Selective immediate detection of Cu2+ by a pH-sensitive rhodamine-based fluorescence probe in breast cancer cell-line

Hamide Hosseinjani-Pirdehi; Nosrat O Allah Mahmoodi; Amir Taheri; Kaveh Amir Ashjaee Asalemi; Rezvan Esmaeili

doi:10.1016/j.saa.2019.117989

Selective immediate detection of Cu²⁺ by a pH-sensitive rhodamine-based fluorescence probe in breast cancer cell-line

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2020 Mar 15:229:117989. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2019.117989. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Authors

Hamide Hosseinjani-Pirdehi¹, Nosrat O Allah Mahmoodi², Amir Taheri³, Kaveh Amir Ashjaee Asalemi⁴, Rezvan Esmaeili⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: hosseinjanji@modares.ac.ir.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan, P.O. Box: 41335-1914, Iran. Electronic address: mahmoodi@guilan.ac.ir.
³ Interdisciplinary technologies Department, Breast cancer research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, P.O. Box 13145-855, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: ataheri@ibcrc.ir.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Genetics Department, Breast cancer research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, P.O. Box 13145-855, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: esmaeili.rezvan@gmail.com.

PMID: 31935652
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2019.117989

Abstract

A biocompatible fluorogenic chemosensor (N-(3-carboxy acryloyl)) rhodamine B (RHA) comprising a furan-2,5-dione receptor and a rhodamine fluorophore via an iminohydrazine crosslinker has been prepared for more scrutinizing optical properties and utilization in molecular imaging of living cells. The consequences indicated that RHA not only is a good pH indicator in acidic media but also can be used as a great sensitive fluoroionophore with high selectivity. The fluorescence emission of the molecule RHA is quite stable in the presence of 15 diverse cations, 18 anions (especially H₂PO₄^-, S², and F^-), and 5 amino acids with the different functional group as a model, except Cu²⁺ ions with observable emission intensity changing. The Cu²⁺ probe has a dual functional effect, an "on-off" mechanism in solvent media, and an "off-on" mechanism in Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) in acidic pH conditions. The detection limits for Cu²⁺ in acetone-water media was 0.69 μM and 0.18 μM in pH = 5.0. Moreover, RHA can fluorescently and colorimetrically image Cu²⁺ ions in acidic and neutral pH with low cytotoxicity in living cells.

Keywords: Biochemosensor; Cu(2+) detection; Fluorescence imaging; pH Indicator.

MeSH terms

Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
Breast Neoplasms / pathology
Cell Proliferation*
Colorimetry
Copper / analysis*
Female
Fluorescence*
Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Limit of Detection
Rhodamines / chemistry*
Spectrometry, Fluorescence
Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

Fluorescent Dyes
Rhodamines
Copper