescence enhancements. The reactivity of the tested biothiols toward both probes (ChC1 and ChC2) follows the order Cys > GSH > Hcy > Cys-Gly, ChC1 being less reactive than ChC2. Possible interference with other amino acids was assessed. ChC1 and ChC2 display a highly selective fluorescence enhancement with thiols, allowing these probes to be used for fluorimetric thiol determination in SH-SY5Y cells.     

Live-cell imaging of biothiols via thiol/disulfide exchange to trigger the photoinduced electron transfer of gold-nanodot sensor

Biothiols have been reported to involve in intracellular redox-homeostasis against oxidative stress. In this study, a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for sensing biothiols is explored by using an ultrasmall gold nanodot (AuND), the dendrimer-entrapped Au₈-cluster. This strategy relies upon a thiol/disulfide exchange to trigger the fluorescence change through a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process between the Au₈-cluster (as an electron donor) and 2-pyridinethiol (2-PyT) (as an electron acceptor) for sensing biothiols. When 2-PyT is released via the cleavage of disulfide bonds by biothiols, the PET process from the Au₈-cluster to 2-PyT is initiated, resulting in fluorescence quenching. The fluorescence intensity was found to decrease linearly with glutathione (GSH) concentration (0–1500 μM) at physiological relevant levels and the limit of detection for GSH was 15.4 μM. Compared to most nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes that are limited to detect low molecular weight thiols (LMWTs; i.e., GSH and cysteine), the ultrasmall Au₈-cluster-based probe exhibited less steric hindrance and can be directly applied in selectively and sensitively detecting both LMWTs and high molecular weight thiols (HMWTs; i.e., protein thiols). Based on such sensing platform, the surface-functionalized Au₈-cluster has significant promise for use as an efficient nanoprobe for intracellular fluorescence imaging of biothiols including protein thiols in living cells whereas other nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes cannot.     

Determination of biothiols by a novel on-line HPLC-DTNB assay with post-column detection

A novel on-line HPLC-DTNB method was developed for the selective determination of biologically important thiols (biothiols) such as l-cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), homocysteine (HCys), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and 1,4-dithioerythritol (DTE) in pharmaceuticals and tissue homogenates. The biothiols were separated on C18 column using gradient elution, reacted with the postcolumn reagent, DTNB in 0.5% M-β-CD (w/v) solution at pH 8, to form yellow-colored 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoic acid (TNB), and monitored with a PDA detector (λ = 410 nm). With the optimized conditions for chromatography and the post-column derivatization, 40 nM of NAC, 40 nM of Cys, and 50 nM of GSH can be determined. The relative standard deviations of the recommended method were in the range of 3.2–5.4% for 50 μM biothiols. The negative peaks of biothiol constituents were monitored by measuring the increase in absorbance due to TNB chromophore. The detection limits of biothiols at 410 nm (in the range of 0.04–0.58 μM) after post-column derivatization with DTNB + M-β-CD were much lower than those at 205 nm UV-detection without derivatization, and were distinctly lower than those with post-column DTNB alone. The method is rapid, inexpensive, versatile, nonlaborious, uses stable reagents, and enables the on-line qualitative and quantitative estimation of biothiol constituents of biological fluids and pharmaceuticals.     

Two chemodosimeters for fluorescence recognition of biothiols in aqueous solution and their bioimaging application

Two fluorescein derivatives containing 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl group have been developed as fluorescent probes to detect the biothiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) in aqueous solution. Probes 1 and 2 can distinguish these biothiols in the presence of other amino acids. While probe 1 can recognize the biothiols in PBS/DMSO (v:v = 95:5, pH = 7.40) solution, notably probe 2 could be used in PBS buffer solution (pH = 7.40). The detection limit of Cys for probe 2 reached at 0.021 μM in aqueous solution, which was lower than the intracellular concentration of Cys. In the recognition process, a reaction between the probes and the biothiols occurred, in which the S–O bond was cleaved to remove 2, 4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl group. The data of ¹H NMR, MS and DFT/TD-DFT calculation further confirmed the detection mechanism. Moreover, two probes were successfully applied to the HeLa cell imaging.     

