Role of Fluorosurfactant-Modified Gold Nanoparticles in Selective Detection of Homocysteine Thiolactone: Remover and Sensor

Single-Step Hydrolysis and Derivatization of Homocysteine Thiolactone Using Zone Fluidics: Simultaneous Analysis of Mixtures with Homocysteine Following Separation by Fluorosurfactant-Modified Gold Nanoparticles

Herein, we report a new automated flow method based on zone fluidics for the simultaneous determination of homocysteine and homocysteine thiolactone using fluorimetric detection (λext = 370 nm/λem = 480 nm). Homocysteine thiolactone is hydrolyzed on-line in alkaline medium (1 mol L−1 NaOH) to yield homocysteine, followed by reaction with o-phthalaldehyde in a single step. Derivatization is rapid without the need of elevated temperatures and stopped-flow steps, while specificity is achieved through a unique reaction mechanism in the absence of nucleophilic compounds. Mixtures of the analytes can be analyzed quantitatively after specific separation with fluorosurfactant-capped gold nanoparticles that are selectively aggregated by homocysteine, leaving the thiolactone analogue in solution. As low as 100 nmol L−1 of the analyte(s) can be quantified in aqueous solutions, while concentrations > 2 μmol L−1 can be analyzed in artificial and real urine matrix following 20-fold dilution. The percent recoveries ranged between 87 and 119%.

A novel and simple imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin fluorescent probe for the sensitive and selective imaging of cysteine in living cells and zebrafish

Cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH) play many crucial physiological roles in organisms. Their abnormal levels can cause and indicate various diseases. In the present study, a small-molecule fluorescent probe 2-(imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-2-yl)phenyl acrylate (IPPA) was designed, synthesized and characterized by NMR, FT-IR and HRMS. IPPA can selectively detect Cys over other analytes because of an approximately 76 times enhancement in fluorescence intensity. The limit of detection of IPPA for Cys was 0.33 μM. The pseudo-first-order rate constant of the reaction between IPPA and Cys was approximately 10 times that of the reaction between IPPA and Hcy (KCys 3.18 × 10-3 S-1vs KHcy 4.92 × 10-4 S-1), indicating that Cys can be distinguished from Hcy. In addition, IPPA exhibits strong anti-interference ability, small molecular weight, high efficiency, low toxicity and good cell permeability. It was successfully used in imaging HepG2 cells and zebrafish. The fluorescence response of IPPA for calf serum are powerful proofs for practical application. Therefore, IPPA has high potential for bioassay applications.

Colorimetric detection of biothiols based on aggregation of chitosan-stabilized silver nanoparticles

We have described a simple and reliable colorimetric method for the sensing of biothiols such as cysteine, homocysteine, and glutathione in biological samples. The selective binding of chitosan capped silver nanoparticles to biothiols induced aggregation of the chitosan-Ag NPs. But the other amino acids that do not have thiol group cannot aggregate the chitosan-Ag NPs. Aggregation of chitosan-Ag NPs has been confirmed with UV-vis absorption spectra, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy images. Under optimum conditions, good linear relationships existed between the absorption ratios (at A₅₀₀/A₄₁₅) and the concentrations of cysteine, homocysteine, and glutathione in the range of 0.1-10.0μM with detection limits of 15.0, 84.6 and 40.0nM, respectively. This probe was successfully applied to detect these biothiols in biological samples (urine and plasma).

High stability of gold nanoparticles towards DNA modification and efficient hybridization via a surfactant-free peptide route

A stable, universal, highly efficient approach to quickly load DNA onto AuNPs is proposed with high DNA utilization, further boosting hybridization.

Synthesis of gold-cellobiose nanocomposites for colorimetric measurement of cellobiase activity

Gold-cellobiose nanocomposites (GCNCs) were synthesized by reducing gold salt with a polysaccharide, cellobiose. Here, cellobiose acted as a controller of nucleation or stabilizer in the formation of gold nanoparticles. The obtained GCNCs were characterized with UV-visible spectroscopy; Zetasizer and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometer. Moreover, 6-Mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) was modified on GCNCs, and the MCH-GCNCs were used to determine the cellobiase activity in compost extracts based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) property of MCH-GCNCs. The degradation of cellobiose on MCH-GCNCs by cellobiase could induce the aggregation, and the SPR absorption wavelength of MCH-GCNCs correspondingly red shifted. Thus, the absorbance ratio of treated MCH-GCNCs (A650/A520) could be used to estimate the cellobiase activity, and the probe exhibited highly sensitive and selective detection of the cellobiase activity with a wide linear from 3.0 to 100.0U L(-1) within 20 min. Meanwhile, a good linear relationship with correlation coefficient of R2=0.9976 was obtained. This approach successfully showed the suitability of gold nanocomposites as a colorimetric sensor for the sensitive and specific enzyme activity detection.

