o‐Fluorination of Aromatic Azides Yields Improved Azido‐Based Fluorescent Probes for Hydrogen Sulfide: Synthesis,Spectra, and Bioimaging

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule with multiple biological functions. To visualize the endogenous in situ production of H₂S in real time, new coumarin‐ and boron‐dipyrromethene‐based fluorescent turn‐on probes were developed for fast sensing of H₂S in aqueous buffer and in living cells. Introduction of a fluoro group in the ortho position of the aromatic azide can lead to a greater than twofold increase in the rate of reaction with H₂S. On the basis of o‐fluorinated aromatic azides, fluorescent probes with high sensitivity and selectivity toward H₂S over other biologically relevant species were designed and synthesized. The probes can be used to in situ to visualize exogenous H₂S and D ‐cysteine‐dependent endogenously produced H₂S in living cells, which makes them promising tools for potential applications in H₂S biology.     

Quantitative display of the redox status of proteins with maleimide‐polyethylene glycol tagging

Cysteine oxidation, either biologically reversible or irreversible, is the main posttranslational modification associated with redox signaling and oxidative stress. Maleimide‐polyethylene glycol (m‐PEG) has been used to detect reversibly oxidized proteins by reacting to the reduced cysteine residues leading to mobility shift in immunoblots; a method called PEG‐switch. With PEG‐switch, both reduced and oxidized proteins can be observed on the same immunoblot simultaneously, providing a simple quantitative measurement for protein thiol modifications. In this report, we optimized the assay conditions and exploited the applications of PEG‐switch in quantitation of the extent of protein thiol oxidation in cells in response to H₂O₂ and insulin. In addition, we have proposed a redox scoring system for measuring the redox status of any given protein from the m‐PEG immunoblot. Our results provided quantitative data showing that two cysteine residues of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B are prone to oxidation following insulin treatment in cultured HeLa cells.     

Fluorescence-labelled antigen-binding fragments (Fab) from monoclonal antibody 5F12 detect human erythropoietin in immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis

A faster and more convenient method is required for the detection of recombinant erythropoietin (Epo) in human body fluids. In the present study we wanted to elucidate the principal suitability of immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis (CE) in this respect. CE offers itself as a high-speed, high-throughput technique provided a suitable affinity reagent is available. We chose monoclonal antibody 5F12 from Amgen which binds to a conformation-independent epitope in the N-terminal region of the human Epo protein. For CE with laser-induced fluorescence detection it was necessary to produce fluorescently labelled antibody with one single antigen binding site. Monomeric antigen-binding fragments (Fab) were obtained by site-selective cleavage of the pure antibody and labelled with the fluorescent dye, Alexa Fluor 488. The mixture of labelled isomers was partially resolved by ion exchange HPLC and isoelectric focusing. The fluorescent Fab could be used to detect erythropoietin by immunoaffinity capillary isoelectric focusing and zone capillary electrophoresis via its antigen complex.Abbreviations BGE background electrolyte - CE capillary electrophoresis - Epo Erythropoietin - Fab antigen-binding fragment - FITC fluorescein isothiocyanate - IEF isoelectric focusing - mAb monoclonal antibody - PBS phosphate-buffered saline - rHuEpo recombinant human erythropoietin - scFv (recombinant) single chain variable fragment - SDS-PAGE denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate - ECL enzyme-coupled chemoluminescence - v_H variable domain - c_H1–3 constant domains of an antibody's heavy chain     

Organic nanoparticles formed by aggregation-induced fluorescent molecules for detection of hydrogen sulfide in living cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has been found to be the third most important endogenous gaseous signaling molecule after nitric oxide (NO) and carbonic oxide (CO) and plays crucial roles in living organisms and biological systems. Here we use aggregation- induced emission (AIE) of a small organic molecule (TPE-indo) to detect H₂S in both solution and living cells. TPE-indo can target mitochondria and aggregate to fluoresce, which can serve as a sensor for monitoring H₂S in the mitochondria. We regulate the fluorescence of AIE molecules by tuning the viscosity of the solution to form TPE-indo nanoparticles, constructing a probe for H₂S with good selectivity and high sensitivity. The nucleophilic addition of HS^- to the TPE-indo is crucial for the rapid H₂S detection. The imaging and analysis of H₂S in mitochondria of living cells with the probe demonstrate potential biological applications.     

