title: Micelle nanoparticles for FRET-based ratiometric sensing of mercury ions in water, biological fluids and living cells.
abstract: A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based ratiometric sensing system for mercury ions is built in nano-sized core/corona micelles formed by a poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene diblock copolymer. For this system, a hydrophobic fluorescein derivative (FLS-C12), which serves as the energy transfer donor, is incorporated into the micelle core during the micelle formation; and a spirolactam-rhodamine derivative (RhB-CS) as a probe for mercury ions is located at the micelle core/corona interface. An efficient ring-opening reaction of RhB-CS induced by mercury ions generates the long-wavelength rhodamine B fluorophore which can act as the energy acceptor, affording the micelle nanoparticles the water-dispersible FRET-based ratiometric detection system for mercury ions, with a detection limit of 0.1 µM in water. The donor and the probe fluorophores, with their structure being appropriately modified, can strongly bind (non-covalently) to the specific sites of the micelles and form a stable ratiometric sensor in water and in some biological fluids. In addition, with the water-soluble and biocompatible poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as the corona of the micelles, the nano-sized sensing system can readily permeate through cell membrane and detect intracellular Hg(2+) level changes.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science & Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Boling
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Meiyun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shuizhu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002417:Cattle; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine; D051379:Mice; D008823:Micelles; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008823:Micelles; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury; D019793:Fluorescein