Synthesis of a fluorescent xanthenic derivative useful for labeling amine residues

The 2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl-4-(3-hydroxy-6-oxo-6H-xanthen-9-yl)-3-methylbenzoate has been synthesized as an amine-reactive derivative able to yield stable covalently labeled biopolymers. The new derivative has been used to label polyribocytidilic acid (5'), poly(C), amine residues. TG-II-poly(C) exhibits monoexponential decay at the physiological pH range. In addition, both steady-state fluorescence intensity and fluorescence decay are also sensitive to solution pH. The large decrease in steady-state fluorescence upon hybridization allows it to be used as a nucleic acid probe in a homogeneous assay format. In summary, we report an efficient synthesis to obtain labeled RNA from commercially available materials in excellent yields.     

Photophysics of a cyanine dye within cyclodextrin cavity

The modulated photophysical and dynamical behavior of a potent anti-tumor photosensitizer 3,3^/-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) following host-guest inclusion complex formation with α-, β- and γ-Cyclodextrins (CDs) has been studied using steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic methods. The cavity size of the CDs (α-CD <β-CD <γ-CD) is argued to play an instrumental role underlying the formation of the host-guest inclusion complex. While negligible interaction with α-CD is found to be succeeded by prominent quenching of monomeric fluorescence of the dye within β-CD and γ-CD with the degree of quenching being greater within γ-CD. The most appealing fact attained from the experimental results is the anticipation of dimer formation of DODCI within the large cavity of γ-CD which can entrap more than one molecule of DODCI. The steady-state results are found to be adequately corroborated by time-resolved fluorescence decay studies. Such encapsulation of the cyanine dye within the carrier cargo can be designed for targeted delivery inside biological systems.     

Selective two-step labeling of proteins with an off/on fluorescent probe

We present a novel design strategy for off/on fluorescent probes suitable for selective two-step labeling of proteins. To validate this strategy, we designed and synthesized an off/on fluorescent probe, 1-Ni(2+), which targets a cysteine-modified hexahistidine (His) tag. The probe consists of dichlorofluorescein conjugated with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-Ni(2+) as the His-tag recognition site and a 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether moiety, which quenches the probe's fluorescence by photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) from the excited fluorophore to the 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether (donor-excited PeT; d-PeT) and also has reactivity with cysteine. His-tag recognition by the NTA-Ni(2+) moiety is followed by removal of the 2,4-dinitrophenyl ether quencher by proximity-enhanced reaction with the cysteine residue of the modified tag; this results in a marked fluorescence increase. Addition of His-tag peptide bearing a cysteine residue to aqueous probe solution resulted in about 20-fold fluorescence increment within 10 min, which is the largest fluorescence enhancement so far obtained with a visible light-excitable fluorescent probe for a His-based peptide tag. Further, we successfully visualized CysHis(6)-peptide tethered to microbeads without any washing step. The probe also showed a large fluorescence increment in the presence of His(6)Cys-tagged enhanced blue fluorescent protein (EBFP), but not His(6)-tagged EBFP. We consider this system is superior to large fluorescence tags (e.g., green fluorescent protein: 27 kDa), which can perturb protein folding, trafficking and function, and also to existing small tags, which generally show little fluorescence increase upon target recognition and therefore require a washout step. This strategy should also be applicable to other tags.     

Influence of the solvent on the ground- and excited-state buffer-mediated proton-transfer reactions of a xanthenic dye

The buffer-mediated proton-transfer reactions of the fluorescent xanthenic derivative 9-[1-(2-Methyl-4-methoxyphenyl)]-6-hydroxy-3H-xanthen-3-one (TG-II) have been studied in different aqueous media. We have employed various buffers to investigate the influence of donor/acceptor systems with different anion and/or cation chemical constituents on the kinetic parameters of proton-transfer. The kinetic parameters were recovered both in the ground-state by means of Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy (FLCS) and in the excited-state by means of Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) and Global Compartmental Analysis (GCA). Both ground- and excited- deprotonation and protonation recovered rate constants in the presence of either phosphate or acetate buffer as donor/acceptor systems were similar. The presence of Tris-HCl buffer does not promote the excited-state proton-transfer (ESPT) reaction. The results indicate the influence of the ions on the ground-state proton-transfer (GSPT) rates and concomitantly on the ESPT reaction. The proton-transfer rate constants recovered here show a trend correlated with the Hofmeister series or the Marcus classification of ions.     

Novel fluorescent colloids as a DNA fluorescence probe

Fluorescent perylene colloids in the 80–90 nm size range have been prepared by the reprecipitation method. These nanoparticles were modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) which inhibited their growth. The nanoparticles also readily interacted with DNA. The fluorescence emission was measured at _ex/_em=400/565 nm. The fluorescence decrease of colloid–CTAB in aqueous solution was measured in the presence of nucleic acids. Under the optimum conditions, the ratio of fluorescence intensity in the absence and presence of nucleic acids was proportional to the concentration of nucleic acids over the range 0.02–5.1 µg mL^–1 for FS (fish sperm) DNA or CT (calf thymus) DNA. The detection limits were 0.01 µg mL^–1 for FS DNA and 0.012 µg mL^–1 for CT DNA, respectively. Based on this approach, a new quantitative method for DNA assay is presented in this paper.     

Synthesis of a useful anomeric thioacetate of an N-acetyllactosamine derivative and its application

A novel anomeric β-thioacetate of an N-acetyllactosamine derivative was efficiently synthesized in high yield from the known 2-azido glycosyl chloride using thioacetic acid as a convenient reagent. The synthesis involved not only an S_N2 replacement of the chloride by a carbothiolate anion but also a reductive acetamidation of the azide group. Applications of the thioacetate for glycosidation were demonstrated to provide both O- and S-glycosides in high yields. Furthermore, both intermediates gave a new class of glycoclusters that included thioglycosidic linkages.     

Synthesis of a hexahydropyrimido[1,2-a]azepine-2-carboxamide derivative useful as an HIV integrase inhibitor

The hexahydropyrimido[1,2-a]azepine-2-carboxamide derivative 1 could be obtained by three synthetic strategies, which allowed access to multigram amounts of material of high purity and ee. Two strategies involved alternative approaches to the bicyclic pyrimidone core, with the most efficient one being a two-step sequence from commercially available starting materials exploiting a little precedented cyclisation reaction. The remaining steps to 1 included an efficient crystallisation of an intermediate as a single stereoisomer. An alternative strategy employing a chiral starting material led to products of low optical purity but allowed the assignment of the configuration of the stereogenic centre of 1.     

Spectroscopic effects of organized media on a cyanine dye/pyrene derivative

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of a cyanine dye/pyrene derivative are studied in the presence of-cyclodextrin, Brij 35, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Benesi-Hildebrand type equations are used to estimate the apparent association constant of the dye/cyclodextrin complex. In addition, an estimate of the dimerization constant for the dye is examined.     

Photophysics of the interaction between a fluorescein derivative and Ficoll

Ficoll has been widely used as a crowding agent to mimic intracellular media because it is believed to be noninteracting and is composed of mixed sizes such that smaller and larger diffusing solutes can be studied. Due to the interest that the fluorescent dye 9-[1-(2-methyl-4-methoxyphenyl)]-6-hydroxy-3H-xanthen-3-one (TG-II) as a fluorometric probe of phosphate ions in intracellular media could generate, we describe the spectral characteristics of the system TG-II-Ficoll in aqueous solution by means of absorption spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, time-resolved emission spectroscopy, and fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy. The spectral characteristics found are consistent with the formation of an adsorption complex on the surface of Ficoll, probably due to hydrogen bonding between TG-II and Ficoll. In addition, the diffusion coefficient calculated for the association was similar to the diffusion coefficient previously recovered for Ficoll in the same experimental conditions. Therefore, our overall data clearly demonstrate that Ficoll is not an inert crowding agent when in the presence of fluorescein derivative dyes.     

