Single-Carbon-Fiber-Powered Microsensor for In Vivo Neurochemical Sensing with High Neuronal Compatibility

The development of new principles and techniques with high neuronal compatibility for quantitatively monitoring the dynamics of neurochemicals is essential for deciphering brain chemistry and function but remains a great challenge. We herein report a neuron-compatible method for in vivo neurochemical sensing by powering a single carbon fiber through spontaneous bipolar electrochemistry as a new sensing platform. By using ascorbic acid as a model target to prove the concept, we found that the single-carbon-fiber-powered microsensor exhibited a good response, high stability and, more importantly, excellent neuronal compatibility. The microsensor was also highly compatible with electrophysiological recording, thus enabling the synchronous recording of both chemical and electrical signals. The sensing principle could be developed for in vivo monitoring of various neurochemicals in the future by rationally designing and tuning the electrochemical reactions at the two poles of the carbon fiber.     

Minimally Invasive & Long‐lasting Neural Probes from a Materials Perspective

Neurological disorders in aging society have created the need to understand how the brain works. At present, there are limited engineered “non‐invasive” tools to study and characterize the brain activity. Advancement in neuroscience research is highly focused on the fabrication of implantable neural probes that can effectively integrate with the neural tissue. Challenges associated with the commercially available probes has driven the development of mechanically compliant and non‐invasive neural implants. Engineering the mechanical and electrical performance of these probes is necessary to obtain tremendous sensitivity and selectivity along with chronic functionality. Selection of proper materials and understanding their fundamentals plays an essential role in achieving the desired neural interface. In this review, we have highlighted the recent progress in the utilization of new materials to attain a neural probe with improved flexibility, biocompatibility and signal quality.     

Optimized Fluorescent Probe for Specific Imaging of Glutathione S‐Transferases in Living Cells and Mice

GSTP1 has been considered to be a marker for malignancy in many tissues. However, the existing GST fluorescent probes are unfavorable for in vivo imaging because of the limited emission wavelength or insufficient fluorescence enhancement (six‐fold). The limited fluorescence enhancement of GST fluorescent probes is mainly ascribed to the high background signals resulting from the spontaneous reaction between GSH and the probes. In this work, a highly specific GST probe with NIR emission has been successfully developed through optimization of the essential unit of the probe to repress the spontaneous reaction. The novel GST probe exhibits over 100‐fold fluorescence enhancement upon incubation with GSTP1/GSH and high selectivity over other potential interference. In addition, the probe has been proved to be capable of tracking endogenous GST in A549 cells. Finally, the in vivo imaging results demonstrate that the probe can be used for effective imaging of endogenous GST activity in subcutaneous tumor mouse with high contrast.     

细胞与活体中小分子荧光成像研究进展

本文根据检测活性小分子的类别,概要介绍了近年来分子荧光探针针对还原性活性小分子、氧化性活性小分子、金属离子以及p H的细胞与活体荧光成像研究进展。最后对细胞、活体内活性小分子荧光成像研究领域提出展望。引用文献75篇。     

A Generalizable and Noncovalent Strategy for Interfacing Aptamers with a Microelectrode for the Selective Sensing of Neurotransmitters In Vivo

The selective sensing of neurochemicals is essential for understanding the chemical basis of brain function and pathology. Interfacing the excellent recognition features of aptamers with in vivo compatible carbon fiber microelectrode (CFE)-based electroanalytical systems offers a plausible means to achieve this end. However, this is challenging in terms of coupling chemistry, stability, and versatility. Here, we present a new interfacial functionalization strategy based on the assembly of aptamer cholesterol amphiphiles (aptCAs) on the alkyl chain-functionalized CFE. The noncovalent cholesterol-alkyl chain interactions effectively immobilize aptamers onto the CFE surface, allowing the generation of a highly selective system for probing neurochemical dynamics in living systems and opening up a vast array of new opportunities for designing in vivo sensors for exploring brain chemistry.     

