膜間活性化"高忠実度センシング戦略:膜透過H₂S放出の二光子蛍光イメージング
Shan He1, Dao-Huan Zhang1, Cong Liu1
1College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Abstract:
Precise elucidation of dynamic chemical events at the cell membrane interface is vital for understanding fundamental biological processes. However, current fluorescent tools often fail to confine signal generation strictly to the membrane, leading to background interference that compromises imaging fidelity. To address this, we propose an "Interfacial Activation" strategy that transforms the cell membrane from a passive anchoring point to an active signal trigger. This is realized using NACP, an amphiphilic two-photon fluorophore that remains completely nonemissive in aqueous media via aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) but displays dramatic fluorescence enhancement upon specific insertion into the lipid bilayer. Leveraging this mechanism, we engineered a dual-gated probe, NACP-DBS, for the high-fidelity detection of transmembrane hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The probe features precise outer-membrane localization, spatially isolating it from intracellular thiol interference. NACP-DBS exhibits exceptional analytical performance, including near-infrared emission (643 nm), a large two-photon absorption cross-section (287 GM), and nanomolar sensitivity (LOD = 6.7 nM). We successfully applied the probe to monitor endogenous H2S dynamics in living cells, mouse inflammation models, and deep tissue slices, achieving high-contrast, wash-free imaging. The "Interfacial Activation" strategy establishes a design paradigm for next-generation high-fidelity membrane sensing tools, facilitating in-depth investigations of transmembrane signal transduction.