Hg(2+) mediated quinazoline ensemble for highly selective recognition of Cysteine

A fluorimetric sensor for Hg(2+) ion and Cysteine based on quinazoline platform was designed and synthesized by one step reaction and characterized by using common spectroscopic methods. Time Dependent Density Functional Theory calculations shows that probe behaves as "ON-OFF" fluorescent quenching sensor via electron transfer/heavy atom effect. Receptor was found to exhibit selective fluorescence quenching behavior over the other competitive metal ions, and also the receptor-Hg(2+) ensemble act as an efficient "OFF-ON" sensor for Cysteine. Moreover this sensor has also been successfully applied to detection of Hg(2+) in natural water samples with good recovery.

Nonionic fluorosurfactant as an ideal candidate for one-step modification of gold nanorods

In this work, a novel protocol was developed for size tuning and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) removal of gold nanorods using commercially available nonionic fluorosurfactants (FSN), an excellent candidate for PEG and other modification reagents. The tunable gold nanorods can easily be obtained by stopping the ligand replacement reaction at different time intervals. The FSN-coated gold nanorods are stable in the presence of high salt concentrations and over a wide range of pH values. Additionally, the cellular uptake experiments demonstrate that the FSN-coated gold nanorods have superior features in comparison to the widely used PEG-coated gold nanorods, such as high uptake amount, tunable uptake and excellent stability. Our findings suggest that FSN ligands are an ideal candidate for modifying gold nanorods with tunable aspect ratios, excellent biocompatibility, nontoxicity, and high stability, enabling conjugation to biomolecules for specific targeting, uptake, and delivery.

Determination of cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine in biological fluids by HPLC using fluorosurfactant-capped gold nanoparticles as postcolumn colorimetric reagents

We have demonstrated for the first time the suitability of fluorosurfactant-capped spherical gold nanoparticles as HPLC postcolumn colorimetric reagents for the direct assay of cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine. The success of this work was based on the use of an on-line tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine reduction column for cystine and homocystine. Several parameters affecting the separation efficiency and the postcolumn colorimetric detection were thoroughly investigated. Under the optimized conditions, cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine in human urine and plasma samples were determined. Detection limits for cysteine, homocysteine, cystine, and homocystine ranged from 0.16-0.49 μM. The accuracy in terms of recoveries ranged between 94.0-102.1%. This proposed method was rapid, inexpensive, and simple.

(Lysozyme type VI)-stabilized Au8 clusters: synthesis mechanism and application for sensing of glutathione in a single drop of blood

This paper presents a one-pot approach for preparing highly fluorescent Au(8) clusters by reacting the Au(3+) precursor solution with lysozyme type VI (Lys VI) at pH 3. The fluorescence band of (Lys VI)-stabilized Au(8) clusters is centered at 455 nm on the excitation at 380 nm. Blue-emitting Au(8) clusters have a high quantum yield (∼56%), two fluorescence lifetimes, and a rare amount of Au(+) on the surface of the Au core. When the pH of a solution of Au(8) clusters increases suddenly to 12, the Au(8) clusters gradually convert to Au(25) clusters over time. This conversion is also observed in the case of (Lys VI)-directed synthesis of Au(25) clusters at pH 12. The pH-induced conversion of Au(8) to Au(25) clusters suggests that the size of (Lys VI)-stabilized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) relies on the secondary structure of Lys VI, which is susceptible to pH change. Based on these results and previous literature, this paper proposes the possible mechanism for growing (Lys VI)-stabilized Au(8) and Au(25) clusters. Additionally, (Lys VI)-stabilized Au(8) clusters could sense glutathione (GSH) through GSH-induced core-etching of Au(8) clusters; the limit of detection at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for GSH is determined to be 20 nm. Except for cysteine, the selectivity of (Lys VI)-stabilized Au(8) clusters for GSH over amino acids is remarkably high. The practicality of using Au(8) clusters to determine the concentration of GSH in a single drop of blood is also validated.

