Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
10:07
High-throughput Screening for Small-molecule Modulators of Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels
Published on: January 27, 2013
14.8K
Localizable Fluorescent Metal Ion Indicators With Tunable Colors.
Ming-Ming Wang1, De-En Sun1, Klara Gries1
1Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute For Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany.
Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|April 22, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed new fluorescent sensors to track potassium ion levels in cells. These versatile indicators allow for precise, real-time monitoring of cellular processes, aiding in understanding health and disease.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Metal ion homeostasis is crucial for physiological and pathological processes.
- Existing detection tools lack sensitivity, selectivity, spectral versatility, and subcellular localization.
- Advanced tools are needed for accurate metal ion detection in live cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a modular strategy for generating fluorescent metal ion indicators.
- To develop bright, color-tunable potassium indicators with specific targeting capabilities.
- To enable wash-free live-cell imaging and subcellular localization of metal ions.
Main Methods:
- A modular design combining a sulfonamide-functionalized chelator, rhodamine derivative, and bioconjugation ligand.
- A three-step synthesis for tunable emission color and ligand specificity.
- Coupling indicators to HaloTag and SNAP-tag fusion proteins for targeted localization.
Main Results:
- Developed a family of bright, color-tunable potassium indicators.
- Achieved selective coupling to intra- or extracellular HaloTag and SNAP-tag fusion proteins.
- Enabled wash-free live-cell imaging and detected dynamic potassium efflux in neurons.
Conclusions:
- Established a versatile platform for localizable fluorescent metal ion indicators.
- Demonstrated the utility of these indicators for live-cell potassium sensing.
- Opened new avenues for studying metal ion dynamics in biological systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Photoluminescence: Applications
1.2K
Photoluminescence offers a wide range of applications due to its inherent sensitivity and selectivity. This technique allows for both direct and indirect analyses of the analyte. Direct quantitative analysis is possible when the analyte exhibits a favorable quantum yield for fluorescence or phosphorescence. However, an indirect analysis may be feasible if the analyte is not fluorescent or phosphorescent, or if the quantum yield is unfavorable. Indirect methods include reacting the analyte with...
1.2K
00:39Complexometric Titration: Overview
10.4K
Complexometric titration involves the formation of a complex by reacting a metal ion with one or more ligands. A visual indicator often detects the end point of a complexometric titration. It is added to the metal solution before the titration, forming a stable metal–indicator complex and imparting color to the solution. As the titration approaches the equivalence point, the excess of the added ligand displaces the indicator from the metal–indicator complex, releasing the free...
10.4K
01:18Effects of EDTA on End-Point Detection Methods
787
Different methods, such as visual observance of metal-ion indicators, spectroscopic techniques, and potentiometric methods, can determine the endpoint of an EDTA titration.
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a...
In the visual method, metal-ion indicators (metallochromic dyes), which have distinct colors in their free and complex forms, are added to the mixture to signal the titration's end point. They form stable complexes with metal ions, but these complexes are weaker than the corresponding metal–EDTA complexes. As a...
787
03:31Labeling DNA Probes
7.7K
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...
7.7K