Turn-on trivalent cation selective chemodosimetric probe to image native cellular iron pools

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• Trivalent metal ions, such as iron(III) (Fe3+), chromium(III) (Cr3+), and aluminum(III) (Al3+), play critical roles in biological processes.
• Accurate detection and imaging of these ions at the cellular level are essential for understanding their physiological and pathological functions.
• Existing methods for detecting these ions often lack sensitivity, selectivity, or cell permeability, hindering in vivo applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, cell-permeable, turn-on chemodosimetric probe for the selective detection and imaging of trivalent metal ions.
• To demonstrate the probe's ability to distinguish between biologically relevant Fe3+ and other trivalent cations (Cr3+, Al3+).
• To validate the probe's efficacy in visualizing native cellular iron pools in living systems.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of a new chemodosimetric probe.
• Fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy for metal ion detection and selectivity studies.
• Cell-based assays for evaluating cell permeability and fluorescence imaging of intracellular metal ions.
• Application in imaging native iron pools in biological samples like banana pith.

Main Results:

• The developed probe exhibits high sensitivity for detecting trivalent cations (Fe3+, Cr3+, Al3+) at sub-nanomolar levels.
• The probe demonstrates excellent selectivity for trivalent metal ions over a wide range of mono- and divalent metal ions.
• Changes in absorption spectra allow for the differentiation of Fe3+ from Cr3+ and Al3+.
• Successful fluorescence imaging of native cellular iron pools in living systems, including banana pith.

Conclusions:

• A novel turn-on chemodosimetric probe has been successfully developed for sensitive and selective detection of trivalent metal ions.
• The probe enables the differentiation of Fe3+ from other trivalent cations based on absorption spectral changes.
• This represents the first instance of a turn-on chemodosimetric probe capable of imaging native cellular Fe3+ pools, opening new avenues in biological metal ion research.