Bifunctional Diaminoterephthalate Fluorescent Dye as Probe for Cross-Linking Proteins

Protein Conjugation by Electrophilic Alkynylation Using 5-(Alkynyl)dibenzothiophenium Triflates

5-(Alkynyl)dibenzothiophenium triflates are introduced as new reagents to prepare different protein conjugates through site-selective cysteine alkynylation. The protocol developed allows a highly efficient label of free cysteine-containing proteins with relevant biological roles, such as ubiquitin, the C2A domain of Synaptotagmin-I, or HER2 targeting nanobodies. An electrophilic bis-alkynylating reagent was also designed. The second alkynylating handle thus introduced in the desired protein enables access to protein-thiol, protein-peptide, and protein-protein conjugates, and even diubiquitin dimers can be prepared through this approach. The low excess of reagent needed, mild reaction conditions used, short reaction times, and stability of the S-C(alkyne) bonds at physiological conditions make this approach an interesting addition to the toolbox of classical, site-selective cysteine-conjugation methods.

Dual-Wavelength Electrochemiluminescence Ratiometric Biosensor for NF-κB p50 Detection with Dimethylthiodiaminoterephthalate Fluorophore and Self-Assembled DNA Tetrahedron Nanostructures Probe

In this work, we fabricated a dual-wavelength electrochemiluminescence ratiometric biosensor based on electrochemiluminescent resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET). In this biosensor, Au nanoparticle-loaded graphitic phase carbon nitride (Au-g-C₃N₄) as a donor and Au-modified dimethylthiodiaminoterephthalate (TAT) analogue (Au@TAT) as an acceptor were investigated for the first time. Besides, tetrahedron DNA probe was immobilized onto Au-g-C₃N₄ to improve the binding efficiency of the transcription factor and ECL ratiometric changes on the basis of the ratio of ECL intensities at 595 and 460 nm, which were obtained through the formation of a sandwich structure of DNA probe-antigen-antibody. Our biosensor achieved the assay of NF-κB p50 with a detection limit of 5.8 pM as well as high stability and specificity.

Electron Transfer and Electron Excitation Processes in 2,5-Diaminoterephthalate Derivatives with Broad Scope for Functionalization

Derivatives of 2,5-diaminoterephthalate (DAT) are efficient fluorescence dyes that are also redox-active, thus allowing for the electrochemical manipulation of spectral properties. The electrochemical behaviour of seven DAT derivatives was studied by cyclic voltammetry in dichloromethane. In the absence of a proton donor, DATs should be oxidized in two one-electron steps. The first step is usually quasi-reversible while the second step is either quasi-reversible or irreversible. Some electrochemical properties such as the formal potentials and the ratio between the anodic and the cathodic current were determined from the cyclic voltammograms. Correlation between the formal potential of first oxidation and the absorption or the fluorescence emission wavelengths are established for this specific type of dyes. These correlations were confirmed with density functional theory calculations.

Diaminoterephthalate-α-lipoic acid conjugates with fluorinated residues

Two bifunctional diaminoterephthalate (DAT) fluorescence dyes were prepared in a three-step sequence including one deprotection reaction. One functional unit is α-lipoic acid (ALA) for binding the dye to gold surfaces. It was introduced to the DAT scaffold by an amidation reaction. The other functional unit is a para-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl group for facile detection of the surface-bound material by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This residue was introduced by reductive amination of the DAT scaffold with the respective benzaldehyde derivative. In one compound (60% yield over three steps) the ALA unit is directly bound to the DAT as a relatively electron-withdrawing amide. In solution (CH2Cl2), this material shows strong fluorescence (quantum yield 57% with emission at 495 nm, absorption maximum at 420 nm). The other compound (57% yield over three steps) possesses a propylene spacer between the ALA and the DAT units for electronic decoupling, thus, bathochromic shifts are observed (absorption at 514 nm, emission at 566 nm). The quantum yield is, however, lower (4%). Self-assembled monolayers on a gold surface of both compounds were prepared and characterized by high-resolution XPS of the C 1s, O 1s, S 2p, N 1s and F 1s emissions. The high signal-to-noise ratios of the F 1s peaks indicated that trifluoromethylation is an excellent tool for the detection of surface-bound materials by XPS.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Two Novel All -trans-Retinoic Acid Conjugates: Biocompatible and Functional Tools for Retina Research

The vitamin A derivative all- trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) is an important biologically active metabolite that regulates a variety of essential biological processes in particular via gene-regulatory mechanisms. In the retina, ATRA is a light-dependent byproduct of the phototransduction cascade. Here, ATRA is not only needed for proper retinal development, but it also acts as a neuromodulator on horizontal cells, second-order inhibitory neurons in the outer retina, which reveal morphological and physiological changes when the retina is treated with ATRA. There is evidence that gene-regulatory mechanisms may only be partially involved in these neuromodulatory processes and the underlying nontranscriptional mechanisms are still elusive. This is, among other things, due to the lack of appropriately labeled ATRA, which would allow the tracking of ATRA in cells or a given tissue. To overcome this obstacle, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated two conjugates of ATRA, one conjugated with biotin (biotin-ATRA) and one conjugated with diaminoterephthalate fluorophore (DAT-ATRA), as molecular tools for different fields of application. The biocompatibility of both compounds was demonstrated via cell viability assays in cultured N2a-cells. N2a-cells exposed to the compounds showed no significant changes in the viability rate. The functionality of synthesized ATRA-conjugates was verified using retinal tissue derived from adult carp. The binding of ATRA-conjugates to distinct retinal cells was assessed in primary cultures of carp retina. Hereby, horizontal and Müller cells have been identified as specific target cells of the new ATRA compounds. Electron microscopy further confirmed that the new substances are still able to induce synaptic plasticity at horizontal cell dendrites resulting in formation of spine synapses, as it is shown for native ATRA. Taken together, the novel ATRA-conjugates represent biocompatible and functional molecular tools, which may further provide the possibility to track ATRA in neuronal cells and study its modulatory effects in different cell systems.

Orthogonally Protected Diaminoterephthalate Scaffolds: Installation of Two Functional Units at the Chromophore

The 2,5-diaminoterephthalate structural motif is a powerful chromophore with remarkable fluorescence properties. Containing two carboxylate and two amino functions, it defines a colored molecular scaffold which allows for orthogonal functionalization with different functional units. Therefore, different applications in life sciences and materials science could be addressed. In this study, the two amino functions were alkylated by reductive amination with side chains carrying amino (orthogonally protected as Boc or Alloc) and carboxylate functions (orthogonally protected as tBu or allyl ester). After sequential deprotections, functional units were introduced by amidation reactions. As three examples, the chromophore was coupled with retinoic acid and fullerene C₆₀ in order to obtain a triad for studying photoinduced electron transfer processes. Furthermore, cyclooctyne and azide moieties were introduced as functional units, allowing for ligation by click reactions. These two clickable groups were applied in combination with maleimide units which are reactive toward thiol residues. The latter dyes define so-called "turn on" probes, since the fluorescence quantum yields increased by one order of magnitude upon reaction with the molecular target.