A proximity-induced covalent fluorescent probe for selective detection of bromodomain 4

Through proximity-induced conjugation reaction, a peptide-based fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized for selective detection of bromodomain 4.     

Sulfonate-based fluorescent probes for imaging hydrogen peroxide in living cells

Based on the mechanism of H₂O₂-mediated hydrolysis of sulfonates, two fluorescein disulfonates compounds (FS-1 and FS-2) were designed and synthesized as the highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probes for imaging H₂O₂ in living cells. The probes were detected with elemental analysis, IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR. Upon reaction with H₂O₂, the probes exhibit strong fluorescence responses and high selectivity for H₂O₂ over other reactive oxygen species and some biological compounds. Furthermore, the sulfonate-based probes, as novel fluorescent reagents, are cell-permeable and can detect micromolar changes in H₂O₂ concentrations in living cells by using confocal microscopy. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB936000), the National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar (Grant No. 20725518), Major Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 90713019), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20875057), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (Grant No. Y2007B02), and the Science and Technology Development Programs of Shandong Province, China (Grant No. 2008GG30003012)     

Protein posttranslational modifications: the chemistry of proteome diversifications

The diversity of distinct covalent forms of proteins (the proteome) greatly exceeds the number of proteins predicted by DNA coding capacities owing to directed posttranslational modifications. Enzymes dedicated to such protein modifications include 500 human protein kinases, 150 protein phosphatases, and 500 proteases. The major types of protein covalent modifications, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, glycosylation, methylation, and ubiquitylation, can be classified according to the type of amino acid side chain modified, the category of the modifying enzyme, and the extent of reversibility. Chemical events such as protein splicing, green fluorescent protein maturation, and proteasome autoactivations also represent posttranslational modifications. An understanding of the scope and pattern of the many posttranslational modifications in eukaryotic cells provides insight into the function and dynamics of proteome compositions.     

Multi‐Fluorinated Azido Coumarins for Rapid and Selective Detection of Biological H2S in Living Cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule with multiple biological functions. In order to visualize the endogenous in situ production of H₂S in living cells in real time, here we developed multi‐fluorinated azido coumarins as fluorescent probes for the rapid and selective detection of biological H₂S. Kinetic studies indicated that an increase in fluorine substitution leads to an increased rate of H₂S‐mediated reduction reaction, which is also supported by our theoretical calculations. To our delight, tetra‐fluorinated coumarin 1 could react with H₂S fast (t_1/2≈1 min) and selectively, which could be further used for continuous enzymatic assays and for visualization of intracellular H₂S. Bioimaging results obtained with 1 revealed that d ‐Cys could induce a higher level of endogenous H₂S production than l ‐Cys in a time‐dependent manner in living cell.     

Anti-metatype antibodies in immunoassays

In this review anti-metatype antibodies are described invoking new principles in immunoassay development. Anti-metatype antibodies are immunological reagents specific for the conformation of the liganded antibody active site which do not interact with bound ligand or unliganded antibody. Relationships between anti-metatype antibody reactivity and the ligand-induced conformational state of monoclonal antibodies are reviewed with emphasis on the fluorescein hapten as a small molecule model system. One characteristic result of the interaction of anti-metatype antibodies with liganded antibodies is a significant delay in the dissociation rate (k₂) of the ligand bound within the primary immune complex. The latter is an important consideration for assay development. Polyclonal and monoclonal anti-metatype antibody reagents are characterized in terms of their differential effects on the ligand dissociation rate. Anti-metatype antibody reactivity is further discussed in terms of protein-protein specificity patterns and relative interactions with idiotype-family members, structural derivatives, and site-specific mutants. Incorporation of principles inherent in the anti-metatype concept and their application to assay development are summarized.Abbreviations D₂O deuterium oxide - Fab 50 kd antibody fragment containing V_HC_H1 + V_LC_L domains - FITC(I) fluorescein isothiocyanate (isomer I) - Fv 26 kd fragment of the antibody molecule containing the variable domains of the H and L chains - Ig immunoglobulin - IgG immunoglobulin G with a mol. wt. of 150 kd. - IgM immunoglobulin M with a mol. wt. of 10⁶d - Id idiotype - Ka antibody affinity (k₁/k₂) in M^–1 - k₁ second order rate of ligand association in M^–1s^–1 - k₂ first order rate of ligand dissociation in s^–1 - K_D dissociation constant or the reciprocal of the affinity constant (1/Ka) - Mab monoclonal antibody - Met metatype - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - SCA single chain Fv derivative containing a synthetic linker between the two variable domains - V_H variable domain of the antibody H chain - V_L variable domain of the antibody L chain     

