A fluorescent probe for bioimaging of GSH in cancer cells

Langping Zhou; Weibing Zhang; Junhong Qian

doi:10.1016/j.saa.2023.123457

A fluorescent probe for bioimaging of GSH in cancer cells

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2024 Jan 15:305:123457. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123457. Epub 2023 Sep 26.

Authors

Langping Zhou¹, Weibing Zhang², Junhong Qian³

Affiliations

¹ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
² Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. Electronic address: weibingzhang@ecust.edu.cn.
³ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China. Electronic address: junhongqian@ecust.edu.cn.

PMID: 37820492
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123457

Abstract

A fluorescent probe CTP2-IMC was designed for bioimaging of glutathione (GSH) in cancer cells with indomethacin (IMC), coumarin and bromide as the targeting group, fluorophore and receptor, respectively. Due to the π-π interaction between coumarin and IMC, CTP2-IMC mainly exists in the form of folded state in aqueous solution. The non-radiative transitions caused by the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process from IMC to the fluorophore as well as the heavy-atom effect led to non-fluorescent of CTP2-IMC. The substitution of Br by GSH and unfolded conformation induced by IMC acceptor on cancer cells resulted in significant fluorescence enhancement, which enabled CTP2-IMC to bioimage GSH in cancer cells rather than in normal one.

Keywords: Bioimaging; Cancer cells; Fluorescent probe; Glutathione; Indomethacin.

MeSH terms

Coumarins
Fluorescent Dyes* / pharmacology
Glutathione
Indomethacin
Molecular Conformation
Neoplasms*

Substances

Fluorescent Dyes
Indomethacin
Glutathione
Coumarins