title: Engineering of switchable aptamer micelle flares for molecular imaging in living cells.
abstract: Simultaneous monitoring of the expression, distribution, and dynamics of biological molecules in living cells is one of the most challenging tasks in the analytical sciences. The key to effective and successful intracellular imaging is the development of delivery platforms with high efficiency and ultrasensitive molecular probes for specific targets of interest. To achieve these goals, many nanomaterials are widely used as carriers to introduce nucleic acid probes into living cells for real-time imaging of biomolecules. However, limitations on their use include issues of cytotoxicity and delivery efficiency. Herein, we propose a switchable aptamer micelle flare (SAMF), formed by self-assembly of an aptamer switch probe-diacyllipid chimera, to monitor ATP molecules inside living cells. Similarity of hydrophobic composition between diacyllipids in the micelle flares and phospholipid bilayers in the dynamic membranes of living cells allows SAMFs to be uptaken by living cells more efficiently than aptamer switch probes without external auxiliary. Switchable aptamers were found to bind target ATP molecules with high selectivity and specificity, resulting in restoration of the fluorescence signal from "OFF" to "ON" state, thus indicating the presence of the analyte. These switchable aptamer micelle flares, which exhibit cell permeability and nanoscale controllability, show exceptional promise for molecular imaging in bioanalysis, disease diagnosis, and drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research at Bio/Nano Interface, Department of Chemistry and Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, Shands Cancer Center, UF Genetics Institute and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-7200, USA.
authors.forename: Cuichen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Mingxu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Sena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cansiz
authors.forename: Guizhi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiangling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: Chaoyong James
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008823:Micelles; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D015335:Molecular Probes; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D008823:Micelles; D015335:Molecular Probes; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate