Fluorescent sensors are valuable tools for investigating the biochemistry of metal cations, notably calcium and zinc. Most probes rely on quenching of photoinduced electron transfer as a fluorescence turn-on mechanism. The information that can be obtained from this kind of probe is limited by their sensitivity to pH and inability to operate effectively at longer wavelengths, especially >700 nm, which facilitates deep tissue penetration. Here we describe a new family of fluorescent sensors that take advantage of zinc-induced, reversible, ring-opening reactions, that elicit a strong fluorescence turn-on response. These reactions (Scheme 1) occur rapidly (t1/2 ~ 3 sec) and selectively (Zn2+ >> Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Na+) in cuvettes under physiological conditions and in live cells. The pH insensitivity of some of these probes and their emission wavelength in the NIR-region are prominent advantages over existing fluorescent sensors for imaging biological mobile zinc. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and a fellowship to P. R.-F. from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Figure 1. <img src='https://acs-archive-assets2.s3.amazonaws.com/240nm/uploads/45537_abstractfigure.jpg' alt='' />

Reversible, zinc-selective chemical reactions that enable imaging biological Zn2+ at long wavelengths

247th National Meeting (2014)

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