Cooperation between artificial receptors and supramolecular hydrogels for sensing and discriminating phosphate derivatives

This study has successfully demonstrated that the cooperative action of artificial receptors with semi-wet supramolecular hydrogels may produce a unique and efficient molecular recognition device not only for the simple sensing of phosphate derivatives, but also for discriminating among phosphate derivatives. We directly observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy that fluorescent artificial receptors can dynamically change the location between the aqueous cavity and the hydrophobic fibers upon guest-binding under semi-wet conditions provided by the supramolecular hydrogel. On the basis of such a guest-dependent dynamic redistribution of the receptor molecules, a sophisticated means for molecular recognition of phosphate derivatives can be rationally designed in the hydrogel matrix. That is, the elaborate utilization of the hydrophobic fibrous domains, as well as the water-rich hydrophilic cavities, enables us to establish three distinct signal transduction modes for phosphate sensing: the use of (i) a photoinduced electron transfer type of chemosensor, (ii) an environmentally sensitive probe, and (iii) an artificial receptor displaying a fluorescence resonance energy transfer type of fluorescent signal change. Thus, one can selectively sense and discriminate the various phosphate derivatives, such as phosphate, phospho-tyrosine, phenyl phosphate, and adenosine triphosphate, using a fluorescence wavelength shift and a seesaw type of ratiometric fluorescence change, as well as a simple fluorescence intensity change. It is also shown that an array of the miniaturized hydrogel is promising for the rapid and high-throughput sensing of these phosphate derivatives.     

Three distinct read-out modes for enzyme activity can operate in a semi-wet supramolecular hydrogel

Assays of hydrolytic enzyme activity, such as of glycosidases and phosphatase, as well as several proteases, using a semi-wet supramolecular hydrogel array composed of a glycosylated amino acetate are described. It has been demonstrated that the microcavity formed by gel fibrils is suitable to immobilize native enzymes without denaturation under semi-wet conditions, and thus the nanofiber has been rationally used as a sensing domain to monitor enzymatic reactions. By using a fluorogenic substrate, reducing the size of the hydrogel can significantly improve the problem of suppressed diffusion within the gel matrix thus making the hydrogel a promising semi-wet matrix for evaluating enzyme activity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy observations have shown that an environmentally sensitive fluorescent probe accumulates in the hydrophobic domain of the gel fiber and emits fluorescence more strongly upon hydrolytic cleavage of the substrate peptides. Not only a simple environmentally sensitive probe but also a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)-type read-out mode can be devised to analyze the enzymatic hydrolysis-triggered redistribution of the probe between the nanospace and the nanofiber to accomplish a more clearly distinguished enzyme assay. Thus, it is clear that three distinct read-out modes, that is, 1) fluorogenic substrates, 2) substrates bearing an environmentally sensitive probe, or 3) a substrate exhibiting FRET, can operate under the semi-wet hydrogel conditions used in these investigations. In addition, owing to the unique properties of the present supramolecular hydrogel in semi-wet conditions, that is, its phase-segregation properties and dynamics, the supramolecular substrate/enzyme array has successfully been used for high-throughput screening of single and multiple enzymes based on their activity, lysate analysis, and quantitative evaluation of inhibitor potency and selectivity.     

A fluorescent lectin array using supramolecular hydrogel for simple detection and pattern profiling for various glycoconjugates

Because sugar and its derivatives play important roles in various biological phenomena, the rapid and high-throughput analysis of various glycoconjugates is keenly desirable. We describe herein the construction of a novel fluorescent lectin array for saccharide detection using a supramolecular hydrogel matrix. In this array, the fluorescent lectins were noncovalently fixed under semi-wet conditions to suppress the protein denaturation. It is demonstrated by fluorescence titration and fluorescence lifetime experiments that the immobilized lectins act as a molecular recognition scaffold in the hydrogel matrix, similar to that in aqueous solution. That is, a bimolecular fluorescence quenching and recovery (BFQR) method can successfully operate under both conditions. This enables one to fluorescently read-out a series of saccharides on the basis of the recognition selectivity and affinity of the immobilized lectins without tedious washing processes and without labeling the target saccharides. Simple and high-throughput sensing and profiling were carried out using the present lectin array for diverse glycoconjugates, which not only included a simple glucose, but also oligosaccharides, and glycoproteins, and, furthermore, the pattern recognition and profiling of several types of cell lysates were also accomplished.     

