title: Two-photon graphene oxide/aptamer nanosensing conjugate for in vitro or in vivo molecular probing.
abstract: Two-photon excitation (TPE) with near-infrared (NIR) photons as the excitation source have the unique properties of lower tissue autofluorescence and self-absorption, reduced photodamage and photobleaching, higher spatial resolution, and deeper penetration depth (>500 μm). Carbon nanomaterials, for example, graphene oxide (GO), have the advantages of good biocompatibility, efficient transporters into cells, protecting the carried DNA or peptides from enzymatic cleavage, and super fluorescence quenching efficiency. By combination of the nanostructured carbon materials with the TPE technique, herein we have designed an aptamer-two-photon dye (TPdye)/GO TPE fluorescent nanosensing conjugate for molecular probing in biological fluids, living cells, and zebrafish. This approach takes advantage of the exceptional quenching capability of GO for the proximate TP dyes and the higher affinity of single-stranded DNA on GO than the aptamer-target complex. Successful in vitro and in vivo detection of ATP was demonstrated with this sensing strategy. Our results reveal that the GO/Aptamer-TPdye system not only is a robust, sensitive, and selective sensor for quantitative detection of ATP in the complex biological environment but also can be efficiently delivered into live cells or tissues and act as a "signal-on" in vivo sensor for specific, high-contrast imaging of target biomolecules. Our design provides a methodology model scheme for development of future carbon nanomaterial-based two-photon fluorescent probes for in vitro or in vivo determination of biological or biologically relevant species.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University , Changsha, 410082, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zanying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Changhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jishan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wenwan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Ronghua
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015335:Molecular Probes; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D017785:Photons; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015335:Molecular Probes; D010087:Oxides; D006108:Graphite