Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026
16:19
Synthesis, Cellular Delivery and In vivo Application of Dendrimer-based pH Sensors
Published on: September 10, 2013
Water-soluble fluorescent probes based on dendronized polyfluorenes for cell imaging
Libin Bai1, Wei Li, Jingtian Chen
1College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China.
Macromolecular Rapid Communications
|February 1, 2013
Summary
Novel water-soluble fluorescent polymers show potential for cell imaging. Encapsulation with polyethylene oxide (PEO) enhances cellular uptake and brightness, indicating good biocompatibility for biological applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Dendronized fluorescent polyfluorenes (DFPFs) are synthesized using hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers.
- Incomplete energy transfer between fluorene and benzothiadiazole units leads to dual-color emission at 410 and 650 nm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel water-soluble DFPFs for potential biological applications.
- To investigate the effect of polyethylene oxide (PEO) encapsulation on DFPF properties, including biocompatibility and cellular uptake.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of water-soluble DFPFs from hydrophilic and hydrophobic comonomers.
- Characterization of photophysical properties, including emission spectra.
- Evaluation of biocompatibility using cell viability assays.
- Assessment of cellular uptake and intracellular localization via fluorescence microscopy.
Main Results:
- DFPFs exhibit two-color emission (410 and 650 nm) due to incomplete energy transfer.
- PEO-encapsulated DFPFs demonstrate over 90% cell viability, confirming good biocompatibility.
- DFPFs with higher PEO content (P3) show efficient cellular internalization and cytoplasmic accumulation, resulting in strong whole-cell fluorescence.
- DFPFs with lower PEO content (P1) exhibit limited uptake and low intracellular brightness.
Conclusions:
- Water-soluble DFPFs are successfully prepared and exhibit tunable fluorescence properties.
- PEO encapsulation significantly enhances the cellular uptake and imaging capabilities of DFPFs.
- These biocompatible DFPFs hold promise as fluorescent probes for cellular imaging.
Related Concept Videos
03:31Labeling DNA Probes
DNA probes are fragments of DNA labeled with a reporter tag to enable their detection or purification. The resulting labeled DNA probes can then hybridize to target nucleic acid sequences through complementary base-pairing, and may be used to recover or identify these regions.
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...
01:19Protein Dynamics in Living Cells
Different fluorescence-based techniques are used to study the protein dynamics in living cells. These techniques include FRAP, FRET, and PET.
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...