Fluorescent sensors for Zn(2+) based on a fluorescein platform: synthesis, properties and intracellular distribution

Two new fluorescent sensors for Zn(2+) that utilize fluorescein as a reporting group, Zinpyr-1 and Zinpyr-2, have been synthesized and characterized. Zinpyr-1 is prepared in one step via a Mannich reaction, and Zinpyr-2 is obtained in a multistep synthesis that utilizes 4',5'-fluorescein dicarboxaldehyde as a key intermediate. Both Zinpyr sensors have excitation and emission wavelengths in the visible range ( approximately 500 nm), dissociation constants (K(d1)) for Zn(2+) of <1 nM, quantum yields approaching unity (Phi = approximately 0.9), and cell permeability, making them well-suited for intracellular applications. A 3- to 5-fold fluorescent enhancement is observed under simulated physiological conditions corresponding to the binding of the Zn(2+) cation to the sensor, which inhibits a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching pathway. The X-ray crystal structure of a 2:1 Zn(2+):Zinpyr-1 complex has also been solved, and is the first structurally characterized example of a complex of fluorescein substituted with metal binding ligands.     

ZP8, a neuronal zinc sensor with improved dynamic range; imaging zinc in hippocampal slices with two-photon microscopy

The synthesis of a difluorofluorescein monocarboxaldehyde platform and its use for preparing ZP8, a new member of the Zinpyr family of neuronal Zn(2+) sensors, are described. By combining an aniline photoinduced electron transfer (PET) switch and an electron-withdrawing fluorescein scaffold, ZP8 displays reduced background fluorescence and improved dynamic range compared to previous ZP probes. The bright sensor undergoes an 11-fold increase in fluorescence intensity upon Zn(2+) complexation (Phi = 0.03-0.35) with high selectivity over cellular concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+). In addition, sensors in the ZP family have been utilized for optical imaging in biological samples using two-photon microscopy (TPM). The cell-permeable ZP3 probe is capable of identifying natural pools of labile Zn(2+) within the mossy fiber synapses of live hippocampal slices using TPM, establishing the application of this technique for monitoring endogenous Zn(2+) stores.     

A highly selective fluorescent sensor for distinguishing cadmium from zinc ions based on a quinoline platform

A fluorescent sensor, N-(quinolin-8-yl)-2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetamide (HL), based on 8-aminoquinoline and 8-hydroxyquinoline platforms has been synthesized. This sensor displays high selectivity and sensitive fluorescence enhancement to Cd(2+) in ethanol. Moreover, sensor HL can distinguish Cd(2+) from Zn(2+) via two different sensing mechanisms (photoinduced electron transfer for Cd(2+); internal charge transfer for Zn(2+)). The composition of the complex Cd(2+)/HL or Zn(2+)/L(-) has been found to be 1:1, based on the fluorescence/absorption titration and further confirmed by X-ray crystallography.     

Highly sensitive sensing of zinc(II) by development and characterization of a PVC-based fluorescent chemical sensor

A sensor membrane with excellent performance based on 1-methyl-1-phenyl-3-[1-hydroxyimino-2-(succinimido)ethyl]cyclobutane has been developed for the determination of zinc(II) ions. The sensing membrane is capable of determining zinc(II) with an outstanding high selectivity over a dynamic range between 8.0×10(-8) and 1.6×10(-4) mol L(-1) with a limit of detection of 2.5×10(-8) mol L(-1) (1.6 μg L(-1)). It can be easily and completely regenerated by using 0.1 mol L(-1) EDTA solution. The optical sensor developed here was found to be stable, cost effective, easy to prepare, and has unique selectivity towards Zn(2+) ion with respect to common metal ions. The proposed sensor was then applied for the determination of zinc in tap water and hair samples with satisfactory results.     

Selective recognition of thymidylylthymidine (TpT) and antitumor effects of a macrocyclic dizinc(II) complex

A polyamino dizinc(II) complex, [(N-bisdien)Zn2(II)Cl2](ClO4)2, (LZn), has been synthesized as a new nucleobase receptor molecule in aqueous solution at physiological pH, and shows to be highly selective in recognizing deoxythymidine (dT) and thymidylylthymidine (TpT). The strong acidic Zn(II) ions in LZn at the fifth coordination sites interact with a variety of nucleosides. The binding and recognition processes have been studied by potentiometric titration. The X-ray crystal analysis of LZn shows that the two zinc ions are out of the basal plane of the macrocycle, favoring the effective recognition of TpT on the single strand of DNA. In vitro antitumor investigation shows that LZn is a patent inhibitor of tumor cell growth with IC50 values below 10 micromolar.     

An 2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzoxazole-based OFF-ON fluorescent chemosensor for Zn2+ in aqueous solution

A water-soluble fluorescent sensor, 1, based on the "receptor-spacer-fluorophore" [2-(2'-aminophenyl)benzoxazole-amide-2-picolylamine] sensor platform, demonstrates the high sensitivity for Zn(2+) with a 25-fold fluorescence enhancement upon chelation to Zn(2+) and also exhibits high selectivity to Zn(2+) over other metal ions. X-ray crystal structure of Zn(2+) complex reveals that the amide oxygen (O2) cooperates with 2-picolylamine unit (N3, N4) as a receptor bind Zn(2+).     

Triazole-linked-thiophene conjugate of calix[4]arene: its selective recognition of Zn2+ and as biomimetic model in supporting the events of the metal detoxification and oxidative stress involving metallothionein

Supramolecular calix[4]arene conjugate (L) has been developed as a sensitive and selective sensor for Zn(2+) in HEPES buffer among the 12 metal ion by using fluorescence, absorption and ESI MS and also by visual fluorescent color. The structural, electronic, and emission properties of the calix[4]arene conjugates L and its zinc complex, [ZnL], have been demonstrated using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) combined with time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. The TDDFT calculations reveal the switch on fluorescence behavior of L is mainly due to the utilization of the lone pair of electrons on imine moiety by the Zn(2+). The resultant fluorescent complex, [ZnL], has been used as a secondary sensing chemo-ensemble for the detection of -SH containing molecules by removing Zn(2+) from [ZnL] and forming {Cys/DTT·Zn} adducts as equivalent to those present in metallothioneins. The displacement followed by the release of the coordinated zinc from its Cys/DTT complex by heavy metal ion (viz. Cd(2+) and Hg(2+)), as in the metal detoxification process or by ROS (such as H(2)O(2)) as in the oxidative stress, has been well demonstrated using the conjugate L through the fluorescence intensity retrieval wherein the fluorescence intensity is the same as that observed with [ZnL], which in turn mimics the zinc sensing element (MTF) in biology.     

A minimal core based fluorophore for selective detection of Zn(II) ions in aqueous solution and living cells

A minimal core based fluorophore was introduced as a selectively fluorescent "turn on" sensor for Zn(2+) ions in aqueous solution. Addition of Zn(2+) ions to the fluorophore generates a significant emission through a 1:1 ligand-to-metal complex. The fluorescence titration experiment of the minimal core based fluorophore with various metal ions shows that the pyromellitic diimide derivative also has the advantage of a high selectivity to Zn(2+) ions over other metals such as Ni(2+), or Co(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), Fe(2+). More than 8 fold increase in the intensity of fluorescence was observed for the Zn(2+)-bound fluorophore compared to Zn-free fluorophore. Due to its small molecular size, the fluorophore was cell-permeable and successfully applied to the detection of Zn(2+) in living cells. With its relatively high sensitivity to Zn(2+) in living cells, the synthesized new fluorophore will be very useful in the studies on various biological functions of Zn(2+).     

ZP4, an improved neuronal Zn2+ sensor of the Zinpyr family

A second-generation fluorescent sensor for Zn(2+) from the Zinpyr family, ZP4, has been synthesized and characterized. ZP4 (Zinpyr-4, 9-(o-carboxyphenyl)-2-chloro-5-[2-(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl)-N-methylaniline]-6-hydroxy-3-xanthanone) is prepared via a convergent synthetic strategy developed from previous studies with these compounds. ZP4, like its predecessors, has excitation and emission wavelengths in the visible range ( approximately 500 nm), a dissociation constant (K(d)) for Zn(2+) of less than 1 nM and a high quantum yields (Phi = approximately 0.4), making it well suited for biological applications. A 5-fold fluorescent enhancement is observed under simulated physiological conditions corresponding to the binding of the Zn(2+) cation to the sensor, which inhibits a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) quenching pathway. The metal-binding stereochemistry of ZP4 was evaluated through the synthesis and X-ray structural characterization of [M(BPAMP)(H(2)O)(n)](+) complexes, where BPAMP is [2-(bis(2-pyridylmethyl)aminomethyl)-N-methylaniline]-phenol and M = Mn(2+), Zn(2+) (n = 1) or Cu(2+) (n = 0).     

