Detection and imaging of Hg(II) in vivo using glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles

Gufeng Li; Shaoqing Li; Rui Wang; Min Yang; Lizhu Zhang; Yanli Zhang; Wenrong Yang; Hongbin Wang

doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.46

Detection and imaging of Hg(II) in vivo using glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles

Beilstein J Nanotechnol. 2022 Jun 23:13:549-559. doi: 10.3762/bjnano.13.46. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Gufeng Li¹, Shaoqing Li¹, Rui Wang¹, Min Yang¹, Lizhu Zhang¹, Yanli Zhang¹, Wenrong Yang^{1

2}, Hongbin Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Resource Clean Conversion in Ethnic Regions, School of Chemistry and Environment, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China.
² School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia.

Abstract

The optical and biological properties of functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been widely used in sensing applications. GNPs have a strong binding ability to thiol groups. Furthermore, thiols are used to bind functional molecules, which can then be used, for example, to detect metal ions in solution. Herein, we describe 13 nm GNPs functionalized by glutathione (GSH) and conjugated with a rhodamine 6G derivative (Rh6G2), which can be used to detect Hg(II) in cells. The detection of Hg²⁺ ions is based on an ion-catalyzed hydrolysis of the spirolactam ring of Rh6G2, leading to a significant change in the fluorescence of GNPs-GSH-Rh6G2 from an "OFF" to an "ON" state. This strategy is an effective tool to detect Hg²⁺ ions. In cytotoxicity experiments, GNPs-GSH-Rh6G2 could penetrate living cells and detect mercury ions through the fluorescent "ON" form.

Keywords: cell imaging; fluorescence probes; glutathione; gold nanoparticles; mercury ions; rhodamine 6G derivatives.

Grants and funding

The National Natural Science Foundations of China (No. 21665027); YMU-DEAKIN International Associated Laboratory on Functional Materials, Education Department of Yunnan Province [grant number 117-02001001002107], Science and Technology Department of Yunnan Province (No. 202105AC160055) and College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Project of China.