Fluorogenic Ag+–Tetrazolate Aggregation Enables Efficient Fluorescent Biological Silver Staining

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie Vol. 130; no. 20; pp. 5852 - 5855
• Main Authors: Xie, Sheng, Wong, Alex Y. H., Kwok, Ryan T. K., Li, Ying, Su, Huifang, Lam, Jacky W. Y., Chen, Sijie, Tang, Ben Zhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 14.05.2018
• Subjects: Agglomeration; Aggregationsinduzierte Emission; Chemistry; Fluorescence; Gels; Metallionensensoren; Proteinnachweis; Proteins; Silberanfärbuung; Silver; Silver nitrate; Staining; Tetrazolat-Silber-Aggregation; Visualization
• ISSN: 0044-8249; 1521-3757
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.201801653

Silver staining, which exploits the special bioaffinity and the chromogenic reduction of silver ions, is an indispensable visualization method in biology. It is a most popular method for in‐gel protein detection. However, it is limited by run‐to‐run variability, background staining, inability for protein quantification, and limited compatibility with mass spectroscopic (MS) analysis; limitations that are largely attributed to the tricky chromogenic visualization. Herein, we reported a novel water‐soluble fluorogenic Ag+ probe, the sensing mechanism of which is based on an aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) process driven by tetrazolate‐Ag+ interactions. The fluorogenic sensing can substitute the chromogenic reaction, leading to a new fluorescence silver staining method. This new staining method offers sensitive detection of total proteins in polyacrylamide gels with a broad linear dynamic range and robust operations that rival the silver nitrate stain and the best fluorescent stains. Fluorogenes Silber: Ein fluorogener Ag+‐Nachweis beruht auf spontaner Tetrazolat‐Ag+‐Aggregation. Dieses System umgeht den kniffligen chromogenen Reduktionsschritt bei herkömmlichen Silberanfärbungsmethoden durch einen fluorogenen Nachweisschritt. Das Resultat ist eine empfindliche und robuste Fluoreszenzvisualisierung ganzer Proteine.