共轭聚合物离子荧光化学传感器

荧光传感器能够将分子识别的信息转换成荧光信号,荧光法在灵敏度、选择性和实时原位检测等方面优势突出,最近已引起了人们很大的兴趣。本文主要介绍以共轭聚合物为基础的离子荧光化学传感器的近期研究进展,重点综述了共轭聚合物的荧光化学传感器在阳离子识别检测中的分子设计、合成、作用机理和应用,并展望了该领域的发展方向。     

Supramolecular optical sensor arrays for on-site analytical devices

Supramolecular optical chemosensors are useful tools in analytical chemistry for the visualization of molecular recognition information. One advantage is that they can be utilized for array systems to detect multiple analytes. However, chemosensor arrays have been evaluated mainly in the solution phase, which limits a wide range of practical applications. Thus, appropriate solid support materials such as polymer gels and papers are required to broaden the scope of the application of chemosensors as on-site analytical tools. In this review, we summarize the actual approaches for the fabrication of solid-state chemosensor arrays combined with powerful data processing techniques and portable digital recorders for real-world applications.     

微流控芯片分析化学实验室

以作者课题组近10年所开展的系统研究工作为基础, 介绍微流控芯片分析化学实验室操作单元构建及系统整体集成, 并特别关注芯片分析化学实验室在分子水平、细胞水平和模式生物水平的应用, 在科学研究层面上证明了这种置于芯片上的分析化学实验室的可行性, 显示了其在生物医学领域广阔的应用前景.     

The Development of Boronic Acids as Sensors and Separation Tools

Synthetic receptors for diols that incorporate boronic acid motifs have been developed as new sensors and separation tools. Utilizing the reversible interactions of diols with boronic acids to form boronic esters under new binding regimes has provided new hydrogel constructs that have found use as dye‐displacement sensors and electrophoretic separation tools; similarly, molecular boronic‐acid‐containing chemosensors were constructed that offer applications in the sensing of diols. This review provides a somewhat‐personal perspective of developments in boronic‐acid‐mediated sensing and separation, placed in the context of the seminal works of others in the area, as well as offering a concise summary of the contributions of the co‐authors in the area. DOI 10.1002/tcr.201200006     

Macroscopic volume change of dynamic hydrogels induced by reversible DNA hybridization

Molecular recognition is fundamental to the specific interactions between molecules, of which the best known examples are antibody-antigen binding and cDNA hybridization. Reversible manipulation of the molecular recognition events is still a very challenging topic, and such studies are often performed at the molecular level. An important consideration is the collection of changes at the molecular level to provide macroscopic observables. This research makes use of photoresponsive molecular recognition for the fabrication of novel photoregulated dynamic materials. Specifically, a dynamic hydrogel was prepared by grafting azobenzene-tethered ssDNA and its cDNA to the hydrogel network. The macroscopic volume of the hydrogel can be manipulated through the photoreversible DNA hybridization controlled by alternate irradiation of UV and visible light. The effects of synthetic parameters including the concentration of DNA, polymer monomer, and permanent cross-linker are also discussed.     

Development of a Dual‐Functional Hydrogel Using RGD and Anti‐VEGF Aptamer

Synthetic molecular libraries hold great potential to advance the biomaterial development. However, little effort is made to integrate molecules with molecular recognition abilities selected from different libraries into a single biomolecular material. The purpose of this work is to incorporate peptides and nucleic acid aptamers into a porous hydrogel to develop a dual‐functional biomaterial. The data show that an anti‐integrin peptide can promote the attachment and growth of endothelial cells in a 3D porous poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel and an antivascular endothelial growth factor aptamer can sequester and release VEGF of high bioactivity. Importantly, the dual‐functional porous hydrogel enhances the growth and survival of endothelial cells. This work demonstrates that molecules selected from different synthetic libraries can be integrated into one system for the development of novel biomaterials.     

