Fluorogenic probes for disease-relevant enzymes.

Traditional biochemical methods for enzyme detection are mainly based on antibody-based immunoassays, which lack the ability to monitor the spatiotemporal distribution and, in particular, the in situ activity of enzymes in live cells and in vivo. In this review, we comprehensively summarize recent progress that has been made in the development of small-molecule as well as material-based fluorogenic probes for sensitive detection of the activities of enzymes that are related to a number of human diseases. The principles utilized to design these probes as well as their applications are reviewed. Specific attention is given to fluorogenic probes that have been developed for analysis of the activities of enzymes including oxidases and reductases, those that act on biomacromolecules including DNAs, proteins/peptides/amino acids, carbohydrates and lipids, and those that are responsible for translational modifications. We envision that this review will serve as an ideal reference for practitioners as well as beginners in relevant research fields.

Mitochondria-targeting ratiometric fluorescent probe for γ-glutamyltranspeptidase and its application to colon cancer.

A mitochondria-targeting ratiometric probe was designed for γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (γGT). Mechanistic study by HPLC and an inhibitor assay showed that the probe underwent γGT-mediated amide-to-amine transformation and induced a ratiometric fluorescence response in cellular mitochondria. Further application was successful for the detection of cancerous colons in mice.

Mitochondria-Targeting Chromogenic and Fluorescence Turn-On Probe for the Selective Detection of Cysteine by Caged Oxazolidinoindocyanine.

We report a chromogenic and fluorescence turn-on probe based on crotonoyl ester-functionalized oxazolidinoindole for the selective detection of cysteine in neutral buffer. The probe rapidly formed indocyanophenolate through the Michael addition and a subsequent cyclization reaction of cysteine, inducing both a dramatic bathochromic shift (>130 nm) and a large fluorescence turn-on response (F/F0 12) in the UV-vis and fluorescence spectra and affording a micromolar limit of detection (LOD = 5.0 µM) of cysteine in HEPES buffer. When cysteine was added, the probe exhibited a dual optical change with strong green fluorescence and dramatic red color by the oxazolidinoindole-to-hydroxyethylindolium transformation. Further cellular application of the probe was successfully performed for the mitochondrial imaging of HeLa cells.

A coumarin-based fluorescent probe as a central nervous system disease biomarker.

Homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are important biomarkers for diseases associated with an impaired central nervous system (CNS). A new chemoassay utilizing coumarin-based fluorescent probe 1 to detect the levels of homocysteine is successfully implemented using Parkinson's disease (PD) patients' blood serum. In addition, a rapid identification of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid levels in blood serum of PD patients was also performed using the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The results obtained from both analyses were in agreement. The new chemoassay utilizing coumarin-based fluorescent probe 1 offers a cost- and time-effective method to identify the biomarkers in CNS patients.

Tunable heptamethine-azo dye conjugate as an NIR fluorescent probe for the selective detection of mitochondrial glutathione over cysteine and homocysteine.

Although a lot of mitochondria-targeting biothiol probes have been developed and applied to cellular imaging through thiol-induced disulfide cleavage or Michael addition reactions, relatively few probes assess mitochondrial GSH with high selectivity over Cys and Hcy and with NIR fluorescence capable of noninvasive imaging in biological samples. In order to monitor mitochondrial GSH with low background autofluorescence, we designed a heptamethine-azo conjugate as an NIR fluorescent probe by introducing a tunable lipophilic cation unit as the biomarker for mitochondria and a nitroazo group as the GSH-selective reaction site as well as the fluorescence quencher. The probe exhibited a dramatic off-on NIR fluorescence response toward GSH with high selectivity over other amino acids including Cys and Hcy. Further application to cellular imaging indicated that the probe was highly responsive to the changes of mitochondrial GSH in cells.

Fluorescein aldehyde with disulfide functionality as a fluorescence turn-on probe for cysteine and homocysteine in HEPES buffer.

We developed a fluorescein aldehyde probe with disulfide functionality for the fluorescence detection of biologically important thiols. The probe displayed highly selective responses to cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy) over glutathione (GSH) due to the rapid ring formation reaction of Cys and Hcy with the aldehyde group of the probe and the concomitant cleavage of the disulfide group followed by subsequent intramolecular cyclization. The fluorescent probe also exhibited a highly sensitive fluorescence turn-on response to Hcy with a detection limit of 2.4 µM Hcy in HEPES buffer.

Ratiometric fluorescence imaging of cellular glutathione.

A fluorescent probe (1) with a hydrogen bond was designed for the detection of GSH. The probe exhibited a rapid and ratiometric fluorescence response to GSH through a Michael reaction and allowed us to obtain clear cellular images for GSH.

