Fluorescence detection of serum albumin with a turnover-based sensor utilizing Kemp elimination reaction

The Kemp elimination reaction is a well-known chemical reaction that is facilitated on a protein surface microenvironment, and in particular is highly accelerated in a unique binding pocket of serum albumin. We have designed and synthesized a fluorescently activatable coumarin derivative with a benzisoxazole scaffold to enable monitoring of the Kemp elimination reaction in terms of fluorescence change for the first time. We show that this fluorescent sensor can sensitively and selectively quantitate serum albumin in blood samples. It also works in a dry-chemistry format.