The zinspy family of fluorescent zinc sensors: syntheses and spectroscopic investigations

Four fluorescent sensors designed for Zn(II) detection that contain a fluorescein reporting group and a pyridyl-amine-thioether derivatized ligand moiety were prepared and their photophysical properties characterized. These "Zinspy" sensors are water soluble and generally display approximately 1.4- to approximately 4.5-fold fluorescence enhancement upon Zn(II) coordination, depending upon fluorescein halogenation and the number and nature of the zinc-binding appendages. The Zinspy sensors exhibit improved selectivity for zinc compared to the di-(2-picolyl)amine-based Zinpyr family.     

Zinspy sensors with enhanced dynamic range for imaging neuronal cell zinc uptake and mobilization

Thiophene moieties were incorporated into previously described Zinspy (ZS) fluorescent Zn(II) sensor motifs (Nolan, E. M.; Lippard, S. J. Inorg. Chem. 2004, 43, 8310-8317) to provide enhanced fluorescence properties, low-micromolar dissociation constants for Zn(II), and improved Zn(II) selectivity. Halogenation of the xanthenone and benzoate moieties of the fluorescein platform systematically modulates the excitation and emission profiles, pH-dependent fluorescence, Zn(II) affinity, and Zn(II) complexation rates, offering a general strategy for tuning multiple properties of xanthenone-based metal ion sensors. Extensive biological studies in cultured cells and primary neuronal cultures demonstrate 2-{6-hydroxy-3-oxo-4,5-bis[(pyridin-2-ylmethylthiophen-2-ylmethylamino)methyl]-3H-xanthen-9-yl}benzoic acid (ZS5) to be a versatile imaging tool for detecting Zn(II) in vivo. ZS5 localizes to the mitochondria of HeLa cells and allows visualization of glutamate-mediated Zn(II) uptake in dendrites and Zn(II) release resulting from nitrosative stress in neurons.     

Selective zinc sensor molecules with various affinities for Zn2+, revealing dynamics and regional distribution of synaptically released Zn2+ in hippocampal slices

We have developed a series of fluorescent Zn(2+) sensor molecules with distinct affinities for Zn(2+), because biological Zn(2+) concentrations vary over a wide range from sub-nanomolar to millimolar. The new sensors have K(d) values in the range of 10(-8)-10(-4) M, compared with 2.7 nM for ZnAF-2. They do not fluoresce in the presence of other biologically important metal ions such as calcium or magnesium, and they can detect Zn(2+) within 100 ms. In cultured cells, the fluorescence intensity of ZnAF-2 was saturated at low Zn(2+) concentration, while that of ZnAF-3 (K(d) = 0.79 muM) was not saturated even at relatively high Zn(2+) concentrations. In hippocampal slices, we measured synaptic release of Zn(2+) in response to high-potassium-induced depolarization. ZnAF-2 showed similar levels of fluorescence increase in dentate gyrus (DG), CA3 and CA1, which were indistinguishable. However, ZnAF-3 showed a fluorescence increase only in DG. Thus, by using a combination of sensor molecules, it was demonstrated for the first time that a higher Zn(2+) concentration is released in DG than in CA3 or CA1 and that we can easily visualize Zn(2+) concentration over a wide range. We believe that the use of various combinations of ZnAF family members will offer unprecedented versatility for fluorescence-microscopic imaging of Zn(2+) in biological applications.     

Helical metallohost-guest complexes via site-selective transmetalation of homotrinuclear complexes

We have designed a new type of bis(N2O2) chelate ligand that affords a C-shaped O6 site on the metalation of the N2O2 sites. UV-vis and 1H NMR titration clearly showed that the complexation between H4L and zinc(II) acetate affords 1:3 complex [LZn3]2+ via a highly cooperative process. Although the O6-recognition site of the dinuclear metallohost [LZn2] is filled with the additional Zn2+, the O6 site can bind a guest ion with concomitant release of the initially bound Zn2+. The novel recognition process "guest exchange" took place quantitatively when rare earth metals were used as a guest. In the case of alkaline earth metals, selectivity of Ca2+ > Sr2+ > Ba2+ > Mg2+ was observed. On the other hand, the transmetalation did not take place at all when alkali metals were used for the guest. Accordingly, the trinuclear complex [LZn3]2+ is excellent in discriminating charge of the guest ions. The metallohost-guest complexes thus obtained have a helical structure, and the radius d and winding angle theta of the helix depend on the size of the guest. The La3+ complex has the smallest theta (288 degrees), and the Sc3+ complex has the largest theta (345 degrees). Because the radius and winding angles of helices are tunable by changing the guest ion, the helical metallohost-guest complexes are regarded as a molecular spring or coil. Consequently, site-specific metal exchange of trinuclear complex [LZn3]2+ described here will be utilized for highly selective ion recognition, site-selective synthesis of (3d)2(4f) trimetallic complexes, and construction of "tunable" metallohelicenes.     