A red-emitting water-soluble fluorescent probe for biothiol detection with a large Stokes shift

A highly water soluble fluorescent probe was developed for sensitive and selective detection of biothiols with a red emission and a large Stokes shift. The probe was successfully applied to detect biothiols both in aqueous solution and in living cells.     

A thiol-selective fluorogenic probe based on the cleavage of 4-methylumbelliferyl-2’,4’,6’-trinitropheyl ether

A new fluorescent probe 1,4-methylumbelliferyl-2′,4′,6′-trinitropheyl ether (Probe 1) was designed and synthesized. Probe 1 was a nonfluorescent compound and was synthesized via the one-step reaction of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) with 1-chloro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene. Upon mixing with biothiols under neutral aqueous conditions, the 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl group of 1 was efficiently removed, and the emissive free dye 4-MU was released, hence leading to a dramatic increase in fluorescence emission of the reaction mixture. A good linear relationship was obtained from 0.1 to 4.0 μmol L⁻¹ for cysteine (Cys), from 0.1 to 3.0 μmol L⁻¹ for homocysteine (Hcy), and from 0.2 to 3.0 μmol L⁻¹ for glutathione (GSH), respectively. The detection limits of Cys, Hcy, and GSH were 24.3, 35.6, and 26.8 nmol L⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, probe 1 was highly selective for biothiols without the interference of some biologically relevant analytes and has been applied to detecting biothiols in human serum samples.     

Development of Lysosome-Targeted Fluorescent Probes for Cys by Regulating the Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) Molecular Structure

Our previous discovery suggested that substituents on the 1,7 positions delicately modulate the sensing ability of the meso-arylmercapto boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) to biothiols. In this work, the impact of delicate modulations on the sensing ability is investigated. Therefore, 1,7-dimethyl, 3,5-diaryl substituted BODIPY is designed and developed and its conformationally restricted species with a meso-arylmercapto moiety ( DM-BDP-SAr and DM-BDP-R-SAr ) as selective fluorescent probes for Cys. Moreover, the lysosome-target probes ( Lyso-S and Lyso-D ) based on DM-BDP-SAr carrying one or two morpholinoethoxy moieties were developed. They were able to detect Cys selectively in vitro with low detection limits. Both Lyso-S and Lyso-D localized nicely in lysosomes in living HeLa cells and exhibited red fluorescence for Cys. Moreover, a novel fluorescence quenching mechanism was proposed from the calculations by density functional theory (DFT). The probes may go through intersystem crossing (from singlet excited state to triplet excited state) to result in fluorescence quenching.     

Gel-surface enhanced fluorescence sensing system coupled to a continuous-flow assembly for simultaneous monitoring of benomyl and carbendazim

A novel, versatile and sensitive continuous-flow on-line solid phase fluorescence based system is proposed for the simultaneous determination of benomyl and carbendazim. The continuous-flow system is based on the on-line preconcentration and resolution of the pesticides on a solid sensing zone, followed by the sequential measure of their native fluorescence, monitored at 235/306 and 293/398 nm (λ_exc/λ_em for carbendazim and benomyl, respectively), and later desorption of these analytes (from the flow-through cell filled with C₁₈ silica gel) using aqueous methanol mixtures as carrier and eluent solutions.A double discrimination is used for the simultaneous monitoring of these analytes: (1) the usage of two pair of excitation/emision wavelengths, performed by the use of a multiwavelength fluorescence detection mode and (2) a temporary sequentiation in the arrival of the analytes to the sensing system by on-line separation due to the different kinetics showed by the analytes in the sorption-desorption process performed just in the solid support placed in the flow-through cell. Carbendazim is determined the first, because it shows a weaker retention in the C₁₈ bonded phase silica beads, while benomyl is strongly fixed. Then, benomyl is conveniently eluted from the flow-through sensing zone and its native fluorescence signal is measured (at 398 nm). The sensor was calibrated for two different injection volumes: 400 and 2000 μl. Using a 2000 μl sample volume, the analytical signal showed linearity in the range 0.050-1.0 and 0.020-0.50 μg ml⁻¹ with detection limits of 3.0 and 7.5 ng ml⁻¹ for carbendazim and benomyl, respectively, and R.S.D. values smaller than 2% for both analytes. A recovery study was performed on four different spiked environmental water samples at concentration levels from 0.05 to 0.35 μg ml⁻¹. The recovery percentage ranged from 97 to 104%, and from 98 to 104%, for benomyl and carbendazim, respectively.     