A 3,7‐Dihydroxyphenoxazine‐based Fluorescent Probe for Selective Detection of Intracellular Hydrogen Peroxide

A novel N‐borylbenzyloxycarbonyl‐3,7‐dihydroxyphenoxazine fluorescent probe (NBCD) for detecting H₂O₂ in living cells is described. The probe could achieve high selectivity for detecting H₂O₂ over other biological reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, upon addition of H₂O₂, NBCD exhibited color change from colorless to pink, which makes it a “naked‐eye” probe for H₂O₂ detection. NBCD could not only be used to detect enzymatically generated H₂O₂ but also to detect H₂O₂ in living systems by using fluorescence spectroscopy, with a detection limit of 2 μm . Importantly, NBCD enabled the visualization of epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐stimulated H₂O₂ generation inside the cells.     

Development of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against hapten benzo[a]pyrene: a binding study

Due to its highly carcinogenic and mutagenic effect on humans, a maximum tolerable limit of 10 ng/L of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in drinking water was set by the European Commission (Council Directive 98/83/EC). Although several polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) for the detection of B[a]P and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have been developed by others, a traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a limit of quantification of 10 ng/L for monitoring B[a]P has not been developed. With this in mind, several single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies were created using existing mAbs against the extremely hydrophobic hapten B[a]P, and their heavy and light chains recombined to make unique variable light (V_L) and heavy (V_H) chain combinations. Their binding behaviour was investigated using microtiter plate ELISA and surface plasmon resonance techniques. Specifically, the coding sequences for V_L and V_H chains of 10 murine anti-B[a]P antibody producing hybridoma cell lines were isolated by degenerate oligonucleotide primer sets, cloned in phagemid pIT2 and transferred into Escherichia coli HB2151. To systematically investigate the interaction of the V_L and V_H domains, three high-affinity B[a]P-specific and one nonspecific clone were selected and recombined to build a set of 16 different V_L and V_H combinations. On the basis of our data, it was shown that the V_H plays the major role for specific binding of B[a]P, whilst the V_L can, in some cases, increase the final sensitivity of the assay by one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the sequence analysis of scFvs indicates that the complementarity determining region H3 plays a major role in affinity, whilst cross-reactivity to seven other PAHs demonstrates the importance of the V_L in providing cross-reactivity.     

New chemistry for the study of multiprotein complexes: the six-histidine tag as a receptor for a protein crosslinking reagent

Background: To study very large macromolecular complexes, it would be useful to be able to incorporate probe molecules, such as fluorescent tags or photoactivatable crosslinkers, into specific sites on proteins. Current methods for doing this use relatively large amounts of highly purified protein, limiting the general utility of these approaches. The need for covalent posttranslational chemistry also makes it extremely difficult to use modified proteins in studies of native complexes in crude lysates or in living cells. We set out to develop a protein tag that would circumvent these problems.Results: A very simple type of molecular recognition, metal-ligand complexation, can be used to deliver a nickel-based crosslinking reagent to proteins containing a six-histidine (His₆) tag. When activated with a peracid, the His₆-Ni complex mediates oxidative crosslinking of nearby proteins. The crosslinking reaction does not involve freely diffusible intermediates, and thus only those proteins in close proximity to the His₆-tagged polypeptide are crosslinked.Conclusions: The His₆ tag, commonly used as an affinity handle for the purification of recombinant proteins, can also be used as an internal receptor for an oxidative protein-crosslinking reagent. No covalent protein modifications are necessary, since the Hiss tag is introduced at the DNA level. The crosslinking reaction is fast, efficient in most cases, and provides products that are easily separated from most other proteins present. This methodology should find widespread use in the study of multiprotein complexes.     