Investigation of nanocomposite PNIPAm-g-graphene with pre-lower critical solution temperature rapid thermal response function for chip adaptive cooling: A molecular dynamics and computational fluid dynamics simulations

Temperature-sensitive hydrogels have been widely used for rapid adaptive cooling in electronic device thermal management with promising applications. However, existing temperature-sensitive hydrogels can only regulate the flow in the chip cooling system after the ambient temperature reaches their lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Before reaching LCST, effective rapid heat dissipation for electronic chips is not achievable. This study aims to develop a temperature-sensitive hydrogel that can provide assisted adaptive cooling for electronic chips before reaching its LCST. This requires the hydrogel to have a thermal conductivity far surpassing existing hydrogel materials. Using the temperature-sensitive hydrogel PNIPAm and graphene molecules as base materials, this research utilized molecular dynamics simulations to graft graphene molecules onto PNIPAm molecules in different ways, resulting in the temperature-sensitive hydrogel material PNIPAm-g-graphene. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) was employed to calculate the thermal conductivity of this material under different temperature conditions. The results indicate that the thermal conductivity of PNIPAm-g-graphene can reach up to 1.95474 W/m K (graphene grafted at  CH₃ functional group, temperature at 280 K). Compared to the thermal conductivity of PNIPAm under the same conditions (0.45 W/m K), the increase in thermal conductivity is significant, demonstrating excellent thermal conductivity compared to PNIPAm. Subsequently, this study analyzed the underlying mechanisms of different thermal conductivities in materials obtained by grafting graphene molecules at different points using the method of overlap in Phonon Density of States Curves (PDOS) from the perspective of interfacial thermal conduction. Finally, through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, this study investigates the chip's adaptive cooling performance with PNIPAm-g-graphene material. The results show that, compared to traditional temperature-sensitive hydrogels, PNIPAm-g-graphene can achieve efficient adaptive cooling of chip hotspots before the cooling fluid temperature reaches its LCST value. This finding is significant for the field of chip cooling. The study proposes a new method for rapid, adaptive cooling of chip hotspots and explores its feasibility from the perspectives of molecular dynamics and CFD simulation. It holds importance in the thermal management of electronic devices and the rapid adaptive cooling of electronic chips.     

Biospecific interaction analysis using surface plasmon resonance detection applied to kinetic, binding site and concentration analysis.

A system for real-time biospecific interaction analysis using biosensor technology based on the optical phenomenon surface plasmon resonance is described. The biospecific interface is a sensor chip covered with a hydrogel matrix. One component of the interaction to be studied is immobilized covalently to the hydrogel and other interactants are passed over the chip in solution. The mass change at the sensor surface, reflecting the progress of the interaction studied, is monitored in real time. The technique, which does not require molecular labels for detection, can measure mass changes down to 10 pg/mm2. Repeated analyses can be performed on the same sensor chip. Applications shown include kinetic measurements, binding site analysis and concentration determination.     

水凝胶微流控芯片的快速加工及在细胞培养检测中的应用

采用具有紫外光聚合性能的聚乙二醇(PEG)基水凝胶材料, 通过紫外光聚合作用快速加工双层水凝胶微流控芯片, 并验证了其对肿瘤细胞代谢液进行检测的可行性. 与传统微流控芯片材料相比, 该水凝胶芯片材料具有更好的生物相容性及可操控性, 可直接加工成形, 在生物学领域特别是细胞培养过程控制方面具有良好的应用前景. 实验结果表明, 该水凝胶微流控芯片可在微尺度空间有效模拟细胞生长环境, 并实现对细胞连续捕获后的原位培养. 将该芯片与卟啉可视阵列传感器系统结合, 经代谢特征分析可有效区分不同种类肿瘤细胞, 实现芯片细胞培养平台上的细胞代谢指纹快速可视化传感检测.     

