Iridium(III) Complex-Based Activatable Probe for Phosphorescent/Time-Gated Luminescent Sensing and Imaging of Cysteine in Mitochondria of Live Cells and Animals |
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Authors: | Zhongbo Du Dr Run Zhang Dr Bo Song Dr Wenzhu Zhang Dr Yong-Lei Wang Jianping Liu Chaolong Liu Prof Zhi Ping Xu Prof Jingli Yuan |
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Institution: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024 P.R. China;2. Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072 Australia;3. Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305 USA |
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Abstract: | This study reports an activatable iridium(III) complex probe for phosphorescence/time-gated luminescence detection of cysteine (Cys) in vitro and in vivo. The probe, Ir(ppy)2(NTY-bpy)](PF6) ppy: 2-phenylpyridine; NTY-bpy: 4-methyl-4′-(2-nitrovinyl)-2,2′-bipyridine], is developed by incorporating a strong electron-withdrawing group, nitroolefin, into a bipyridine ligand of the IrIII complex. The luminescence of the probe is quenched owing to the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process, but switched on by a specific recognition reaction between the probe and Cys. Ir(ppy)2(NTY-bpy)](PF6) shows high sensitivity and selectivity for Cys detection and good biocompatibility. The long-lived emission of Ir(ppy)2(NTY-bpy)](PF6) allows time-gated luminescence analysis of Cys in cells and human sera. These properties make it convenient for the phosphorescence and time-gated luminescence imaging and flow cytometry analysis of Cys in live samples. The Cys images in cancer cells and inflamed macrophage cells reveal that Ir(ppy)2(NTY-bpy)](PF6) is distributed in mitochondria after cellular internalization. Visualizations and flow cytometry analysis of mitochondrial Cys levels and Cys-mediated redox activities of live cells are achieved. By using Ir(ppy)2(NTY-bpy)](PF6) as a probe, in vivo sensing and imaging of Cys in D. magna, zebrafish, and mice are then demonstrated. |
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Keywords: | cysteine iridium phosphorescence sensing and imaging time-gated luminescence |
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