Preclinical evaluation of AGTR1-Targeting molecular probe for colorectal cancer imaging in orthotopic and liver metastasis mouse models.

Despite advancements in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, the prognosis remains unfavorable for patients with distant liver metastasis. Fluorescence molecular imaging with specific probes is increasingly used to guide CRC surgical resection in real-time and treatment planning. Here, we demonstrate the targeted imaging capacity of an MPA-PEG4-N3-Ang II probe labeled with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye targeting the angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AGTR1) that is significantly upregulated in CRC. MPA-PEG4-N3-Ang II was highly selective and specific to in vitro tumor cells and in vivo tumors in a mouse CRC xenograft model. The favorable ex vivo imaging and in vivo biodistribution of MPA-PEG4-N3-Ang II afforded tumor-specific accumulation with low background and >10 contrast tumor-to-colorectal values in multiple subcutaneous CRC models at 8 h following injection. Biodistribution analysis confirmed the probe's high uptake in HT29 and HCT116 orthotopic and liver metastatic models of CRC with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of tumor-to-colorectal and -liver fluorescence of 5.8 ± 0.6, 5.3 ± 0.7, and 2.7 ± 0.5, 2.6 ± 0.5, respectively, enabling high-contrast intraoperative tumor visualization for surgical navigation. Given its rapid tumor targeting, precise tumor boundary delineation, durable tumor retention and docking study, MPA-PEG4-N3-Ang II is a promising high-contrast imaging agent for the clinical detection of CRC.

Visualize intracellular ß-galactosidase using an asymmetric near-infrared fluorescent probe with a large Stokes shift.

ß-galactosidase (ß-Gal) is an important biomarker of cell senescence and primary ovarian cancer. Therefore, it is of great significance to construct a near-infrared fluorescent probe with deep tissue penetration and a high signal-to-noise ratio for visualization of ß-galactosidase in biological systems. However, most near-infrared probes tend to have small Stokes shifts and low signal-to-noise ratios due to crosstalk between excitation and emission spectra. Using d-galactose residues as specific recognition units and near-infrared dye TJ730 as fluorophores, a near-infrared fluorescence probe SN-CR with asymmetric structure was developed for the detection of ß-Gal. The probe has a fast reaction equilibrium time (<12 min) with ß-Gal, excellent biocompatibility, near-infrared emission (738 nm), low detection limit (0.0029 U/mL), and no crosstalk between the excitation spectrum and emission spectrum (Stokes shifts 142 nm) of the probe. Cell imaging studies have shown that SN-CR can visually trace ß-Gal in different cells and distinguish ovarian cancer cells from other cells.

Synthesis of broad-specificity activity-based probes for exo-ß-mannosidases.

Exo-ß-mannosidases are a broad class of stereochemically retaining hydrolases that are essential for the breakdown of complex carbohydrate substrates found in all kingdoms of life. Yet the detection of exo-ß-mannosidases in complex biological samples remains challenging, necessitating the development of new methodologies. Cyclophellitol and its analogues selectively label the catalytic nucleophiles of retaining glycoside hydrolases, making them valuable tool compounds. Furthermore, cyclophellitol can be readily redesigned to enable the incorporation of a detection tag, generating activity-based probes (ABPs) that can be used to detect and identify specific glycosidases in complex biological samples. Towards the development of ABPs for exo-ß-mannosidases, we present a concise synthesis of ß-manno-configured cyclophellitol, cyclophellitol aziridine, and N-alkyl cyclophellitol aziridines. We show that these probes covalently label exo-ß-mannosidases from GH families 2, 5, and 164. Structural studies of the resulting complexes support a canonical mechanism-based mode of action in which the active site nucleophile attacks the pseudoanomeric centre to form a stable ester linkage, mimicking the glycosyl enzyme intermediate. Furthermore, we demonstrate activity-based protein profiling using an N-alkyl aziridine derivative by specifically labelling MANBA in mouse kidney tissue. Together, these results show that synthetic manno-configured cyclophellitol analogues hold promise for detecting exo-ß-mannosidases in biological and biomedical research.

Clickable, selective, and cell-permeable activity-based probe of human cathepsin B - Minimalistic approach for enhanced selectivity.

Human cathepsin B is a cysteine-dependent protease whose roles in both normal and diseased cellular states remain yet to be fully delineated. This is primarily due to overlapping substrate specificities and lack of unambiguously annotated physiological functions. In this work, a selective, cell-permeable, clickable and tagless small molecule cathepsin B probe, KDA-1, is developed and kinetically characterized. KDA-1 selectively targets active site Cys25 residue of cathepsin B for labeling and can detect active cellular cathepsin B in proteomes derived from live human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and HEK293 cells. It is anticipated that KDA-1 probe will find suitable applications in functional proteomics involving human cathepsin B enzyme.

Protected N-Acetyl Muramic Acid Probes Improve Bacterial Peptidoglycan Incorporation via Metabolic Labeling.

Metabolic glycan probes have emerged as an excellent tool to investigate vital questions in biology. Recently, methodology to incorporate metabolic bacterial glycan probes into the cell wall of a variety of bacterial species has been developed. In order to improve this method, a scalable synthesis of the peptidoglycan precursors is developed here, allowing for access to essential peptidoglycan immunological fragments and cell wall building blocks. The question was asked if masking polar groups of the glycan probe would increase overall incorporation, a common strategy exploited in mammalian glycobiology. Here, we show, through cellular assays, that E. coli do not utilize peracetylated peptidoglycan substrates but do employ methyl esters. The 10-fold improvement of probe utilization indicates that (i) masking the carboxylic acid is favorable for transport and (ii) bacterial esterases are capable of removing the methyl ester for use in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. This investigation advances bacterial cell wall biology, offering a prescription on how to best deliver and utilize bacterial metabolic glycan probes.

Asialoglycoprotein receptor targeted optical and magnetic resonance imaging and therapy of liver fibrosis using pullulan stabilized multi-functional iron oxide nanoprobe.

Early diagnosis and therapy of liver fibrosis is of utmost importance, especially considering the increased incidence of alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver syndromes. In this work, a systematic study is reported to develop a dual function and biocompatible nanoprobe for liver specific diagnostic and therapeutic applications. A polysaccharide polymer, pullulan stabilized iron oxide nanoparticle (P-SPIONs) enabled high liver specificity via asialogycoprotein receptor mediation. Longitudinal and transverse magnetic relaxation rates of 2.15 and 146.91 mM-1 s-1 respectively and a size of 12 nm, confirmed the T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) efficacy of P-SPIONs. A current of 400A on 5 mg/ml of P-SPIONs raised the temperature above 50 °C, to facilitate effective hyperthermia. Finally, a NIR dye conjugation facilitated targeted dual imaging in liver fibrosis models, in vivo, with favourable histopathological results and recommends its use in early stage diagnosis using MRI and optical imaging, and subsequent therapy using hyperthermia.

Chemiluminescent probe for the detection of inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction between tetrazine and trans-Cyclooctene.

A chemiluminescent probe has been developed, consisting of phenoxy-dioxetane moiety covalently attached to trans-cyclooctene. The inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction with tetrazine produces a cycloaddition product which undergoes a series of spontaneous rearrangements resulting in emission of green light. The chemiluminescent probe can be applied to study bioconjugation chemistry with tetrazine-modified biomaterials, which have recently been shown to have great potential for anticancer drug delivery. This work describes in vitro studies, including NMR and spectroscopic investigation of chemiluminescence, which will pave way for future in vivo bioconjugation experiments.

Design of 99mTc-labeled zinc-chelating imaging probe for SPECT imaging of the pancreas.

Early and sensitive diagnosis of pancreatic diseases is a contemporary clinical challenge. Zinc level in pancreatic tissue and its secretion in pancreatic juice has long been considered a surrogate marker of pancreatic function. The objective of this study was to design a Zn-chelating imaging probe (ZCIP) which could be labeled with 99mTc radionuclide for imaging of pancreas using single photon emission tomography (SPECT). We synthesized ZCIP as a bifunctional chelate consisting of diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid for 99mTc-chelation at one end and bispicolylethylamine for Zn-complexation at the other end. ZCIP was labeled with 99mTc by standard Sn2+-based reduction method. The 99mTc-labeled ZCIP was studied in normal mice (0.3 mCi) for SPECT imaging. We found that ZCIP consistently labeled with 99mTc radionuclide with over 95% efficiency. Addition of ZCIP altered the spectrum of standard dithizone-Zn complex, indicating its ability to chelate Zn. SPECT data demonstrated the ability of 99mTc-ZCIP to image pancreas with high sensitivity in a non-invasive manner; liver and spleen were the other major organs of 99mTc-ZCIP uptake. Based on these results, we conclude that 99mTc-ZCIP presents as a novel radiotracer for pancreas imaging for diagnosis of diseases such as pancreatitis.