Coumarin-malonitrile conjugate as a fluorescence turn-on probe for biothiols and its cellular expression.

A nonfluorescent coumarin-malonitrile conjugate (1) was transformed into a strongly fluorescent molecule through the Michael addition of a thiol group to the α,ß-unsaturated malonitrile of 1. The molecular probe has exhibited a highly selective fluorescence response toward biothiols (Cys, Hcy, GSH) with micromolar sensitivity both in vitro and in vivo.

Highly activated Michael acceptor by an intramolecular hydrogen bond as a fluorescence turn-on probe for cyanide.

An activated Michael acceptor type of probe by an intramolecular hydrogen bond has shown a selective fluorescence turn-on response to cyanide through a conjugated addition of the nucleophilic anion to the enone probe with a 1300-fold increase in its fluorescence intensity.

A rationally designed fluorescence turn-on probe for the gold(III) ion.

A latent fluorophore (1) was rationally designed to give rise to strong fluorescence through a selective gold ion-mediated hydroarylation reaction by a catalytic amount of the gold(III) ion. It is a highly selective and sensitive fluorescence turn-on probe for gold(III) ions and is operative even in protic solvents.

Fluorescence turn-on sensor for cyanide based on a cobalt(II)-coumarinylsalen complex.

A Co(II)-salen based fluorescent sensor (1.Co) that can selectively recognize cyanide anions in 1:2 binding stoichiometry over other anions has been developed. 1.Co displayed fluorescence enhancement upon the addition of cyanide owing to the interruption of photoinduced electron transfer from the coumarin fluorophore to the cobalt(II) ion. A general regression method was developed to calculate the binding constants in the 1:2 binding system, through which the 1:2 binding between 1.Co and cyanide anions was estimated to be in the range of micromolar dissociation constants.

Highly selective fluorescent probe for Au3+ based on cyclization of propargylamide.

The first "Off-On" type fluorescent probe for Au3+ is reported, in which rhodamine-alkyne derivative displayed highly selective fluorescence enhancement and "naked-eye" detection upon the addition of Au3+ at pH 7.4.

Electronic effect on the kinetics of the diaza-cope rearrangement.

Hammett plot reveals that there is a significant electronic effect on the rate of resonance assisted hydrogen bond (RAHB) directed diaza-Cope rearrangement reaction with a rho value of 1.6. DFT computation shows that the rearrangement reaction becomes thermodynamically more favorable for the substrates with electron withdrawing substituents. A substrate with the nitro substituent (1a) reacts about 50-fold faster than that with the methoxy substituent (1g).

Fluorescence turn-on probe for homocysteine and cysteine in water.

A simple fluorescent probe based on an ortho-hydroxy aldehyde-functionalized coumarin showed selective responses to homocysteine and cysteine by fluorescence turn-on.

Tight binding and fluorescent sensing of oxalate in water.

A dinuclear copper complex that binds tightly and selectively to oxalate over other dicarboxylates like malonate, succinate, and glutarate has been developed. This receptor can be used for fluorescent detection of oxalate in water at physicological pH by chemosensing ensemble approach. Crystal structure of oxalate bound to the receptor together with molecular mechanics and DFT computations provide insights into the tight and selective binding of the anion by the receptor.

Fluorescent chemodosimeter for selective detection of cyanide in water.

A coumarin-based fluorescent chemodosimeter with a salicylaldehyde functionality as a binding site has been developed for selective detection of cyanide anions over other anions in water at biological pH.

A cobalt(III)-salen complex with an axial substituent in the diamine backbone: stereoselective recognition of amino alcohols.

A cobalt(III)-salen complex (3) with an axial substituent on the diamine backbone has been synthesized. Crystal structure reveals that the axial substituent (p-nitrophenyl group) is positioned in close proximity to the metal binding site. The stereoselectivity of the cobalt complex for binding amino alcohols increases with increasing steric bulk of the amino alcohol from alaninol (2.9) to valinol (6.2) and t-leucinol (36.0).

Preorganization in highly enantioselective diaza-Cope rearrangement reaction.

Crystal structure and activation entropy data indicate that H-bond directed diaza-Cope rearrangement of chiral diimines takes place with a high degree of preorganization. CD spectroscopy and HPLC data show that there is inversion of stereochemistry for the reaction with excellent enantioselectivity.

Enantioselective recognition of 1,2-amino alcohols by reversible formation of imines with resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds.

A chiral aldehyde with three H-bond donating groups (2) has been synthesized. This aldehyde binds a variety of chiral 1,2-amino alcohols in benzene with the same sense of stereoselectivity. Computational and experimental data indicate that one imine bond, one resonance-assisted H-bond to the imine nitrogen, and two H-bonds to the alcoholic oxygen all play an important role in the stereoselective recognition. [structure: see text]