A fluorescent molecular imaging probe with selectivity for soluble tau aggregated protein

Soluble forms of aggregated tau misfolded protein, generally termed oligomers, are considered to be the most toxic species of the different assembly states that are the pathological components of neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, a critical biomedical need exists for imaging probes that can identify and quantify them. We have designed and synthesized a novel fluorescent probe, pTP-TFE for which binding and selectivity profiles towards aggregated tau and Aβ proteins were assessed. Our results have shown pTP-TFE to be selective for early forms of soluble tau aggregates, with high affinity of dissociation constants (K_d) = 66 nM, and tenfold selectivity over mature tau fibrils. Furthermore, we found that pTP-TFE is selective for tau over Aβ aggregates and had good cell permeability. This selectivity of pTP-TFE towards early forms of aggregated tau protein ex vivo was also supported with studies on human brain tissue containing tau and Aβ pathology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fluorescent molecule to be reported to have this form of selectivity profile, which suggests that pTP-TFE is a unique probe candidate for imaging-based detection of early stages of Alzheimer''s disease and other tauopathies.

pTP-TFE imaging probe can distinguish soluble tau aggregated proteins from other aggregated proteins enabling earlier detection of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Mapping the binding site topology of amyloid protein aggregates using multivalent ligands

A key process in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer''s and Parkinson''s diseases is the aggregation of proteins to produce fibrillary aggregates with a cross β-sheet structure, amyloid. The development of reagents that can bind these aggregates with high affinity and selectivity has potential for early disease diagnosis. By linking two benzothiazole aniline (BTA) head groups with different length polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacers, fluorescent probes that bind amyloid fibrils with low nanomolar affinity have been obtained. Dissociation constants measured for interaction with Aβ, α-synuclein and tau fibrils show that the length of the linker determines binding affinity and selectivity. These compounds were successfully used to image α-synuclein aggregates in vitro and in the post-mortem brain tissue of patients with Parkinson''s disease. The results demonstrate that multivalent ligands offer a powerful approach to obtain high affinity, selective reagents to bind the fibrillary aggregates that form in neurodegenerative disease.

Multivalent ligands offer a powerful approach to obtain high affinity reagents to bind the aggregates that form in neurodegenerative disease. Selectivity for different proteins was achieved by using different linkers to connect the head groups.     

Probing small molecule binding to amyloid fibrils

Much effort has focussed in recent years on probing the interactions of small molecules with amyloid fibrils and other protein aggregates. Understanding and control of such interactions are important for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in situations where protein aggregation is associated with disease. In this perspective article we give an overview over the toolbox of biophysical methods for the study of such amyloid-small molecule interactions. We discuss in detail two recently developed techniques within this framework: linear dichroism, a promising extension of the more traditional spectroscopic techniques, and biosensing methods, where surface-bound amyloid fibrils are exposed to solutions of small molecules. Both techniques rely on the measurement of physical properties that are very directly linked to the binding of small molecules to amyloid aggregates and therefore provide an attractive route to probe these important interactions.     

Designing Zn(II) and Cu(II) derivatives as probes for in vitro fluorescence imaging

New M(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes (M = Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)) featuring allyl groups at the exocyclic nitrogens have been synthesised. The complexes were characterised in solution by spectroscopic methods and their solid state structures determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation. The Zn(II) complex was found to be intrinsically fluorescent and soluble in biocompatible media. The uptake of this Zn(II) complex in HeLa, MCF-7 and IGROV cancer cells was monitored by fluorescence microscopies (epi- and confocal fluorescence imaging). The radiolabelling to (64)Cu(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complex was performed cleanly by transmetallation from the corresponding Zn(II) species using (64)Cu(OAc)(2).     

No carrier-added nucleophilic aromatic radiofluorination using solid phase supported arenediazonium sulfonates and 1-(aryldiazenyl)piperazines

This Letter concerns the investigation of a solid phase based method for no carrier-added nucleophilic [¹⁸F]fluorination of aromatic compounds via de-diazofluorination. Initial screening of reaction conditions was conducted using soluble analogues, that is, substituted benzenediazonium tosylates and 1-(phenyldiazenyl)piperazines in solution. This was followed by translation of the principle conditions to solid phase bound analogues. A variety of substituted aryldiazonium cations were immobilised using a sulfonate functionalised ion exchange resin and labelled with [¹⁸F]fluoride ion by Balz–Schiemann like thermal decomposition in the presence of no carrier-added [¹⁸F]fluoride ion. Likewise, a chloromethyl-bearing (Merrifield-) resin was modified using piperazine to provide the means for covalent immobilisation of diazonium ions. The resin bound 1-(aryldiazenyl)piperazines obtained were used as substrates for a Wallach reaction with hydrogen [¹⁸F]fluoride.     