超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱法测定大鼠海马和大脑皮层中生物胺类及氨基酸类神经化学物质

建立了超高效液相色谱-三重四极杆质谱法检测大鼠海马和大脑皮层中生物胺类及氨基酸类神经化学物质含量的方法。选用Hypercarb (100 mm×2.1 mm,5μm)色谱柱,以0.1%甲酸-甲醇为流动相,梯度洗脱。电喷雾离子源( ESI)在正离子模式下,选择多反应监测模式( MRM)扫描,对检测的6种生物胺类和11种氨基酸类神经化学物质分别选择一个定性离子对和一个定量离子对。测定Wistar大鼠海马和大脑皮层中6种生物胺类和11种氨基酸类神经化学物质的含量,对比两种不同脑组织样品前处理方法对神经化学物质含量测定结果的影响。17种神经化学物质在10 min内即可完成同时测定,检测方法线性关系良好,日内和日间精密度、加标回收率和重复性满足分析要求。本方法准确、灵敏度高、专属性强、重复性好,适用于脑组织中生物胺类及氨基酸类神经化学物质的含量测定,可为生物胺类及氨基酸类神经化学物质提供有效的样品前处理方法和检测手段。     

Beta-lactams as selective chemical probes for the in vivo labeling of bacterial enzymes involved in cell wall biosynthesis, antibiotic resistance, and virulence

With the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, infectious diseases have become again a life-threatening problem. One of the reasons for this dilemma is the limited number and breadth of current therapeutic targets for which several resistance strategies have evolved over time. To expand the number of addressable enzyme targets and to understand their function, activity, and regulation, we utilized a chemical proteomic strategy, called activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) pioneered by Cravatt, for the identification of beta-lactam-binding enzymes under in vivo conditions. In this two-tiered strategy, we first prepared a selection of conventional antibiotics for labeling diverse penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) and second introduced a new synthetic generation of beta-lactam probes, which labeled and inhibited a selection of additional PBP unrelated bacterial targets. Among these, the virulence-associated enzyme ClpP and a resistance-associated beta-lactamase were labeled and inhibited by selected probes, indicating that the specificity of beta-lactams can be adjusted to versatile enzyme families with important cellular functions.     

Recent Advances in Analytical Methodology for in vivo Electrochemistry in Mammals

Electrochemistry is one of the most advanced techniques for monitoring neurochemical activities in the living brain because electrochemical approaches bear the advantageous features of high spatial and temporal resolutions, which facilitate its tremendous potential in investigating the highly spatially heterogeneous brain system and the fast dynamics of neurochemical activities. On the other hand, since brain is the most complicated organ in the sense of its numerous kinds of neurochemical species, high selectivity is always required for any analytical methods that approach the brain. In this review, we will discuss various electrochemical methodologies to achieve selective detection of neurochemicals in mammalian brain and the strategies developed mainly by our group towards selective monitoring of both electrochemically active and inactive neurochemicals. At the end, we will discuss possible solutions towards brain mapping of neurochemical species and combination of neurochemical detection strategy with electrophysiology as the direction of future development of electroanalysis in living brain.     

High-Density Optophysiology Platform for Recording Intracellular and Extracellular Signals across the Brain of Free-Moving Animals

Developing a novel tool capable of real-time monitoring and simultaneously quantifying of both intra/extracellular chemical signals across the large-scale brain is the key bottleneck for understanding the interactions between the molecules inside and outside neurons. Here we built up a high-density intra/extracellular optophysiology platform, together with developing two probes for specific recognition of L-cysteine (Cys) and dopamine (DA), for simultaneously quantifying of both intracellular Cys and extracellular DA with high selectivity and accuracy across the brain of freely moving animals, as well as recording electrical signals. Using this powerful tool, it was found that intracellular Cys regulated extracellular DA through inducing the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the depressed mice brain. We also established the functional networks of Cys and DA across 32 brain regions in freely moving animals. More importantly, it was discovered that depression reduced the correlations between adjacent brain regions, which was recovered by the treatment of N-acetyl-l-cysteine.     