9-Cyanopyronin probe palette for super-multiplexed vibrational imaging.

Multiplexed optical imaging provides holistic visualization on a vast number of molecular targets, which has become increasingly essential for understanding complex biological processes and interactions. Vibrational microscopy has great potential owing to the sharp linewidth of vibrational spectra. In 2017, we demonstrated the coupling between electronic pre-resonant stimulated Raman scattering (epr-SRS) microscopy with a proposed library of 9-cyanopyronin-based dyes, named Manhattan Raman Scattering (MARS). Herein, we develop robust synthetic methodology to build MARS probes with different core atoms, expansion ring numbers, and stable isotope substitutions. We discover a predictive model to correlate their vibrational frequencies with structures, which guides rational design of MARS dyes with desirable Raman shifts. An expanded library of MARS probes with diverse functionalities is constructed. When coupled with epr-SRS microscopy, these MARS probes allow us to demonstrate not only many versatile labeling modalities but also increased multiplexing capacity. Hence, this work opens up next-generation vibrational imaging with greater utilities.

MMP-2-Activatable Photoacoustic Tumor Imaging Probes Based on Al- and Si-Naphthalocyanines.

Enzyme-activatable photoacoustic probes are powerful contrast agents to visualize diseases in which a specific enzyme is overexpressed. In this study, aluminum and silicon naphthalocyanines (AlNc and SiNc, respectively) conjugated with matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2)-responsive PLGLAG peptide sequence and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as an axial ligand were designed and synthesized. AlNc-peptide-PEG conjugates AlNc-pep-PEG formed dimeric species interacting with each other through face-to-face H-aggregation in water, while SiNc-based conjugates SiNc-pep-PEG hardly interacted with each other because of the two bulky hydrophilic axial ligands. Both conjugates formed spherical nanometer-sized self-assemblies in water, generating photoacoustic waves under near-infrared photoirradiation. The treatment of MNc-peptide-PEG conjugates (M = Al, Si) with MMP-2 smoothly induced the cleavage of the PLGLAG sequence to release the hydrophilic PEG moiety, resulting in the aggregation of MNcs. By comparing the PA signal intensity changes at 680 and 760 nm, the photoacoustic signal intensity ratios were shown to be enhanced by 3-5 times after incubation with MMP-2. We demonstrated that MNc-peptide-PEG conjugates (M = Al, Si) could work as activatable photoacoustic probes in the in vitro experiment of MMP-2-overexpressed cell line HT-1080 as well as the in vivo photoacoustic imaging of HT-1080-bearing mice.

Synthesis of L-[5-11 C]Leucine and L-α-[5-11 C]Methylleucine via Pd0 -mediated 11 C-Methylation and Microfluidic Hydrogenation: Potentiality of Leucine PET Probes for Tumor Imaging.

The efficient synthesis of L-[5-11 C]leucine and L-α-[5-11 C]methylleucine has been investigated using a continuous two-step sequence of rapid reactions consisting of Pd0 -mediated 11 C-methylation and microfluidic hydrogenation. The synthesis of L-[5-11 C]leucine and L-α-[5-11 C]methylleucine was accomplished within 40 min with a decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 15-38 % based on [11 C]CH3 I, radiochemical purity of 95-99 %, and chemical purity of 95-99 %. The Pd impurities in the injectable solution measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry met the international criteria for human use. Positron emission tomography scanning after an intravenous injection of L-[5-11 C]leucine or L-α-[5-11 C]methyl leucine in A431 tumor-bearing mice was performed. As a result, L-α-[5-11 C]methylleucine was found to be a potentially useful probe for visualizing the tumor. Tissue distribution analysis showed that the accumulation value of L-α-[5-11 C]methylleucine in tumor tissue was high [12±3% injected dose/g tissue (%ID/g)].

To View Your Biomolecule, Click inside the Cell.

