A fluorescent carbon-dots-based mitochondria-targetable nanoprobe for peroxynitrite sensing in living cells.
Mitochondria, the power generators in cell, are a primary organelle of oxygen consumption and a main source of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Peroxynitrite (ONOO-), known as a kind of RNS, has been considered to be a significant factor in many cell-related biological processes, and there is great desire to develop fluorescent probes that can sensitively and selectively detect peroxynitrite in living cells. Herein, we developed a fluorescent carbon-dots (C-dots) based mitochondria-targetable nanoprobe with high sensitivity and selectivity for peroxynitrite sensing in living cells. The C-dots with its surface rich in amino groups was synthesized using o-phenylenediamine as carbon precursor, and it could be covalently conjugated with a mitochondria-targeting moiety, i.e. triphenylphosphonium (TPP). In the presence of peroxynitrite, the fluorescence of the constructed nanoprobe (C-dots-TPP) was efficiently quenched via a mechanism of photoinduced electron transfer (PET). The nanoprobe exhibited relatively high sensitivity (limit of detection: 13.5nM) and selectivity towards peroxynitrite in aqueous buffer. The performance of the nanoprobe for fluorescence imaging of peroxynitrite in mitochondria was investigated. The results demonstrated that the nanoprobe showed fine mitochondria-targeting ability and imaging contrast towards peroxynitrite in living cells. We anticipate that the proposed nanoprobe will provide a facile tool to explore the role played by peroxynitrite in cytobiology.
School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, PR China; Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China.
Xiaoxue
X
Wu
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China.
Shan
S
Sun
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China. Electronic address: wangyuhui@nimte.ac.cn.
Yuhui
Y
Wang
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China.
Jiali
J
Zhu
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China.
Kai
K
Jiang
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China.
Yumin
Y
Leng
School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 10081, PR China. Electronic address: qhshu121@bit.edu.cn.
Qinghai
Q
Shu
Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering (NIMTE), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, PR China. Electronic address: linhengwei@nimte.ac.cn.
Hengwei
H
Lin
D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000737:chemistry; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015335:Molecular Probes; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014867:Water; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid; D002244:Carbon
Carbon-dots; Fluorescence imaging; Mitochondria-targeting; Nanoprobe; Peroxynitrite