Jingnan Cui

Zn2+-Triggered Amide Tautomerization Produces a Highly Zn2+-Selective, Cell-Permeable, and Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor

It is still a significant challenge to develop a Zn(2+)-selective fluorescent sensor with the ability to exclude the interference of some heavy and transition metal (HTM) ions such as Fe(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Cd(2+), and Hg(2+). Herein, we report a novel amide-containing receptor for Zn(2+), combined with a naphthalimide fluorophore, termed ZTRS. The fluorescence, absorption detection, NMR, and IR studies indicated that ZTRS bound Zn(2+) in an imidic acid tautomeric form of the amide/di-2-picolylamine receptor in aqueous solution, while most other HTM ions were bound to the sensor in an amide tautomeric form. Due to this differential binding mode, ZTRS showed excellent selectivity for Zn(2+) over most competitive HTM ions with an enhanced fluorescence (22-fold) as well as a red-shift in emission from 483 to 514 nm. Interestingly, the ZTRS/Cd(2+) complex showed an enhanced (21-fold) blue-shift in emission from 483 to 446 nm. Therefore, ZTRS discriminated in vitro and in vivo Zn(2+) and Cd(2+) with green and blue fluorescence, respectively. Due to the stronger affinity, Zn(2+) could be ratiometrically detected in vitro and in vivo with a large emission wavelength shift from 446 to 514 nm via a Cd(2+) displacement approach. ZTRS was also successfully used to image intracellular Zn(2+) ions in the presence of iron ions. Finally, we applied ZTRS to detect zinc ions during the development of living zebrafish embryos.

A Lysosome-Targetable Fluorescent Probe for Imaging Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells

In this work, a 1,8-naphthalimide-derived fluorescent probe for H2S based on the thiolysis of dinitrophenyl ether is reported. This probe exhibits turn-on fluorescence detection of H2S in bovine serum and lysosome-targetable fluorescent imaging of H2S with excellent selectivity.

A Highly Selective Ratiometric Two-Photon Fluorescent Probe for Human Cytochrome P450 1A

Cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), one of the most important phase I drug-metabolizing enzymes in humans, plays a crucial role in the metabolic activation of procarcinogenic compounds to their ultimate carcinogens. Herein, we reported the development of a ratiometric two-photon fluorescent probe NCMN that allowed for selective and sensitive detection of CYP1A for the first time. The probe was designed on the basis of substrate preference of CYP1A and its high capacity for O-dealkylation, while 1,8-naphthalimide was selected as fluorophore because of its two-photon absorption properties. To achieve a highly selective probe for CYP1A, a series of 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives were synthesized and used to explore the potential structure-selectivity relationship, by using a panel of human CYP isoforms for selectivity screening. After screening and optimization, NCMN displayed the best combination of selectivity, sensitivity and ratiometric fluorescence response following CYP1A-catalyzed O-demetylation. Furthermore, the probe can be used to real-time monitor the enzyme activity of CYP1A in complex biological systems, and it has the potential for rapid screening of CYP1A modulators using tissue preparation as enzyme sources. NCMN has also been successfully used for two-photon imaging of intracellular CYP1A in living cells and tissues, and showed high ratiometric imaging resolution and deep-tissue imaging depth. In summary, a two-photon excited ratiometric fluorescent probe NCMN has been developed and well-characterized for sensitive and selective detection of CYP1A, which holds great promise for bioimaging of endogenous CYP1A in living cells and for further investigation on CYP1A associated biological functions in complex biological systems.

Quantitatively Mapping Cellular Viscosity with Detailed Organelle Information via a Designed PET Fluorescent Probe

Viscosity is a fundamental physical parameter that influences diffusion in biological processes. The distribution of intracellular viscosity is highly heterogeneous, and it is challenging to obtain a full map of cellular viscosity with detailed organelle information. In this work, we report 1 as the first fluorescent viscosity probe which is able to quantitatively map cellular viscosity with detailed organelle information based on the PET mechanism. This probe exhibited a significant ratiometric fluorescence intensity enhancement as solvent viscosity increases. The emission intensity increase was attributed to combined effects of the inhibition of PET due to restricted conformational access (favorable for FRET, but not for PET), and the decreased PET efficiency caused by viscosity-dependent twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT). A full map of subcellular viscosity was successfully constructed via fluorescent ratiometric detection and fluorescence lifetime imaging; it was found that lysosomal regions in a cell possess the highest viscosity, followed by mitochondrial regions.

A highly selective fluorescent ESIPT probe for the detection of Human carboxylesterase 2 and its biological applications

A new ratiometric florescence probe derived from 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) has been developed for selective and sensitive detection of human carboxylesterase 2 (CE2). The probe is designed by modulating the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emission of 3-HF via introducing of 4-ethylbenzoyloxy group. Under physiological conditions, probe 1 displays satisfying stability with very low background signal, but it can be selectively hydrolyzed by CE2 to release free 3-HF which brings remarkable changes in fluorescence spectrum. Both reaction phenotyping and chemical inhibition assays demonstrate that probe 1 is highly selective for CE2 over other human hydrolases including carboxylesterase 1, cholinesterases and paraoxonases. Probe 1 has been applied successfully to measure the real activities of CE2 in human biological samples, as well as to screen CE2 inhibitors by using tissue preparations as the enzymes sources. Additionally, probe 1 is cell membrane permeable and can be used for cellular imaging of endogenous CE2 in living cells. All of these features make it possible to serve as a promising tool for exploring the individual differences in biological function of CE2, as well as for rapid screening of selective and potent inhibitors of CE2 for further clinical use.

