Yuya Egawa

Colorimetric Sugar Sensing Using Boronic Acid-Substituted Azobenzenes

In association with increasing diabetes prevalence, it is desirable to develop new glucose sensing systems with low cost, ease of use, high stability and good portability. Boronic acid is one of the potential candidates for a future alternative to enzyme-based glucose sensors. Boronic acid derivatives have been widely used for the sugar recognition motif, because boronic acids bind adjacent diols to form cyclic boronate esters. In order to develop colorimetric sugar sensors, boronic acid-conjugated azobenzenes have been synthesized. There are several types of boronic acid azobenzenes, and their characteristics tend to rely on the substitute position of the boronic acid moiety. For example, o-substitution of boronic acid to the azo group gives the advantage of a significant color change upon sugar addition. Nitrogen-15 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies clearly show a signaling mechanism based on the formation and cleavage of the B–N dative bond between boronic acid and azo moieties in the dye. Some boronic acid-substituted azobenzenes were attached to a polymer or utilized for supramolecular chemistry to produce glucose-selective binding, in which two boronic acid moieties cooperatively bind one glucose molecule. In addition, boronic acid-substituted azobenzenes have been applied not only for glucose monitoring, but also for the sensing of glycated hemoglobin and dopamine.

Multilayer films composed of phenylboronic acid-modified dendrimers sensitive to glucose under physiological conditions

Layer-by-layer (LbL) multilayer films were prepared using phenylboronic acid-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimers and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in order to investigate the glucose sensitivity of the films. We used dendrimer derivatives modified with 3-carboxyphenylboronic acid (3CPBA-D) and 3-carboxy-5-nitrophenylboronic acid (3C5NPBA-D) to evaluate the effect of electron-withdrawing nitro groups on glucose sensitivity. PVA/3CPBA-D and PVA/3C5NPBA-D films were prepared on the surface of a quartz slide from PVA and 3CPBA-D or 3C5NPBA-D solutions at pH 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 through boronate ester bonds. The dendrimer-based LbL films were stable at pH 7.0-9.0, whereas they decomposed in acidic media because of the instability of the boronate ester linkages. The pH threshold of decomposition was at pH 6.0-7.0 for both films. The PVA/3C5NPBA-D film was more stable than the PVA/3CPBA-D film in this range. Both films decomposed in response to glucose under physiological conditions (pH 7.4 buffer solution containing 150 mM NaCl at 37 °C), and the decomposition depended on the glucose concentration. The PVA/3C5NPBA-D film was more sensitive to glucose than the PVA/3CPBA-D film, probably due to the higher binding affinity of 3C5NPBA-D to glucose under physiological conditions. The higher response of the PVA/3C5NPBA-D film was explained by the electron-withdrawing effect of the nitro substituent on the phenylboronic acid ring. The results suggest that dendrimer-based LbL films could be used for glucose-triggered release systems.

Construction of positively-charged layered assemblies assisted by cyclodextrin complexation

A beta-cyclodextrin dimer is found to be effective in preparing a layer-by-layer architecture of positively charged ferrocene-appended poly(allylamine) presumably on the basis of strong beta-cyclodextrin-ferrocene host-guest interaction.

Fluorometric determination of heparin based on self-quenching of fluorescein-labeled protamine.

A new signaling technique for a fluorometric heparin assay has been developed using the self-quenching of fluoresceinisothiocyanate-labeled protamine (F-protamine). The binding between F-protamine and heparin led to a significant fluorescence quenching due to enhancing the proximity of the F-protamine molecules. The fluorescence of F-protamine (5.9 microg/mL) decreased to 13% in the presence of 2.0 microg/mL heparin. An advantage of this self-quenching system is that the detection can be carried out without using other indicators. With the present system, we could monitor the therapeutic level of heparin in bovine plasma, and the response was quick. These properties of the self-quenching system are suitable for practical use.

Total syntheses of three natural products, vignafuran, 2-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)-6-methoxybenzofuran-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester, and coumestrol from a common starting material

Vignafuran 2, 2-(4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)-6-methoxybenzofuran-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester 3, and coumestrol 4 were efficiently synthesized from the same starting material, 4-bromoresorcinol 14a, through the common intermediate, diarylacetylene 7. The key steps of these syntheses were the tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF)-catalyzed benzo[b]furan ring formation for 2 and the carbonylative ring closure methodology catalyzed by a Pd complex for 3 and 4.