"Intra base off/inter base on" coordination: self-assembly of a dimeric vitamin B12 derivative with a versatile tail

A self-complementary, artificial vitamin B12 derivative dimerises in an unprecedented "intra base off/inter base on" coordination mode.     

Synchronous fluorescence determination of protein with functionalized CdS nanoparticles as a fluorescence probe

Nanometer-sized fluorescent particles have been successfully synthesized. A synchronous fluorescence method, with high sensitivity and selectivity, has been developed for rapid determination of protein with functionalized CdS as a fluorescence probe. When Δλ=260 nm, maximum synchronous fluorescence is produced at 274 nm at pH 7.0. Under optimal conditions, the calibration graphs are linear over the range 0.1-3.0 μg ml⁻¹ for bovine serum albumin (BSA), 0.1-11.0 μg ml⁻¹ for γ-globulin (γ-G) and 0.1-1.4 μg ml⁻¹ for human serum albumin (HSA), respectively. Limits of determination were 0.01 μg ml⁻¹ for BSA, 0.019 μg ml⁻¹ for γ-G and 0.021 μg ml⁻¹ for HSA, respectively. The relative standard deviations of seven replicate measurements were 1.8% for 1.0 μg ml⁻¹ BSA, 2.2% for 1.0 μg ml⁻¹ γ-G and 2.3% for 1.0 μg ml⁻¹ HSA.     

The dihydroxy derivative of 2,2'-bipyridyl as a new proton-transfer lasing dye

[2,2'-bipyridyl]-3,3'-diol(BP(OH)₂), a system which undergoes an excited-state intramolecular double-proton transfer, is reported as an efficient lasing dye. Tunable pulses in the spectral range 492–572 nm are produced. The energetic efficiency is comparable to that of coumarin 307. The possibility of lasing from binary systems containing BP(OH)₂ is investigated.     

Highly sensitive fluorescence probes for nitric oxide based on boron dipyrromethene chromophore-rational design of potentially useful bioimaging fluorescence probe

Boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) is known to have a high quantum yield (phi) of fluorescence in aqueous solution but has not been utilized much for biological applications, compared to fluorescein. We developed 8-(3,4-diaminophenyl)-2,6-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (DAMBO-P(H)), based on the BODIPY chromophore, as a highly sensitive fluorescence probe for nitric oxide (NO). DAMBO-P(H) had a low phi value of 0.002, whereas its triazole derivative (DAMBO-P(H)-T), the product of the reaction of DAMBO-P(H) with NO, fluoresced strongly (phi = 0.74). The change of the fluorescence intensity was found to be controlled by an intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PeT) mechanism. The strategy for development of DAMBO-P(H) was as follows: (1) in order to design a highly sensitive probe of NO, the reactivity of o-phenylenediamine derivatives as NO-reactive moieties was examined using 4,5-diaminofluorescein (DAF-2, a widely used NO fluorescence probe), (2) in order to avoid pH-dependency of the fluorescence intensity, the PeT process was controlled by modulating the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of BODIPY chromophores according to the Rehm-Weller equation based on measurement of excitation energies of chromophores, ground-state reduction potentials of PeT acceptors (BODIPYs), and calculation of the HOMO energy level of the PeT donor (o-phenylenediamine moiety) at the B3LYP/6-31G level, (3) in order to avoid quenching of fluorescence by stacking of the probes and to obtain probes suitable for biological applications, hydrophilic functional groups were introduced. This strategy should be applicable for the rational design of other novel and potentially useful bioimaging fluorescence probes.     