A turn-on fluorescent probe for imaging lysosomal hydrogen sulfide in living cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endothelial gasotransmitter which has been extensively studied recently in various physiological processes. H2S can induce lysosomal membrane destabilization leading to an autophagic event of precipitation apoptosis coupled with calpain activation, thus ensuring cellular demise. In this study, we developed a lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe for the recognition of H2S with considerable fluorescence enhancement. Through introducing a lysosome-targetable group 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine into the H2S probe N-imide termus of 4-azide-1,8-naphthalimide, the new compound Lyso-AFP can recognize H2S in lysosomes. This probe emerges as a more biocompatible analysis tool with low poison by-product than reported H2S fluorescent probes.

A highly selective ratiometric fluorescent probe for in vitro monitoring and cellular imaging of human carboxylesterase 1

A new ratiometric fluorescent probe derived from 2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) benzothiazole (HMBT) has been developed for selective monitoring of human carboxylesterase 1 (hCE1). The probe is designed by introducing benzoyl moiety to HMBT. The prepared latent spectroscopic probe 1 displays satisfying stability under physiological pH conditions with very low background signal. Both the reaction phynotyping and chemical inhibition assays demonstrated that hCE1 mediated the specific cleavage of the carboxylic ester bond of probe 1 in human biological samples. The release of HMBT leads to a remarkable red-shifted emission in fluorescence spectrum (120 nm large emission shift). Furthermore, human cell-based assays show that probe 1 is cell membrane permeable, and it can be used for bioassay and cellular imaging of hCE1 activity in HepG2 cells. These findings lead to the development of a simple and sensitive fluorescent method for measurement of hCE1 activity in vitro or in living cells, in the presence of additional enzymes or endogenous compounds.

Synthesis of new amonafide analogues via coupling reaction and their cytotoxic evaluation and DNA-binding studies

A series of 5-alkylamino substituted amonafide analogues were synthesized from naphthalic anhydride by three steps including bromization, amination and CuI/proline catalyzed coupling reaction. The CuI/L-proline catalyzed coupling reaction was first applied to the naphthalimide system. These new amonafide analogues showed potential anticancer activities against HeLa and P388D1 cell lines in vitro, and 4a, 4b, and 4h exhibited better activity than amonafide against HeLa cell under the same experimental conditions. More importantly, the new analogues could avoid the side effect of amonafide due to their structure, in which lacks a primary amine at the 5 position. Moreover, the DNA-binding of the analogues was also investigated.

A highly selective near-infrared fluorescent probe for carboxylesterase 2 and its bioimaging applications in living cells and animals.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe (DDAB) for highly selective and sensitive detection of carboxylesterase 2 (CE2) has been designed, synthesized, and systematically studied both in vitro and in vivo. Upon addition of CE2, the ester bond of DDAB could be rapidly cleaved and then release a near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore DDAO, which brings a remarkable yellow-to-blue color change and strong NIR fluorescence emission in physiological solutions. The newly developed probe exhibits excellent properties including good specificity, ultrahigh sensitivity and high imaging resolution. Moreover, DDAB has been applied to measure the real activities of CE2 in complex biological samples, as well as to screen CE2 inhibitors by using tissue preparations as the enzymes sources. The probe has also been successfully used to detect endogenous CE2 in living cells and in vivo for the first time, and the results demonstrate that such detection is highly reliable. All these prominent features of DDAB make it holds great promise for further investigation on CE2-associated biological process and for exploring the physiological functions of CE2 in living systems.

A Two-Photon Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Imaging Carboxylesterase 2 in Living Cells and Tissues

In this study, a two-photon ratiometric fluorescent probe NCEN has been designed and developed for highly selective and sensitive sensing of human carboxylesterase 2 (hCE2) based on the catalytic properties and substrate preference of hCE2. Upon addition of hCE2, the probe could be readily hydrolyzed to release 4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide (NAH), which brings remarkable red-shift in fluorescence (90 nm) spectrum. The newly developed probe exhibits good specificity, ultrahigh sensitivity, and has been successfully applied to determine the real activities of hCE2 in complex biological samples such as cell and tissue preparations. NCEN has also been used for two-photon imaging of intracellular hCE2 in living cells as well as in deep-tissues for the first time, and the results showed that the probe exhibited high ratiometric imaging resolution and deep-tissue imaging depth. All these findings suggested that this probe holds great promise for applications in bioimaging of endogenous hCE2 in living cells and in exploring the biological functions of hCE2 in complex biological systems.