The surging development of bioorthogonal chemistry has profoundly transformed chemical biology over the last two decades. Involving chemical partners that specifically react together in highly complex biological fluids, this branch of chemistry now allows researchers to probe biomolecules in their natural habitat through metabolic labelling technologies. Chemical reporter strategies include metabolic glycan labelling, site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids in proteins, and post-synthetic labelling of nucleic acids. While a majority of literature reports mark cell-surface exposed targets, implementing bioorthogonal ligations in the interior of cells constitutes a more challenging task. Owing to limiting factors such as membrane permeability of reagents, fluorescence background due to hydrophobic interactions and off-target covalent binding, and suboptimal balance between reactivity and stability of the designed molecular reporters and probes, these strategies need mindful planning to achieve success. In this review, we discuss the hurdles encountered when targeting biomolecules localized in cell organelles and give an easily accessible summary of the strategies at hand for imaging intracellular targets.

Development of Covalent, Clickable Probes for Adenosine A1 and A3 Receptors.

Adenosine receptors are attractive therapeutic targets for multiple conditions, including ischemia-reperfusion injury and neuropathic pain. Adenosine receptor drug discovery efforts would be facilitated by the development of appropriate tools to assist in target validation and direct receptor visualization in different native environments. We report the development of the first bifunctional (chemoreactive and clickable) ligands for the adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) and adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) based on an orthosteric antagonist xanthine-based scaffold and on an existing structure-activity relationship. Bifunctional ligands were functional antagonists with nanomolar affinity and irreversible binding at the A1R and A3R. In-depth pharmacological profiling of these bifunctional ligands showed moderate selectivity over A2A and A2B adenosine receptors. Once bound to the receptor, ligands were successfully "clicked" with a cyanine-5 fluorophore containing the complementary "click" partner, enabling receptor detection. These bifunctional ligands are expected to aid in the understanding of A1R and A3R localization and trafficking in native cells and living systems.

Protocol for synthesis and use of a turn-on fluorescent probe for quantifying labile Zn2+ in the Golgi apparatus in live cells.

Quantitative analysis using a turn-on fluorescent probe is inherently difficult due to the dependency of the fluorescence intensity on the probe concentration. To overcome this limitation, we developed an in situ quantification method using a turn-on fluorescent probe and a standard fluorophore, which are colocalized by protein tag technology. This protocol describes the synthesis of a Zn2+ probe, named ZnDA-1H, and the procedure to quantify the labile Zn2+ concentration in the Golgi of live HeLa cells by confocal fluorescence microscopy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kowada et al. (2020).

Ratiometric Fluorescence Assay for Nitroreductase Activity: Locked-Flavylium Fluorophore as a NTR-Sensitive Molecular Probe.

Nitroreductases belong to a member of flavin-containing enzymes that can reduce nitroaromatic compounds to amino derivatives with NADH as an electron donor. NTR activity is known to be elevated in the cancerous environment and is considered an advantageous target in therapeutic prodrugs for the treatment of cancer. Here, we developed a ratiometric fluorescent molecule for observing NTR activity in living cells. This can provide a selective and sensitive response to NTR with a distinct increase in fluorescence ratio (FI530/FI630) as well as color changes. We also found a significant increase in NTR activity in cervical cancer HeLa and lung cancer A549 cells compared to non-cancerous NIH3T3. We proposed that this new ratiometric fluorescent molecule could potentially be used as a NTR-sensitive molecular probe in the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment development related to NTR activity.

Development of a 1,2-difluorofucoside activity-based probe for profiling GH29 fucosidases.

GH29 α-l-fucosidases catalyze hydrolysis of terminal α-l-fucosyl linkages with varying specificity and are expressed by prominent members of the human gut microbiota. Both homeostasis and dysbiosis at the human intestinal microbiota interface have been correlated with altered fucosidase activity. Herein we describe the development of a 2-deoxy-2-fluoro fucosyl fluoride derivative with an azide mini-tag as an activity-based probe (ABP) for selective in vitro labelling of GH29 α-l-fucosidases. Only catalytically active fucosidases are inactivated by this ABP, allowing their functionalization with a biotin reporter group via the CuAAC reaction and subsequent in-gel detection at nanogram levels. The ABP we present here is shown to be active against a GH29 α-l-fucosidase from Bacteroides fragilis and capable of labeling two other GH29 α-l-fucosidases with different linkage specificity, illustrating its broader utility. This novel ABP is a valuable addition to the toolbox of fucosidase probes by allowing identification and functional studies of the wide variety of GH29 fucosidases, including those in the gut microbiota.