Sensitive detection of biothiols and histidine based on the recovered fluorescence of the carbon quantum dots–Hg(II) system

In this paper, we presented a novel, rapid and highly sensitive sensor for glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys) and histidine (His) based on the recovered fluorescence of the carbon quantum dots (CQDs)–Hg(II) system. The CQDs were synthesized by microwave-assisted approach in one pot according to our previous report. The fluorescence of CQDs could be quenched in the presence of Hg(II) due to the coordination occurring between Hg(II) and functional groups on the surface of CQDs. Subsequently, the fluorescence of the CQDs–Hg(II) system was recovered gradually with the addition of GSH, Cys or His due to their stronger affinity with Hg(II). A good linear relationship was obtained from 0.10 to 20 μmol L⁻¹ for GSH, from 0.20 to 45 μmol L⁻¹ for Cys and from 0.50 to 60 μmol L⁻¹ for His, respectively. This method has been successfully applied to the trace detection of GSH, Cys or His in human serum samples with satisfactory results. The proposed method was simple in design and fast in operation, which demonstrated great potential in bio-sensing fields.     

Lighting‐Up of the Dye Malachite Green with Mercury(II)–DNA and Its Application for Fluorescence Turn‐Off Detection of Cysteine and Glutathione

This work describes a novel strategy for the highly sensitive and selective detection of cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) based on the Hg²⁺–AGRO100–malachite green (MG) complex system. The dye MG, which has a very low quantum yield in aqueous solution by itself, can bind with the thymine‐rich DNA AGRO100 in the presence of Hg²⁺ ions to generate a striking fluorescence intensity enhancement of 1000‐fold. As sulfur‐containing amino acids, Cys and GSH effectively sequester Hg²⁺ ions from the Hg²⁺–AGRO100–MG complex structure to switch the ‘lit‐up’ chemosensor to the ‘off’ state (about a 50‐fold fluorescence intensity decrease), thus providing a facile, but effective, method to probe for Cys/GSH. The fluorescence titration, UV absorption, CD, and Raman spectra provide some insight into the structural and chemical basis for the enhancement effect. The formation of the Hg²⁺–AGRO100–MG complex significantly affects the electronic structure and conformation of the MG molecule by leading to an extended π system, which is the likely origin of the observed striking fluorescence intensity enhancement. Notably, the proposed sensing platform exhibits exquisite selectivity and sensitivity toward Cys/GSH with limits of detection of 5 nM for Cys and 10 nM for GSH, respectively. Furthermore, the straightforward assay design avoids labeling of the probe, uses only commercially available materials, and still displays comparable sensitivity and excellent selectivity.     

基于萘酰亚胺的生物硫醇探针的合成及对含硫醇氨基酸的检测

合成了以4-羟基萘酰亚胺为荧光团,2,4-二硝基苯磺酰氧基为特异性识别基团的生物硫醇探针4-(2,4-二硝基苯磺酰氧基)-正丁基-1,8-萘酰亚胺(DNSBN).吸收光谱和荧光光谱结果表明, DNSBN对半胱氨酸(Cys)、同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)和谷胱甘肽(GSH)3种生物硫醇分子具有高效的检测识别能力,不受其它17种天然氨基酸的干扰.同时,通过荧光滴定实验证实了此探针是一种比率型探针,555 nm处的荧光强度与溶液中的生物硫醇分子浓度在0 ~ 20 μmol/L范围内呈良好的线性关系,对Cys、Hcy和GSH的检出限(3σ)分别为25.9、92.0和77.9 nmol/L.而吸收光谱、荧光光谱和质谱表征数据显示,生物硫醇与2,4-二硝基苯磺酸酯发生亲核取代反应并导致磺酸酯的分解.随着识别基团的解离,探针分子的d-PeT (donor-excited photoinduced electron transfer) 效应被解除,并出现非常明显的比色与荧光变化.HeLa细胞成像实验表明,探针DNSBN具有良好的生物相容性,能够对细胞外源性生物硫醇分子进行检测.     