Sensitive and rapid detection of endogenous hydrogen sulfide distributing in different mouse viscera via a two-photon fluorescent probe

Development of efficient methods for detection of endogenous H₂S in living cells and tissues is of considerable signi?cance for better understanding the biological and pathological functions of H₂S. Two-photon (TP) fluorescent probes are favorable as powerful molecular tools for studying physiological process due to its non-invasiveness, high spatiotemporal resolution and deep-tissues imaging. Up to date, several TP probes for intracellular H₂S imaging have been designed, but real-time imaging of endogenous H₂S-related biological processes in tissues is hampered due to low sensitivity, long response time and interference from other biothiols. To address this issue, we herein report a novel two-photon fluorescent probe (TPP-H₂S) for highly sensitive and fast monitoring and imaging H₂S levels in living cells and tissues. In the presence of H₂S, it exhibits obviously improved sensitivity (LOD: 0.12 μM) and fast response time (about 2 min) compared with the reported two-photon H₂S probes. With two-photon excitation, TPP-H₂S displays high signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity even no interference in cell growth media. As further application, TPP-H₂S is applied for fast imaging of H₂S in living cells and different fresh tissues by two-photon confocal microscope. Most importantly we first measured the endogenous H₂S level in different viscera by vivisection and found that the distribution of endogenous H₂S mostly in brain, liver and lung. The excellent sensing properties of TPP-H₂S make it a practically useful tool for further studying biological roles of H₂S.     

Probing the Formation of a Seleninic Acid in Living Cells by the Fluorescence Switching of a Glutathione Peroxidase Mimetic

Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is a selenoenzyme that protects cells against oxidative damage. Although the formation of a seleninic acid (‐SeO₂H) by this enzyme during oxidative stress has been proposed, a selenic acid has not been identified in cells. Herein, we report that the formation of a seleninic acid can be monitored in living cells by using a redox‐active ebselen analogue with a naphthalimide fluorophore. The probe reacts with H₂O₂ to generate the highly fluorescent seleninic acid. The electron withdrawing nature of the ‐SeO₂H moiety and strong Se???O interactions, which prevent the photoinduced electron transfer, are responsible for the fluorescence.     

Dual Mechanism of an Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT)–FRET‐Based Fluorescent Probe for the Selective Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

A dual‐mechanism intramolecular charge transfer (ICT)–FRET fluorescent probe for the selective detection of H₂O₂ in living cells has been designed and synthesized. This probe used a coumarin–naphthalimide hybrid as the FRET platform and a boronate moiety as the recognition group. Upon the addition of H₂O₂, the probe exhibited a redshifted (73 nm) fluorescence emission, and the ratio of fluorescence intensities at λ =558 and 485 nm (F ₅₅₈/F ₄₈₅) shifted notably (up to 100‐fold). Moreover, there was a good linearity (R ²=0.9911) between the ratio and concentration of H₂O₂ in the range of 0 to 60 μm , with a limit of detection of 0.28 μm (signal to noise ratio (S/N)=3). This probe could also detect enzymatically generated H₂O₂. Importantly, it could be used to visualize endogenous H₂O₂ produced by stimulation from epidermal growth factor.     