Development of a membrane impregnated with a poly(dimethylsiloxane)/poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer for a high-throughput screening of the permeability of drugs, cosmetics, and other chemicals across the human skin.

We aimed to develop a high-throughput screening (HTS) system for preliminary predictions of human skin permeability by using an artificial membrane that can mimic the permeation behaviour of lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds across the human skin. In this study, we synthesized a copolymer containing poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) 6000 and impregnated it onto a supportive membrane filter to prepare a PDMS/PEG 6000 copolymer-impregnated membrane. In addition, we synthesized another polymer without PEG units and used it to prepare an impregnated membrane for determining the role of PEG 6000 units in the PDMS/PEG 6000 copolymer-impregnated membrane. The permeation characteristics of the impregnated membranes were evaluated on the basis of the permeability coefficients of 12 model compounds with different lipophilicities, by using a 2-chamber diffusion cell, and these permeability coefficients were compared with those across the human skin. We obtained a good correlation between the permeability coefficients across the PDMS/PEG 6000 copolymer-impregnated membrane and human skin. Further, we evaluated the permeation characteristics of a 96-well plate model of the PDMS/PEG 6000 copolymer by using 6 model compounds. We obtained an ideal correlation between the permeability coefficients across the PDMS/PEG 6000 copolymer using a 96-well plate and those across the human skin. Thus, the PDMS/PEG 6000 copolymer would be a good candidate for preliminary evaluation of the permeability of lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds across the human skin.

A red fluorophore comprising a borinate-containing xanthene analogue as a polyol sensor

A xanthene derivative containing a borinate moiety emitted red fluorescence with a high quantum yield. The interaction between the borinate and a sugar molecule induced a fluorescence change based on the change in the HOMO-LUMO gap. The response was pH-resistant in a wide range. In addition, catechol quenched through photoinduced electron transfer. The red fluorescence and polyol binding ability of dyes will pave the way for new biological applications of chemical sensors.

Sugar-Responsive Pseudopolyrotaxane Composed of Phenylboronic Acid-Modified Polyethylene Glycol and γ-Cyclodextrin

We have designed a sugar-responsive pseudopolyrotaxane (PPRX) by combining phenylboronic acid-modified polyethylene glycol (PBA–PEG) and γ-cyclodextrin. Phenylboronic acid (PBA) was used as a sugar-recognition motif in the PPRX because PBA reacts with a diol portion of the sugar molecule and forms a cyclic ester. When D-fructose or D-glucose was added to a suspension of PPRX, PPRX disintegrated, depending on the concentration of the sugars. Interestingly, catechol does not show a response although catechol has a high affinity for PBA. We analyzed the response mechanism of PPRX by considering equilibria.

Sugar-responsive pseudopolyrotaxanes and their application in sugar-induced release of PEGylated insulin

We have designed a pseudopolyrotaxane (PPRX), known as a molecular necklace, consisting of phenylboronic acid-modified γ-cyclodextrin (PBA-γ-CyD) and naphthalene-modified polyethylene glycol (Naph-PEG) for developing sugar-responsive insulin delivery systems. Interestingly, structural analyses show that the Naph-PEG/PBA-γ-CyD PPRX obtained by our method was single stranded, whereas ordinary PPRXs using parent γ-CyD were double stranded. The Naph-PEG/PBA-γ-CyD PPRX was poorly water soluble at pH 7.4; however, sugar addition induced disintegration of the PPRX, and the components were dissolved, suggesting that the PBA moiety acts as a sugar sensor. We also have developed a PPRX consisting of Naph-PEG-appended insulin (Naph-PEG-Ins) and PBA-γ-CyD and have confirmed that the release rate of Naph-PEG-Ins was accelerated following sugar addition.Graphical abstract

Fluorometric determination of inulin using 5-quinolineboronic acid and inulinase.

Inulin is a polysaccharide composed mainly of D-fructose units and is the most reliable indicator of the glomerular filtration rate. We have proposed an inulin detection method that involves the hydrolysis of inulin to D-fructose using inulinase and the selective binding of D-fructose from inulin using 5-quinolineboronic acid. In this method, the fluorescence of 5-quinolineboronic acid increases, depending on inulin concentration. For inulin in plasma, the detection and quantitation limits were calculated to be 3.7 and 11 μg/ml, respectively.