title: Sensitive Conjugated-Polymer-Based Fluorescent ATP Probes and Their Application in Cell Imaging.
abstract: Three cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) with a common poly(p-phenylene ethynylene terthiophene) backbone and side chains of different lengths, named as PPET3-N1, PPET3-N2, and PPET3-N3, were designed and synthesized. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra of the polymers vary strongly with solvent composition, suggesting that the polymers are strongly aggregated in H2O. In addition, the spectroscopic properties of the polymers are affected by small-molecule ATP, characterized by significant fluorescence intensity decreases and red shifts of their absorption bands. Further application of these polymers in cell imaging was studied by confocal fluorescence microscopy, which demonstrated that all of the polymers were localized on the cell membrane and partially inside of cells and that the staining effect gradually increased with the length of the polymer side chains. On the basis of the low cytotoxicity and efficient quenching of PPET3-N2 by ATP, the dose and time effects of ATP on PPET3-N2 imaging were studied, and the results indicated that this polymer might have potential in cell imaging for ATP semiquantification in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.|The Ministry-Province Jointly Constructed Base for State Key Lab, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zhifang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.|The Ministry-Province Jointly Constructed Base for State Key Lab, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School , Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304, United States.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.affiliation: The Ministry-Province Jointly Constructed Base for State Key Lab, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Naihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: The Ministry-Province Jointly Constructed Base for State Key Lab, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.|The Ministry-Province Jointly Constructed Base for State Key Lab, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: The Ministry-Province Jointly Constructed Base for State Key Lab, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University , Shenzhen 518055, P. R. China.|Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D011108:Polymers; C473966:poly(phenylene ethynylene); D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate
keywords: ATP; aggregation; cell imaging; conjugated polyelectrolytes; poly(phenylene ethynylene); polythiophene