Programmable pH-Responsive DNA Nanosensors for Imaging Exocytosis and Retrieval of Synaptic Vesicles
Chao Liu1, Zike Huang1, Wei Jiang1
1Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, and Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Exocytosis and retrieval of synaptic vesicles (SVs) are vital steps during neurotransmitter propagation between neurons. Visualization of this dynamics of SVs is significant for elucidating the mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission but remains challenging without an efficient, reliable, and biocompatible labeling method. In this work, we developed pH-responsive ratiometric DNA tetrahedral nanoprobes (pHadtnps) that could specifically label recycling SVs with high stability and effective background suppression. On the basis of the luminal pH alternation during the recycling of SVs, pHadtnps were able to illustrate their exocytosis and retrieval in real time. Moreover, with the high programmability of DNA nanotechnology, these nanoprobes could be flexibly equipped with different functional moieties, holding great promise for developing various versatile tools for studying communication in neuronal networks.
