Near-infrared squaraine fluorescent probe for imaging adenosine 5′-triphosphate in live cells

• Published in: Dyes and pigments Vol. 171; p. 107698
• Main Authors: Wang, Guimei, Jiang, Xiaoxue, Fu, Nanyan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2019
• Subjects: Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) detection; Bioimaging; Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB); NIR fluorescent probe; Phenylboronic acid functionalized squaraine; Supramolecular assembly; Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB); Phenylboronic acid functionalized squaraine; Bioimaging; Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) detection; NIR fluorescent probe; Supramolecular assembly
• ISSN: 0143-7208; 1873-3743
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2019.107698

Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), as a “molecular currency” for intracellular energy transfer, not only participates in various physiological activities, but also involves in various pathological processes of living cells. Therefore, the establishment of a simple, rapid, sensitive and accurate ATP analysis method is of great significance for the study of its physiological functions. In this work, we rationally design a near-infrared phenylboronic acid group-functionalized dicyanovinyl squaraine (SQ-PBA3), with which a supramolecular assembly was constructed for fluorescent imaging of ATP. In PBS buffer, SQ-PBA3 changes self-assembly when adding cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) deriving fluorescence response of SQ-PBA3 to ATP with the maximum emission at 700 nm, due to the specificity of phenylboronic acid to diols and the multiple electrostatic interactions between SQ-PBA3, ATP and CTAB molecules. Meanwhile, the probe was successfully applied to monitor intracellular ATP level in MCF-7 cells with high sensitivity and selectivity. [Display omitted] •Dicyanovinyl squaraine-based near-infrared fluorescent probes of ATP have been synthesized.•SQ-PBA3 exhibited high sensitivity to ATP with a detection limit of 28 nM.•The sensing mechanism based on aggregation-reassembly has been fully discussed.•SQ-PBA3 was successfully applied to monitor changes in intracellular ATP level in MCF-7 cells.