BODIPY-Based Probe for HClO Imaging
Detection of suitable biomarkers of disease is critical for medical diagnosis. However, detection becomes a paradoxical challenge when the biomarker is naturally found in healthy individuals. This is the case for the biomarker hypochlorous acid (HClO), a reactive oxygen species that plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy immune system under normal conditions. Yet, when optimal levels of HClO cannot be maintained by the body, cellular functions become disrupted and this can result in diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, and cancer. Consequently, HClO requires medical monitoring, particularly in the mitochondria where a high concentration tends to reside. To help distinguish between healthy and diseased states, the ideal biosensor must provide fast response, high selectivity, high sensitivity and mitochondrial permeability.
To address this challenge, Xiaojun Peng and colleagues from the Dalian University of Technology in China have created a fluorescent imaging probe to detect HClO by localizing to mitochondria in live cells. Their probe makes use of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dye for its outstanding fluorescent properties. Incorporation of an oxime group onto the BODIPY scaffold allows the tuning of fluorescence to an on/off state depending on the presence/absence of HClO, respectively. Lastly, incorporation of a triphenylphosphine group onto BODIPY provides the localization signal to the mitochondria. Learn all the details of this exciting new discovery by accessing the link below:
A highly specific BODIPY-based probe localized in mitochondria for HClO imaging
Guanghui Cheng, Jiangli Fan, Wen Sun, Kun Sui, Xin Jin, Jingyun Wang and Xiaojun Peng
Analyst, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3AN01152F
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