A Dual‐Response Fluorescent Probe Reveals the H2O2‐Induced H2S Biogenesis through a Cystathionine β‐Synthase Pathway

The two signaling molecules H₂S and H₂O₂ play key roles in maintaining intracellular redox homeostasis. The biological relationship between H₂O₂ and H₂S remains largely unknown in redox biology. In this study, we rationally designed and synthesized single‐ and dual‐response fluorescent probes for detecting both H₂O₂ and H₂S in living cells. The dual‐response probe was shown to be capable of mono‐ and dual‐detection of H₂O₂ and H₂S selectively and sensitively. Detailed bioimaging studies based on the probes revealed that both exogenous and endogenous H₂O₂ could induce H₂S biogenesis in living cells. By using gene‐knockdown techniques with bioimaging, the H₂S biogenesis was found to be majorly cystathionine β‐synthase (CBS)‐dependent. Our finding shows the first direct evidence on the biological communication between H₂O₂ (ROS) and H₂S (RSS) in vivo.     

A Single Fluorescent Probe to Visualize Hydrogen Sulfide and Hydrogen Polysulfides with Different Fluorescence Signals

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and hydrogen polysulfides (H₂S_n, n>1) are endogenous regulators of many physiological processes. In order to better understand the symbiotic relationship and cellular cross‐talk between H₂S and H₂S_n, it is highly desirable to develop single fluorescent probes which enable dual‐channel discrimination between H₂S and H₂S_n. Herein, we report the rational design, synthesis, and evaluation of the first dual‐detection fluorescent probe DDP‐1 that can visualize H₂S and H₂S_n with different fluorescence signals. The probe showed high selectivity and sensitivity to H₂S and H₂S_n in aqueous media and in cells.     

Monitoring of Endogenous Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells Using Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has emerged as an important gasotransmitter in diverse physiological processes, although many aspects of its roles remain unclear, partly owing to a lack of robust analytical methods. Herein we report a novel surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanosensor, 4‐acetamidobenzenesulfonyl azide‐functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/4‐AA), for detecting the endogenous H₂S in living cells. The detection is accomplished with SERS spectrum changes of AuNPs/4‐AA resulting from the reaction of H₂S with 4‐AA on AuNPs. The SERS nanosensor exhibits high selectivity toward H₂S. Furthermore, AuNPs/4‐AA responds to H₂S within 1 min with a 0.1 μM level of sensitivity. In particular, our SERS method can be utilized to monitor the endogenous H₂S generated in living glioma cells, demonstrating its great promise in studies of pathophysiological pathways involving H₂S.     

Ubiquinone‐Rhodol (UQ‐Rh) for Fluorescence Imaging of NAD(P)H through Intracellular Activation

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) derivatives NADH and NADPH are critical components of cellular energy metabolism and operate as electron carriers. A novel fluorescent ubiquinone‐rhodol derivative (UQ‐Rh) was developed as a probe for NAD(P)H. By using the artificial promoter [(η⁵‐C₅Me₅)Ir(phen)(H₂O)]²⁺, intracellular activation and imaging of NAD(P)H were successfully demonstrated. In contrast to bioorthogonal chemistry, this “bioparallel chemistry” approach involves interactions with native biological processes and could potentially be used to control or investigate cellular systems.     

Proteomic Studies of Syk-Interacting Proteins Using a Novel Amine-Specific Isotope Tag and GFP Nanotrap

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) and variants have become powerful tools to study protein localization, interactions, and dynamics. We present here a mass spectrometry-based proteomics strategy to examine protein–protein interactions using anti-GFP single-chain antibody V_HH in a combination with a novel stable isotopic labeling reagent, isotope tag on amino groups (iTAG). We demonstrate that the single-chain V_HH (GFP nanotrap) allows us to identify interacting partners of the Syk protein-tyrosine kinase bearing a GFP epitope tag with high efficiency and high specificity. Interacting proteins identified include CrkL, BLNK, α- and β-tubulin, Csk, RanBP5 and DJ-1. The iTAG reagents were prepared with simple procedures and characterized with high accuracy in the determination of peptides in model peptide mixtures and as well as in complex mixture. Applications of the iTAG method and GFP nanotrap to an analysis of the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of Syk led to the identification of location-specific associations between Syk and multiple proteins. While the results reveal that the new quantitative proteomic strategy is generally applicable to integrate protein interaction data with subcellular localization, extra caution should be taken in evaluating the results obtained by such affinity purification strategies as many interactions appear to occur following cell lysis.