Signal amplification by allosteric catalysis

In this article we unify a series of recent studies on bio- and chemosensors under a single signaling strategy: signal amplification by allosteric catalysis (SAAC). The SAAC strategy mimics biological signal transduction processes, where molecular recognition between an external signal and a protein receptor is allosterically transduced into catalytically amplified chemical information (usually second messengers). Several recent biosensing and chemosensing studies apply this nature-inspired strategy by using engineered allosteric enzymes, ribozymes, or regulatable organic catalysts. The factors pertinent to achieving high sensitivity and specificity in SAAC strategies are analyzed. The authors believe that these early studies from a variety of research groups have opened up a new venue for the development of sensing technologies where molecular recognition and catalysis can be coupled for practical purposes.     

Molecular imprinting: a dynamic technique for diverse applications in analytical chemistry

Continuous advances in analyzing complex matrices, improving reliability and simplicity, and performing multiple simultaneous assays with extreme sensitivity are increasing. Several techniques have been developed for the quantitative assays of analytes at low concentrations (e.g., high-pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, immunoassay and the polymerase chain reaction technique). To achieve highly specific and sensitive analysis, high affinity, stable, and specific recognition agents are needed. Although biological recognition agents are very specific and sensitive they are labile and/or have a low density of binding sites. During the past decade molecular imprinting has emerged as an attractive and highly accepted tool for the development of artificial recognition agents. Molecular imprinting is achieved by the interaction, either noncovalent or covalent, between complementary groups in a template molecule and functional monomer units through polymerization or polycondensation. These molecularly imprinted polymers have been widely employed for diverse applications (e.g., in chromatographic separation, drug screening, chemosensors, catalysis, immunoassays etc.) owing to their specificity towards the target molecules and high stability against physicochemical perturbations. In this review the advantages, applications, and recent developments in molecular imprinting technology are highlighted.     

含芘荧光化学敏感器化合物同小牛胸腺DNA分子间的相互作用

研究了含芘荧光化学敏感器分子被ctDNA猝灭的荧光光谱.ctDNA分子对该化学敏感器中芘的激发单体,激基缔合物都有猝灭作用.对激发单体的猝灭速度顺序为;化合物(2)>化合物(1)>芘丁酸>化合物(3);对激基缔合物的猝灭速度顺序为;化合物(2)化合物(3).由得到的荧光猝灭数据,可按公式(2)求得荧光化学敏感器分子与ctDNA分子相互作用的稳定常数.发现化合物(2)与ctDNA分子间有着最强的相互作用能力.按ctDNA和含芘荧光化学敏感器的分子结构、构型以及分子内原子-原子的间距等提出了ctDNA分子与该荧光化学敏感器的作用模型,并对上述结果进行了初步解释.     

Rapid purification of cell encapsulated hydrogel beads from oil phase to aqueous phase in a microfluidic device

In this paper, we demonstrate a new type of microfluidic chip that can realize continuous-flow purification of hydrogel beads from a carrier oil into aqueous solution by using a laminar-like oil/water interface. The microfluidic chip is composed by two functional components: (1) a flow-focusing bead generation module that can control size and shape of beads, (2) a bead extraction module capable of purifying hydrogel beads from oil into aqueous solution. This module is featured with large branch channels on one side and small ones on the opposite side. Water is continuously infused into the bead extraction module through the large branch channels, resulting in a laminar-like oil/water interface between the branch junctions. Simulation and experimental data show that the efficiency of oil depletion is determined by the relative flow rates between infused water and carrier oil. By using such a microfluidic device, viable cells (HCT116, colon cancer cell line) can be encapsulated in the hydrogel beads and purified into a cell culture media. Significantly improved cell viability was achieved compared to that observed by conventional bead purification approaches. This facile microfluidic chip could be a promising candidate for sample treatment in lab-on-a-chip applications.     

