Dual-functional gadolinium-based copper(II) probe for selective magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence sensing

Inorg Chem. 2012 Feb 20;51(4):2325-31. doi: 10.1021/ic202322f. Epub 2012 Feb 8.

Abstract

A unique gadolinium complex, Nap-DO3A-Gd, comprising a naphthylamine luminescent moiety, a di-2-picolylamine (DPA) binding chelator, and a 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DO3A) moiety has been designed and synthesized as a dual-functional probe for selective magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescent sensing of copper(II) in living cells. Nap-DO3A-Gd exhibited a turn-on manner of relaxivity changes and a fluorescent quenching toward Cu(2+). Through the introduction of naphthalamide into the Gd(3+) contrast agent platform to restrict the coordination ability of the DPA chelator and with Gd(3+) coordinating to the DPA moiety to turn away the interferences of other metal cations from Cu(2+) detection, the probe featured selective relaxivity changes toward Cu(2+) over other metal ions and brought unique Cu(2+)-specific luminescent responses. The probe was water-soluble with the luminescent detection limit established at 6 ppb and was successfully used for luminescence imaging detection of copper(II) in living cells. The results demonstrated the efficiency and advantage of our approach in the development of a dual-modality image.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1-Naphthylamine / analogs & derivatives
  • Animals
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods
  • Chelating Agents / chemistry
  • Copper / analysis*
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Gadolinium / chemistry*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Limit of Detection
  • Luminescent Measurements / methods*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid
  • Chelating Agents
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring
  • Copper
  • 1-Naphthylamine
  • Gadolinium