Tracking of mercury ions in living cells with a fluorescent chemodosimeter under single- or two-photon excitation

Tracking of Hg²⁺ in solutions as well as in living cells was conducted with a fluorescent chemodosimeter by measuring the spectral shift of its fluorescence under single- or two-photon excitation. The spectral hypsochromic shifts of this chemodosimeter when reacting with Hg²⁺ were found to be about 50 nm in acetonitrile/water solutions and 32 nm in Euglena gracilis 277 living cells. This chemodosimeter shows high sensitivity and selectivity, and is not influenced by the pH values. It can signal Hg²⁺ in solutions down to the ppb range under either single-photon excitation (SPE) at 405 nm or two-photon excitation (TPE) at 800 nm. However, with low cellular chemodosimeter concentrations, the SPE spectra were disturbed by the auto-fluorescence from the native fluorophore in the cell, while the TPE spectra were still of high quality since the two-photon absorption cross section of this chemodosimeter is much larger than that of the native fluorophores in the cell.     

Photophysical properties of rhodamine isomers: A two-photon excited fluorescent sensor for trivalent chromium cation (Cr)

We introduce a new rhodamine-based fluorescent chemosensor, FD8 which exhibits a distinct two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) on/off characteristic upon binding Cr³⁺ ions. By coordination with metal cation, conformation of FD8 changes from spirocyclic to open-ring, resulting in remarkable enhancement of absorption and fluorescence both in one- and two-photon excitations. As a result, a 29-fold enhancement of two-photon excited fluorescent intensity was observed when 10 eq. Cr³⁺ was added to the FD8 solution. The detection limit of Cr³⁺ cation concentration down to 1 μM (0.01 eq. of FD8) was achieved under our experimental condition. Besides the excitation within ultraviolet regime by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism, the TPEF on/off behavior further extends the excitation to near infrared regime (the biological optimal window of 700-1200 nm), and shows more effective sensitivity. The broad excitation wavelength, on/off fluorescence and high selectivity to Cr³⁺ enable FD8 to be a powerful Cr³⁺ cation sensor with potential application, especially in biological detection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about two-photon fluorescent sensor for Cr³⁺ ions.     

A Multi‐signal Fluorescent Probe with Multiple Binding Sites for Simultaneous Sensing of Cysteine,Homocysteine, and Glutathione

A novel fluorescent probe was developed by integrating chlorinated coumarin and benzothiazolylacetonitrile and exploited for simultaneous detection of cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH). Featuring four binding sites and different reaction mechanisms for different biothiols, this probe exhibited rapid fluorescence turn‐on for distinguishing Cys, Hcy, and GSH with 108‐, 128‐, 30‐fold fluorescence increases at 457, 559, 529 nm, respectively, across different excitation wavelengths. Furthermore, the probe was successfully applied to the fluorescence imaging of endogenous Cys and GSH and exogenous Cys, Hcy, and GSH in living cells.     

Ultrasensitive cysteine sensing using citrate-capped CdS quantum dots

The importance of cysteine (Cys) in biological systems has stimulated a great deal of efforts in the development of analytical methods for the determination of this amino acid. In this work, a novel fluorescent probe for Cys based on citrate (Cit)-capped CdS quantum dots (QDs) is reported. The Cit-capped CdS QDs fluorescent probe offers good sensitivity and selectivity for detecting Cys. A good linear relationship was obtained from 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ to 5.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ for Cys. The detection limit was calculated as 5.4 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The proposed method was applied to detect Cys in human urine samples, which showed satisfactory results. This assay is based on both the lability of Cit and the strong affinity of thiols to the surface of CdS QDs. The addition of Cys improved the passivation of the surface traps of CdS QDs and enhanced the fluorescence intensity.