Measuring zinc in living cells. A new generation of sensitive and selective fluorescent probes.
New fluorescent indicators with nanomolar to micromolar affinities for Zn(2+) have been synthesized in wavelengths from UV to the far red. The UV light-excited indicators are ratiometric. The visible wavelength indicators are non-ratiometric and exhibit large and pH-independent fluorescence increases with increasing zinc concentrations, with little to no sensitivity to physiologically relevant Ca(2+) concentrations. Experiments in neuronal and non-neuronal cell cultures show the new indicators to retain their sensitivity to and selectivity for zinc after conversion to cell-permeable forms.
Gee
K R
KR
Molecular Probes, Inc., 4849 Pitchford Avenue, Eugene, OR 97478, USA. kyle.gee@probes.com
Zhou
Z-L
ZL
Ton-That
D
D
Sensi
S L
SL
Weiss
J H
JH
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D015394:Molecular Structure; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
D002614:Chelating Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015032:Zinc; D002118:Calcium