Functionalized bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes of zinc and copper: synthetic platforms toward site-specific radiopharmaceuticals

Two new types of unsymmetrical bis(thiosemicarbazone) proligands and their neutral zinc(II) and copper(II) complexes have been synthesized. These bifunctional ligands both chelate the metal ions and provide pendent amino groups that can be readily functionalized with biologically active molecules. Functionalization has been demonstrated by the synthesis of three water-soluble glucose conjugates of the new zinc(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) complexes, and their copper(II) analogues have been prepared in aqueous solution via transmetalation. A range of techniques including NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance, cyclic voltammetry, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV/vis, and fluorescence emission spectroscopy have been used to characterize the complexes. Four compounds, including two zinc(II) complexes, have been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The connectivity and conformation of the glucose conjugates have been assigned by NMR spectroscopy. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations have been used to assign the electronic transitions of the copper(II) bis(thiosemicarbazonato) chromophore. Two copper-64-radiolabeled complexes, including one glucose conjugate, have been prepared and characterized using radio-HPLC, and transmetalation is shown to be a viable method for radiolabeling compounds with copper radionuclides. Preliminary cell washout studies have been performed under normoxic conditions, and the uptake and intracellular distribution have been studied using confocal fluorescence microscopy.     

STUDY OF THE MECHANISM OF 12C（d,d）12C AND 12C（d,p）13C* REACTIONS

A formalism for studying the interference between the direct reaction and the compound resonance processes is presented by the S-matrix theory; The mechanism of ¹²C（d, d） ¹²C, ¹²C（d, p₁） ¹³C* and ¹²C（d, p₂） ¹³C* reactions in the energy range E_d=1.63 MeV to 2.05 MeV is analysed.Te results show that: the interference between these two processes exists; and the quantitative relation between them is given. While the parameters of direct reactions and compound resonance processes, particularly for four resonance states with E_d=1.726, 1.767, 1.792 and 1.86 MeV are determined.     

Novel use of an isotope separator to determine the position of fluorine-18 in labelled 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethanes

A novel technique is described for measuring the site selectivity of methods for labelling the major CFC-alternative, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFA 134a), with fluorine-18 (t_1/2 = 109.7 min). The carbon–carbon bond in radiofluorinated HFA 134a is broken in the ion source of an isotope separator. Radioactivity associated with the ion beam of the [CF₂ ¹⁸F]^+. fragment (m/z = 68) is collected, measured and divided by the integrated mass of the simultaneously collected ion beam for the [CF₃]^+. fragment (m/z = 69) to give the ‘specific radioactivity’ (in nCi nmol^–1) of the radiolabel in the 1-position. Similarly, the ‘specific radioactivity’ of the radiolabel in the 2-position is calculated from the measured radioactivity of the ion beam from the [CH₂ ¹⁸F]^+. fragment (m/z = 32) and the integrated mass of the simultaneously collected ion beam from the [CH₂F]^+. fragment (m/z = 33). The selectivity of the labelling procedure for a particular position is then given by the decay-corrected ratio of specific radioactivity at that position to the sum of specific radioactivities. The labelling of HFA 134a by the reaction of [¹⁸F] fluoride with trifluoroethylene was found to have 97% selectivity for the CF₃ group, whereas labelling by the reaction of [¹⁸F] fluoride with 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl p-toluenesulphonate was found to have 91% selectivity for the CH₂F group. This information is of value for tracer studies of the fate of HFA 134a in man following its inhalation as a drug propellant. The described technique is of potentially wider value for determining the position of fluorine-18 in labelled polyfluorinated molecules.     

Combining rule for interaction energies of the (CO)2, (N2)2 and CO-N2 complexes

The relationship between interaction energies of the most stable structures of the (CO)₂, (N₂)₂ and CO-N₂ complexes is investigated using the supermolecule CCSD(T) and MP4 methods and aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D,T,Q) basis sets extended by a set of midbond functions centred in the middle of the intermolecular bond. A simple combining rule for interaction energies of this triad of clusters is proposed.