A tandem activity-based sensing and labeling strategy enables imaging of transcellular hydrogen peroxide signaling.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are transient species that have broad actions in signaling and stress, but spatioanatomical understanding of their biology remains insufficient. Here, we report a tandem activity-based sensing and labeling strategy for H2O2 imaging that enables capture and permanent recording of localized H2O2 fluxes. Peroxy Green-1 Fluoromethyl (PG1-FM) is a diffusible small-molecule probe that senses H2O2 by a boronate oxidation reaction to trigger dual release and covalent labeling of a fluorescent product, thus preserving spatial information on local H2O2 changes. This unique reagent enables visualization of transcellular redox signaling in a microglia-neuron coculture cell model, where selective activation of microglia for ROS production increases H2O2 in nearby neurons. In addition to identifying ROS-mediated cell-to-cell communication, this work provides a starting point for the design of chemical probes that can achieve high spatial fidelity by combining activity-based sensing and labeling strategies.

18F-Labelled pyrrolopyrimidines reveal brain leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 expression implicated in Parkinson's disease.

18F-Labelled pyrrolopyrimidines were synthesized and evaluated as positron emission tomography (PET) probes to determine leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) expression in the brain. With pyrrolopyrimidine derivative PF-06447475 as the lead compound, two in vivo-stable 18F-labelled pyrrolopyrimidines ([18F]1 and [18F]2) were synthesized automatically at radiochemical yields 8-10% (non-decay-corrected) with molar activities of 0.95 and 0.5 GBq/µmol, respectively. The measured Kd of 6.90 nM for 1 and 14.27 nM for 2 demonstrated high affinities for LRRK2. The LRRK2 G2019S mice had higher uptakes (P < 0.01) of [18F]1 in the olfactory bulb, striatum, and hippocampus than WT mice during microPET/CT imaging, consistent with immunohistology results of LRRK2 distribution. [11C]CFT microPET/CT imaging demonstrated a lower expression of dopamine transporter in LRRK2 G2019S mice. Parkinson's disease-like deficits in dopamine transporter synthesis and cognitive declines were noticed along with LRRK2 expression increase in the olfactory bulb, striatum, and hippocampus. Therefore, 18F-labelled pyrrolopyrimidines can reflect real-time LRRK2 expression changes implicated in Parkinson's disease, which paves the way for LRRK2-related neurodegenerative precise therapy.

Identifying Poly(ADP-ribose)-Binding Proteins with Photoaffinity-Based Proteomics.

Post-translational modification of proteins with poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) is an important component of the DNA damage response. Four PAR synthesis inhibitors have recently been approved for the treatment of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Despite the clinical significance of PAR, a molecular understanding of its function, including its binding partners, remains incomplete. In this work, we synthesized a PAR photoaffinity probe that captures and isolates endogenous PAR binders. Our method identified dozens of known PAR-binding proteins and hundreds of novel candidates involved in DNA repair, RNA processing, and metabolism. PAR binding by eight candidates was confirmed using pull-down and/or electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Using PAR probes of defined lengths, we detected proteins that preferentially bind to 40-mer versus 8-mer PAR, indicating that polymer length may regulate the outcome and timing of PAR signaling pathways. This investigation produces the first census of PAR-binding proteins, provides a proteomics analysis of length-selective PAR binding, and associates PAR binding with RNA metabolism and the formation of biomolecular condensates.

Surface engineered amphiphilic carbon dots: solvatochromic behavior and applicability as a molecular probe.

Carbon dots (C-dots) have attracted great attention in the fields of nanotechnology and bioengineering owing to their unique and tunable optical properties with excellent photoluminescence characteristics. Herein, we have engineered amphiphilic C-dots (AC-dots) using positional isomers of diamino benzene with citric acid under mild microwave irradiation to minimize any background reactions. The optical properties changed from excitation-dependent to excitation-independent depending on the isomer used. This unique optical property of the AC-dots was studied in the presence of various solvents and we extensively inspected the AC-dot-solvent interactions. The intensity of the emission wavelength varied with solvent polarity and showed a linear relationship. Furthermore, we extended this property to investigate the molecular environment in biomolecular systems such as proteins. Interestingly, we found that, in the presence of various proteins, the emission intensity was enhanced, quenched or remained unchanged depending on the nature of the protein surface. The mode of interaction between AC-dots and protein was determined using temperature-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy. This study could provide vital information about the surfaces of proteins and the potential application of C-Dots as a fluorescent probe to detect biological molecules and environments.