Photochemically stable fluorescent heteroditopic ligands for zinc ion

Photochemically stable fluorescent heteroditopic ligands (9 and 10) for zinc ion were prepared and studied. Two independent metal coordination-driven photophysical processes, chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) and internal (or intramolecular) charge transfer (ICT), were designed into our heteroditopic ligand framework. This strategy successfully relates three coordination states of a ligand, non-, mono-, and dicoordinated, to three fluorescence states, fluorescence OFF, ON at one wavelength, and ON at another wavelength. This ligand platform has provided chemical foundation for applications such as the quantification of zinc concentration over broad ranges (Zhang, L.; Clark, R. J.; Zhu, L. Chem.-Eur. J. 2008, 14, 2894-2903) and molecular logic functions (Zhang, L.; Whitfield, W. A.; Zhu, L. Chem. Commun. 2008, 1880-1882). The binding stoichiometries of dipicolylamino and 2,2'-bipyridyl, the two binding sites featured in heteroditopic ligands 7-10, were studied in acetonitrile using both Job's method of continuous variation and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The fluorescence enhancement of 7-10 upon the formation of monozinc complexes (defined as the fluorescence quantum yield ratio of monozinc complex and free ligand) is qualitatively related to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy levels of their fluorophores. This is consistent with our hypothesis on the thermodynamics of the coordination-driven photophysical processes embodied in the designed heteroditopic system, which was supported by cyclic voltammetry studies. In conclusion, compounds 9 and 10 not only possess better photochemical stability but also display a higher degree of fluorescence turn-on upon formation of monozinc complexes than their vinyl counterparts 7 and 8.     

A copper(II) ion-selective on-off-type fluoroionophore based on zinc porphyrin-dipyridylamino

A new copper(II) fluorescent sensor 5,10,15,20-tetra((p-N,N-bis(2-pyridyl)amino)phenyl)porphyrin zinc (1) has been designed and synthesized by the Ullmann-type condensation of bromoporphyrin zinc with 2,2'-dipyridylamine (dpa) under copper powder as a catalyst as well as with K2CO3 as the base in a DMF solution. It consists of two separately functional moieties: the zinc porphyrin performs as a fluorophore, and the dpa-linked-to-zinc porphyrin acts as a selected binding site for metal ions. It displays a high selectivity and antidisturbance for the Cu2+ ion among the metal ions examined (Na+, Mg2+, Cr3+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Ag+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, and Fe3+) and exhibits fluorescence quenching upon the binding of the Cu2+ ion with an "on-off"-type fluoroionophoric switching property. The detection limit is found to be 3.3 x 10(-7) M (3s blank) for Cu2+ ion in methanol solution, and its fluorescence can be revived by the addition of EDTA disodium solution. The design strategy and remarkable photophysical properties of sensor 1 help to extend the development of fluorescent sensors for metal ions.     

Bright fluorescent chemosensor platforms for imaging endogenous pools of neuronal zinc

A series of new fluorescent Zinpyr (ZP) chemosensors based on the fluorescein platform have been prepared and evaluated for imaging neuronal Zn(2+). A systematic synthetic survey of electronegative substitution patterns on a homologous ZP scaffold provides a basis for tuning the fluorescence responses of "off-on" photoinduced electron transfer (PET) probes by controlling fluorophore pK(a) values and attendant proton-induced interfering fluorescence of the metal-free (apo) probes at physiological pH. We further establish the value of these improved optical tools for interrogating the metalloneurochemistry of Zn(2+); the novel ZP3 fluorophore images endogenous stores of Zn(2+) in live hippocampal neurons and slices, including the first fluorescence detection of Zn(2+) in isolated dentate gyrus cultures. Our findings reveal that careful control of fluorophore pK(a) can minimize proton-induced fluorescence of the apo probes and that electronegative substitution offers a general strategy for tuning PET chemosensors for cellular studies. In addition to providing improved optical tools for Zn(2+) in the neurosciences, these results afford a rational starting point for creating superior fluorescent probes for biological applications.     