香豆素类荧光传感器

荧光传感器能够将分子识别的信息转换成荧光信号,荧光法在灵敏度、选择性和实时原位检测等方面优势突出。实时检测被分析物的水平已引起包括化学家、生物学家、临床生物化学家和环境学家的极大兴趣。以香豆素为基础的荧光传感器近年来已成为一个新兴的研究热点。本文综述了香豆素类荧光传感器在阳离子、阴离子、中性分子识别检测中的分子设计、作用机理和应用效果,展望了该领域的发展方向。     

Molecular recognition and fluorescence sensing of monophosphorylated peptides in aqueous solution by bis(zinc(II)-dipicolylamine)-based artificial receptors

The phosphorylation of proteins represents a ubiquitous mechanism for the cellular signal control of many different processes, and thus selective recognition and sensing of phosphorylated peptides and proteins in aqueous solution should be regarded as important targets in the research field of molecular recognition. We now describe the design of fluorescent chemosensors bearing two zinc ions coordinated to distinct dipicolylamine (Dpa) sites. Fluorescence titration experiments show the selective and strong binding toward phosphate derivatives in aqueous solution. On the basis of (1)H NMR and (31)P NMR studies, and the single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, it is clear that two Zn(Dpa) units of the binuclear receptors cooperatively act to bind a phosphate site of these derivatives. Good agreement of the binding affinity estimated by isothermal titration calorimetry with fluorescence titration measurements revealed that these two receptors can fluorometrically sense several phosphorylated peptides that have consensus sequences modified with natural kinases. These chemosensors display the following significant features: (i) clear distinction between phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated peptides, (ii) sequence-dependent recognition, and (iii) strong binding to a negatively charged phosphorylated peptide, all of which can be mainly ascribed to coordination chemistry and electrostatic interactions between the receptors and the corresponding peptides. Detailed titration experiments clarified that the phosphate anion-assisted coordination of the second Zn(II) to the binuclear receptors is crucial for the fluorescence intensification upon binding to the phosphorylated derivatives. In addition, it is demonstrated that the binuclear receptors can be useful for the convenient fluorescent detection of a natural phosphatase (PTP1B) catalyzed dephosphorylation.     

Organic heterocyclic-based colorimetric and fluorimetric chemosensors for the detection of different analytes: a review (from 2015 to 2022)

Heterocyclic organic compounds, also called heterocycles, are any major class of organic compounds having at least one atom other than carbon in the ring. Due to their excellent electronic and structural features, these compounds exhibit a wide range of biological and nonbiological applications. Among these, indole, benzimidazole, benzothiazole, and benzoxazole are versatile organic heterocyclic compounds widely used in different fields. They show a wide range of applications in polymer, coordination chemistry, pharmacy, dyes, food packages, medicine, and industries. These compounds contain heteroatoms like S-, N-, and O-, through which they interact with metal ions, anions, and neutral species, giving measurable analytical signals that can be used as fluorimetric and colorimetric chemosensors for detecting different analytes in biological, agricultural and environmental samples. This review summarizes indole, benzimidazole, benzothiazole, and benzoxazole-based fluorimetric and colorimetric chemosensors for detecting metal ions, anions, and neutral species. Furthermore, the recognition mechanisms have been discussed in detail, which could help researchers to design efficient, highly selective, and sensitive chemosensors to recognize and determine heavy metal cations.     

Supramolecular optical chemosensors for organic analytes

Supramolecular optical chemosensors are abiotic molecular devices that bind analytes by noncovalent interactions, producing a change in light absorption or fluorescence. This review summarizes recent progress in the development of such chemosensors for organic analytes based on artificial receptors. Important design considerations, such as analyte affinity, choice of chromophore or fluorophore, binding selectivity, and optical signaling mechanism are briefly discussed. Chemists have fashioned chemosensors from a wide range of molecular structures, including polyalcohols, crown ethers, calixarenes, helicenes, sterically geared tripods, metal complexes, pinwheels, porphyrins, and fused-ring heterocycles. Analytes of interest include amines, carboxylic acids, amino acids, hydroquinones, alkaloids, carbohydrates, peptides, urea and creatinine.