Title
Tracking the oxygen status in the cell nucleus by using a Hoechst−tagged phosphorescent ruthenium complex
Author
Kazuhito Tanabe, Daiki Hara, Yui Umehara, Aoi Son, Wataru Asahi, Sotaro Misu, Ryohsuke Kurihara, Teruyuki Kondo
Year
2018
Journal
ChemBioChem
Abstract
Molecular oxygen in living cells is distributed and consumed inhomogeneously, depending on the activity of each organelle. Therefore, tractable methods that can be used to monitor the oxygen status in each organelle are needed to understand cellular function. Here, we report the design of a novel oxygen-sensing probe for use in the cell nucleus. We prepared Ru−Hoechsts, which consist of a phosphorescent ruthenium complex linked to a Hoechst 33258 moiety, and characterized their properties as oxygen sensors. The Hoechst unit shows high DNA−binding properties in the nucleus, and the ruthenium complex shows oxygen−dependent phosphorescence. Thus, Ru−Hoechsts accumulated in the cell nucleus and shows oxygen−dependent signals that could be monitored. Among the Ru−Hoechsts prepared in this study, Ru−Hoechst b, in which the ruthenium complex and Hoechst unit were linked by a hexyl chain, showed the most suitable properties for monitoring the oxygen status. Ru−Hoechsts are novel probes with high potential for visualizing oxygen fluctuations in the nucleus.
Instrument
FP-8300
Keywords
Fluorescence, Phosphorescence, DNA structure, DNA binding, Inorganic chemistry, Biochemistry, Sensors