Modulating affinities of di-2-picolylamine (DPA)-substituted quinoline sensors for zinc ions by varying pendant ligands

We have developed a series of di-2-picolylamine (DPA)-substituted quinoline sensors, HQ1- 4, bearing a pendant ligand at the 8 position of quinoline. UV-vis spectra of HQ1- 4 showed similar variations to that of HQ5 but with different varying extents upon the titration of zinc ions. Fluorescence intensities of HQ1, HQ3, and HQ4 were enhanced 4-6 times upon the addition of 1 equiv of zinc ions under an aqueous buffer. Somewhat unexpectedly, HQ2 is nonfluorescent in the presence of metal ions, including zinc ions. The affinities of HQ sensors are distributed in a broad range from nanomolarity to femtomolarity by varying the pendant ligands near the coordination unit. More importantly, these new sensors exhibited very high selectivity for Zn(2+) over Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+) at the millimolar level and over other transition metal ions at the micromolar level, except for Cd(2+). These findings indicated that the incorporations of the pendant groups exerted no effect on the spectroscopic properties and selectivity of the parent fluorescent sensor, with the exception of HQ2. Finally, X-ray crystal structures of ZnHQ's revealed that the auxiliary pendant groups at the 8 position participated in zinc coordination and were able to tune the affinities of HQ sensors.     

Guest-dependent inversion rate of a tetranuclear single metallohelicate

Complexation of linear hexaoxime ligand H6L with Zn2+ and Mn+ (= La3+, Ba2+) afforded a tetranuclear single metallohelicate [LZn3M]n+, whose inversion rate can be modulated by the central metal Mn+.     

Theoretical calculation of the NMR spin-spin coupling constants and the NMR shifts allow distinguishability between the specific direct and the water-mediated binding of a divalent metal cation to guanine

The calculated intermolecular and intramolecular indirect NMR spin-spin coupling constants and NMR shifts were used for the discrimination between the inner-shell and the outer-shell binding motif of hydrated divalent cations Mg(2+) or Zn(2+) with a guanine base. The intermolecular coupling constants (1)J(X,O6) and (1)J(X,N7) (X = Mg(2+), Zn(2+)) can be unambiguously assigned to the specific inner-shell binding motif of the hydrated cation either with oxygen O6 or with nitrogen N7 of guanine. The calculated coupling constants (1)J(Mg,O6) and (1)J(Zn,O6) were 6.2 and -17.5 Hz, respectively, for the inner-shell complex of cation directly interacting with oxygen O6 of guanine. For the inner-shell coordination of the cation at nitrogen N7, the calculated coupling constants (1)J(Mg,N7) and (1)J(Zn,N7) were 5.6 and -36.5 Hz, respectively. When the binding of the cation is water-mediated, the coupling constant is zero. To obtain reliable shifts in NMR parameters, hydrated guanine was utilized as the reference state. The calculated change of NMR spin-spin coupling constants due to the hydration and coordination of the cation with guanine is caused mainly by the variation of Fermi-contact coupling contribution while the variation of diamagnetic spin-orbit, paramagnetic spin-orbit, and spin-dipolar coupling contributions is small. The change of s-character of guanine sigma bonding, sigma antibonding, and lone pair orbitals upon the hydration and cation coordination (calculated using the Natural Bond Orbital analysis) correlates with the variation of the Fermi-contact term. The calculated NMR shifts delta(N7) of -15.3 and -12.2 ppm upon the coordination of Mg(2+) and Zn(2+) ion are similar to the NMR shift of 19.6 ppm toward the high field measured by Tanaka for N7 of guanine upon the coordination of the Cd(2+) cation (Tanaka, Y.; Kojima, C.; Morita, E. H.; Kasai. Y.; Yamasaki, K.; Ono, A.; Kainosho, M.; Taira, K. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 4595-4601). The present data indicate that measurements of NMR intermolecular coupling constants may be used to discriminate between the specific inner- and outer-shell binding of divalent cations to nucleobases in DNA and RNA.     

A 1D Schiff base zinc polymer as a versatile metallo-ligand for the synthesis of polynuclear zinc cages

The 1D polymeric Schiff base zinc complex, [LZn(2)Et(2)](n), where LH(2) = (NN'-ethylene-bis(4-iminopentan-2-one)) has been demonstrated as a useful synthetic metallo building block for the synthesis of homo and heteronuclear zinc cages. The reaction of [LZn(2)Et(2)](n) with CdI(2) afforded the hetero-nuclear cage, 1, [L(2)Zn(4)(Et)(2)CdI(4)], while reaction with HgI(2) afforded a hexanuclear zinc cage, [L(2)Zn(6)(Et)(4)(μ(4)O)(μ(3)OEt)I], 2. The versatility of [LZn(2)Et(2)](n) as a metallo building block is demonstrated through the reaction with ferrocenyl carboxylic acid, affording the ferrocenyl supported zinc cage, [L(2)Zn(8)(FcCO(2))(4)(Et)(2)(OEt)(2)(μ(4)O)(2)], 3, while the reaction with Er(III) acetate afforded the decanuclear zinc cage, [L(3)Zn(10)(μ(4)O)(4)(Et)(6)], 4.