Activity-based probes: discovering new biology and new drug targets

The development and application of chemical technologies enabling direct analysis of enzyme activity in living systems has undergone explosive growth in recent years. Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a key constituent of this broad field, and is among the most powerful and mature chemical proteomic technologies. This tutorial review introduces the essential features of ABPP and the design and application of activity-based probes (ABPs) from drug target elucidation and in vivo visualisation of enzyme activity to comprehensive profiling of the catalytic content of living systems, and the discovery of new biological pathways.     

Recent Progress of Small-Molecule Ratiometric Fluorescent Probes for Peroxynitrite in Biological Systems

Peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) as a major reactive oxygen species plays important roles in cellular signal transduction and homeostatic regulation. Precise detection of ONOO⁻ in biological systems is vital for exploring its physiological and pathological function. Among numerous detection methods, fluorescence imaging technology using fluorescent probes offers some advantages, including simple operation, high sensitivity and selectivity, as well as real-time and nondestructive detection. In particular, ratiometric fluorescent probes, in which the built-in calibration of the two emission bands prevents interference from the biological environment, have been extensively employed to monitor the fluctuation of bioactive species. In this review, we will discuss small-molecule ratiometric fluorescent probes for ONOO⁻ in live cells or in vivo, which involves chemical structures, response mechanisms, and biological applications. Moreover, the challenges and future prospects of ONOO⁻-responsive ratiometric fluorescent probe are also proposed.     

生物样品中神经递质的定量测定及其应用研究进展

神经递质（NTs）是神经传递的内源性化学信使，在大脑功能中发挥重要作用。中枢神经系统中神经递质浓度的变化与许多精神和生理疾病有关。神经递质的测定已成为疾病诊断和监测以及治疗干预的重要手段，有效的神经递质体内监测对于疾病诊疗乃至新药研发都至关重要。该文就近年来神经递质的检测方法，包括仪器检测法、电化学检测法以及一些新型检测方法等进行综述，并总结了目前神经递质检测在一些疾病研究中的应用进展。     

How the Chemical Properties of GBCAs Influence Their Safety Profiles In Vivo

The extracellular class of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) is an essential tool for clinical diagnosis and disease management. In order to better understand the issues associated with GBCA administration and gadolinium retention and deposition in the human brain, the chemical properties of GBCAs such as relative thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities and their likelihood of forming gadolinium deposits in vivo will be reviewed. The chemical form of gadolinium causing the hyperintensity is an open question. On the basis of estimates of total gadolinium concentration present, it is highly unlikely that the intact chelate is causing the T₁ hyperintensities observed in the human brain. Although it is possible that there is a water-soluble form of gadolinium that has high relaxitvity present, our experience indicates that the insoluble gadolinium-based agents/salts could have high relaxivities on the surface of the solid due to higher water access. This review assesses the safety of GBCAs from a chemical point of view based on their thermodynamic and kinetic properties, discusses how these properties influence in vivo behavior, and highlights some clinical implications regarding the development of future imaging agents.     

Reversible Fluorescent Probes for Biological Redox States

The redox chemistry of the cell is key to its function and health, and the development of chemical tools to study redox biology is important. While fluxes in oxidative state are essential for healthy cell function, a chronically elevated oxidative capacity is linked to disease. It is therefore essential that probes of biological redox states distinguish between these two conditions by the reversible sensing of changes over time. In this review, we discuss the current progress towards such probes, and identify key directions for future research in this nascent field of vital biological interest.     

Optical colorimetric sensor arrays for chemical and biological analysis

In recent years, the sensor array has attracted much attention in the field of complex system analysis on the basis of its good selectivity and easy operation. Many optical colorimetric sensor arrays are designed to analyze multi-target analytes due to the good sensitivity of optical signal. In this review, we introduce the targeting analytes, sensing mechanisms and data processing methods of the optical colorimetric sensor array based on optical probes (including organic molecular probes, polymer materials and nanomaterials). The research progress in the detection of metal ions, anions, toxic gases, organic compounds, biomolecules and living organisms (such as DNA, amino acids, proteins, microbes and cells) and actual sample mixtures are summarized here. The review illustrates the types, application advantages and development prospects of the optical colorimetric sensor array to help broad readers to understand the research progress in the application of chemical sensor array.     

