A Ga(3+)self-assembled fluorescent probe for ATP imaging in vivo

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Adenosine 5 -triphosphate (ATP) is crucial for numerous biological processes.
• Sensitive and selective fluorescent detection methods for ATP are highly desired.
• Existing methods may lack the required sensitivity or selectivity for certain applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fluorescent assay for the selective detection of ATP.
• To investigate the mechanism of fluorescence enhancement in the presence of ATP.
• To evaluate the applicability of the assay for detecting ATP-relevant enzyme activity.

Main Methods:

• Assembly of a multi-membered array using DHBO and Ga(3+) ions in aqueous solution.
• Fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor changes upon interaction with nucleoside triphosphates.
• In vitro and in vivo experiments to assess selectivity and sensitivity.
• Determination of the detection limit for ATP.

Main Results:

• The DHBO-Ga(3+) system selectively recognizes ATP, showing enhanced fluorescence.
• The system distinguishes ATP from structurally similar molecules like ADP and AMP.
• A low detection limit of 5.49×10(-7)M for ATP was achieved.
• The DHBO-Ga(3+) system demonstrated utility in detecting ATP-relevant enzyme activity.

Conclusions:

• The DHBO-Ga(3+) complex provides a facile and selective fluorescent method for ATP detection.
• This assay is sensitive enough to detect ATP at concentrations relevant to biological systems.
• The developed method holds potential for applications in biochemical assays and diagnostics.