Probing surface basicity of solid acids with an aminobenzodifurandione dye as the solvatochromic probe

Solvatochromism and sorptiochromism of the dye 3-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)-7-phenyl-benzo1,2b:4,5b'difuran-2,6-dione (1) are studied with an extended set of solvents and various solid acids including silicas, aluminas, and alumosilicates. 1 shows a positive solvatochromism with increasing basicity and dipolarity/polarizability of the solvent; its solvent-induced bathochromic UV-vis absorption band shift ranges from formic acid (upsilon(max) = 21 630 cm(-1)) to hexamethylphosphoric acid triamide (upsilon(max) = 14 200 cm(-1)). Multiple square analyses of upsilon(max) of the solvent-dependent solvatochromic UV-vis absorption band of 1 with several empirical solvent polarity parameters prove that a composite of basicity, acidity, and dipolarity/polarizability of the environment must be taken into account. For the analysis of the solvent-dependent UV-vis shift of 1, the Kamlet-Taft and Catalan solvent parameters have been evaluated. It could be shown that the Catalan solvent parameter set is more suitable to reflect multiple solvation processes involving both strong basic and strong acidic solvents. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that an interaction of the silanol oxygen atom with the protons of the amino group is clearly favored over various acidic attacks of silanol groups upon 1. Accordingly, surface basicity of silica, alumina, and alumosilicates can be determined using the linear solvation energy relationship derived from the solvent-dependent UV-vis band of 1. An unambiguous interpretation of the UV-vis spectroscopic data of 1 adsorbed on surfaces containing Lewis-acid sites is sometimes difficult. UV-vis monitoring of 1-loaded solid acids during surface titration with 2,6-di-tert-butyl pyridine allows the discrimination of whether Br?nsted- or Lewis-acid sites interfere with 1. Additionally, adsorbed water has an important influence on the actual surface basicity of solid acids. 1 is recommended as a sensitive probe for checking both basicity and acidity when directly compared with solvatochromism of the established hydrogen-bond-donating indicator (cis-dicyano)bis(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(II) (2).     

Synchronous fluorescence determination of human serum albumin with methyl blue as a fluorescence probe

A new synchronous fluorescence scan analysis was developed for the determination of HSA with high sensitivity with a triphenylmethane acid dye methyl blue as a fluorescence probe. When Deltalambda=140 nm, the synchronous fluorescence peak of methyl blue is located at 323 nm and the synchronous fluorescence intensity of the methyl blue is significantly increased in the presence of trace HSA due to the complex formed between methyl blue and HSA at pH 4.1. Under optimal conditions, the calibration graphs are linear over the range 0.03-266.0 and 266.0-665.0 microg mL(-1) for human serum albumin (HSA). Limit of determination were 0.03 microg mL(-1) for HSA. In the detection of HSA in human serum samples, this method gave values close the clinical data got from hospital.     

Two-dimensional fluorescence (excitation/emission) spectroscopy as a probe of complex chemical environments

We report a new application of fluorescence spectroscopy for the identification and characterization of chemical species in complex environments. Simultaneous collection of a dispersed fluorescence spectrum for every step of the laser wavelength results in a two-dimensional spectrum of emission versus excitation wavelengths. This two-dimensional fluorescence (2DF) spectrum yields quick and intuitive assignments of a multitude of peaks in the separate fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence spectra as belonging to the same species. We demonstrate the technique with the measurement of 2DF spectra of a discharge of dilute benzene into a supersonic free jet. A multitude of rovibronic bands due to the C(2) Swan and C(3) comet bands are immediately apparent and even unreported bands can be assigned intuituvely. Custom software filters are employed to enhance or reject emission from one or the other carrier to obtain excitation spectra arising from purely one carrier, or even a specific spectral component of a single carrier. The very characteristic 2DF fingerprints of C(2) and C(3) permit identification of another unidentified species in the discharge that absorbs at 476 nm, coincident with one of the diffuse interstellar bands.     

Lanthanide doped carbon dots as a fluorescence chromaticity-based pH probe

A colorimetric and fluorescent pH probe was designed by doping carbon dots (C-dots) with Eu(III), Tb(III) and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (DPA). The resulting nanoparticles were applied as fluorescent indicators for pH values (best detected at excitation/emission wavelengths of 272/545, 614 nm). The pH induced optical effects are due to pH induced variations in energy transfer. The fluorescence of the probe shows a continuous color variation, and a linear change with pH values in the range from 3.0 to 10.0 can be established by using a Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity diagram. This new kind of pH nanoprobe is more accurate than previously reported pH indicator probes because the pH value can be calculated by using chromaticity coordinates that only depend on the chromaticity. The pH nanoprobe was applied to visualize pH values in human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7).

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Graphical abstract Carbon dots modified with Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (DPA) were prepared. The doped carbon dots were used as a pH-sensitive nanosensor. The fluorescence chromaticity of the nanoparticles changes with the variation of pH value.

     

Photophysics of an indigo derivative (keto and leuco structures) with singular properties

Spectral and photophysical properties of the indigo derivative Cibalackrot in keto and reduced (leuco) forms were studied by absorption spectra, fluorescence and pulse radiolysis and compared with the structurally similar indigo. With the keto form of this dye, fluorescence (phiF = 0.76) and intersystem crossing (phiT = 0.11) are dominant, whereas with indigo, efficient internal conversion (phiIC = 0.99) is observed, probably involving proton transfer through intramolecular hydrogen bonds. With Cibalackrot, this pathway is blocked, supporting the above model for indigo. With the reduced form of Cibalackrot, more than 98% of the absorbed quanta are dissipated through S1 approximately --> S0 internal conversion, which contrasts with leuco-indigo, where fluorescence (phiF = 0.35), internal conversion (phiIC = 0.53) and intersystem crossing (phiT = 0.125) are found to be competitive. In addition, a synthetic precursor of Cibalackrot (preCiba) was also investigated. This has a rigid molecular structure (with a moiety identical to Cibalackrot and the other to indigo), but intra- or intermolecular proton transfer is allowed between adjacent carbonyl and N-H groups. With this precursor in its keto structure the photophysical parameters are generally very close to those of the keto form of indigo, and different from those of Cibalackrot. A more detailed investigation of the time-decay profiles of preCiba in dioxane (and with added water and D2O) has shown that these follow biexponential laws with a shorter component of 14-25 ps, which appears associated with a risetime at longer wavelength emissions (and to a positive preexponential at shorter emission wavelengths) and a longer lived (decay) component of 104-130 ps. In the steady-state spectra of preCiba, the variation with temperature reveals a blue shift of the emission maxima, which is interpreted as the presence (simultaneous emission) of two species (keto and enol) in the excited state. Indigo and deuterated indigo are also found to present a similar behavior. The overall data are interpreted as to be due to an excited-state process involving the proton transfer between keto and enol forms. Rate constants with values of 7 x 10(10) s-1 for preCiba and 1.6 x 10(11) s-1 for deuterated indigo were obtained. This inverse isotope effect is justified on the basis of the proposed model for proton-transfer excited-state deactivation.     

Highly activated Michael acceptor by an intramolecular hydrogen bond as a fluorescence turn-on probe for cyanide

An activated Michael acceptor type of probe by an intramolecular hydrogen bond has shown a selective fluorescence turn-on response to cyanide through a conjugated addition of the nucleophilic anion to the enone probe with a 1300-fold increase in its fluorescence intensity.     

Scopoletine as fluorescence probe for determination of protein

Scopoletine (SLT), 7-hydroxy-6-methoxylcoumarin, is known to possess biological activities such as abirritating and anti-tumor, it can quench intrinsic fluorescence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and the fluorescence intensity of itself is enhanced. So, SLT is used as fluorescence probe for quantitative determination of protein. The experiments indicate that under optimum conditions, the enhanced intensity of fluorescence is in proportion to the concentration of proteins in a wide range, and their detection limits (S/N=3) are 1.4 x 10(-8)g mL(-1) for BSA and 1.1 x 10(-8)g mL(-1) for HSA, respectively. Samples were satisfactorily determined. The interaction mechanism is also discussed.