"Turn-on" fluorescent sensing with "reactive" probes

Chemical probes are valuable tools for the investigation of biochemical processes, diagnosis of disease markers, detection of hazardous compounds, and other purposes. Therefore, the development of chemical probes continues to grow through various approaches with different disciplines and design strategies. Fluorescent probes have received much attention because they are sensitive and easy-to-operate, in general. To realize desired selectivity toward a given analyte, the recognition site of a fluorescent probe is designed in such a way to maximize the binding interactions, usually through weak molecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, toward the analyte over other competing ones. In addition to such a supramolecular approach, the development of fluorescent probes that sense analytes through chemical reactions has witnessed its usefulness for achieving high selectivity, in many cases, superior to that obtainable by the supramolecular approach. Creative incorporations of the reactive groups to latent fluorophores have provided novel chemical probes for various analytes. In this feature article, we overview the recent progress in the development of turn-on fluorescent probes that are operating through chemical reactions triggered by target analytes. Various chemical reactions have been implemented in the development of many reactive probes with very high selectivity and sensitivity toward target analytes. A major emphasis has been focused on the type of chemical reactions utilized, with the hope that further explorations can be made with new chemical reactions to develop reactive probes useful for various applications.     

Optical recording of brain functions based on voltage-sensitive dyes

To better understand the spatial distribution of brain functions, we need to monitor and analyze neuronal activities. Electrophysiological technique has provided an important method for the exploration of some neural circuits. However, this method cannot simultaneously detect the activities of nerve cell groups.Therefore, methods that can monitor the spatial distribution of neuronal population activity are demanded to explore brain functions. Voltage-sensitive dyes(VSDs) shift their absorption or emission optical signals in response to different membrane potentials, allowing assessing the global electrical state of neurons. Optical recording technique coupled with VSDs is a promising method to monitor the brain functions by detecting optical signal changes. This review focuses on the fast and slow responses of VSDs to membrane potential changes and optical recordings utilized in the central nervous system. In this review, we attempt to show how VSDs and optical recordings can be used to obtain brain functional monitoring at high spatial and temporal resolution. Understanding of brain functions will not only greatly improve the cognition of information transmission of complex neural network, but also provide new methods of treating brain diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.     

Downfalls of Chemical Probes Acting at the Kinase ATP-Site: CK2 as a Case Study

Protein kinases are a large class of enzymes with numerous biological roles and many have been implicated in a vast array of diseases, including cancer and the novel coronavirus infection COVID-19. Thus, the development of chemical probes to selectively target each kinase is of great interest. Inhibition of protein kinases with ATP-competitive inhibitors has historically been the most widely used method. However, due to the highly conserved structures of ATP-sites, the identification of truly selective chemical probes is challenging. In this review, we use the Ser/Thr kinase CK2 as an example to highlight the historical challenges in effective and selective chemical probe development, alongside recent advances in the field and alternative strategies aiming to overcome these problems. The methods utilised for CK2 can be applied to an array of protein kinases to aid in the discovery of chemical probes to further understand each kinase’s biology, with wide-reaching implications for drug development.     

Genetically-encoded voltage indicators

Voltage imaging with genetically-encoded sensors has allowed for the direct visualization of electrical signaling at high spatial resolutions. Over the history of voltage indicator development, various design strategies have been employed to harness the power of the fl uctuating transmembrane electric fi eld.     

Rational chemical design of the next generation of molecular imaging probes based on physics and biology: mixing modalities, colors and signals

In recent years, numerous in vivo molecular imaging probes have been developed. As a consequence, much has been published on the design and synthesis of molecular imaging probes focusing on each modality, each type of material, or each target disease. More recently, second generation molecular imaging probes with unique, multi-functional, or multiplexed characteristics have been designed. This critical review focuses on (i) molecular imaging using combinations of modalities and signals that employ the full range of the electromagnetic spectra, (ii) optimized chemical design of molecular imaging probes for in vivo kinetics based on biology and physiology across a range of physical sizes, (iii) practical examples of second generation molecular imaging probes designed to extract complementary data from targets using multiple modalities, color, and comprehensive signals (277 references).