Silica-modified oligonucleotide-gold nanoparticle conjugate enables closed-tube colorimetric polymerase chain reaction

A facile silica coating significantly enhances the thermal stability and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) compatibility of oligonucleotide-gold nanoparticle conjugates, thus enabling colorimetric detection of PCR results in a closed-tube format. This method is specific, sensitive, and generally applicable. Its simplicity, visual readout, and carryover contamination-free features hold promise for point-of-care or on-site DNA testing.

Gold nanoparticles for the colorimetric and fluorescent detection of ions and small organic molecules

In recent years, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have drawn considerable research attention in the fields of catalysis, drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics, therapy and biosensors due to their unique optical and electronic properties. In this review, we summarized recent advances in the development of AuNP-based colorimetric and fluorescent assays for ions including cations (such as Hg(2+), Cu(2+), Pb(2+), As(3+), Ca(2+), Al(3+), etc) and anions (such as NO(2)(-), CN(-), PF(6)(-), F(-), I(-), oxoanions), and small organic molecules (such as cysteine, homocysteine, trinitrotoluene, melamine and cocaine, ATP, glucose, dopamine and so forth). Many of these species adversely affect human health and the environment. Moreover, we paid particular attention to AuNP-based colorimetric and fluorescent assays in practical applications.

Metal-organic cyclohelicates as optical receptors for glutathione: syntheses, structures, and host-guest behaviors

Two trinuclear zinc-based cyclohelicates, Zn-PDB (PDB = [5-(dibenzylamino)-N1',N3'-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)isophthalohydrazide]) and Zn-PMB (PMB = [5-(bodipy-oxy)-N1',N3'-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethylene)isophthalohydrazide]) containing dibenzylamino and BODIPY groups, respectively, were generated by incorporating two amide-containing tridentate chelators into meta-positions of a substituted phenyl ring. Single-crystal structure analysis and related spectroscopic characterizations demonstrated the formation of macrocyclic helicals both in the solid state and in solution. The host-guest behavior of the cyclohelical hosts towards γ-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine (GSH) and its component amino acids was investigated by spectroscopic titrations. UV/Vis absorption titration and NMR titrations of Zn-PDB and Zn-PMB upon addition of the above-mentioned guests suggested that the Glu residue of GSH was positioned within the cavity. The COO(-) groups interacted with metal ions through static interactions. The Cys moiety of GSH interacted with the amide groups sited in host molecules through hydrogen-bonding interactions to produce measurable spectral changes. Fluorescent titrations of Zn-PMB upon the addition of GSH and ESI-MS investigations of the titration solutions confirmed the host-guest interaction modes and revealed the possible 1:1 complexation stoichiometry. These results showed that the recognition of a substrate within the cavity of functionalized metal-organic cage-like receptors could be a useful method to produce supramolecular sensors for biomolecules.

Colorimetric sensing of silver(I) and mercury(II) ions based on an assembly of Tween 20-stabilized gold nanoparticles

We have developed a rapid and homogeneous method for the highly selective detection of Hg(2+) and Ag(+) using Tween 20-modified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Citrate ions were found to still be adsorbed on the Au surface when citrate-capped AuNPs were modified with Tween 20, which stabilizes the citrate-capped AuNPs against conditions of high ionic strength. When citrate ions had reduced Hg(2+) and Ag(+) to form Hg-Au alloys and Ag on the surface of the AuNPs, Tween 20 was removed from the NP surface. As a result, the AuNPs were unstable under a high-ionic-strength solution, resulting in NP aggregation. The formation of Hg-Au alloys or Ag on the surface of the AuNPs was demonstrated by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Tween 20-AuNPs could selectively detect Hg(2+) and Ag(+) at concentrations as low as 0.1 and 0.1 microM in the presence of NaCl and EDTA, respectively. Moreover, the probe enables the analysis of AgNPs with a minimum detectable concentration that corresponds to 1 pM. This probe was successfully applied to detect Hg(2+) in drinking water and seawater, Ag(+) in drinking water, and AgNPs in drinking water.

Colorimetric assay of glutathione based on the spontaneous disassembly of aggregated gold nanocomposites conjugated with water-soluble polymer

This article describes the glutathione-triggered disassembly of gold nanocomposites composed of gold cores and water-soluble copolymers [poly(N-n-isopropylacrylamide-co-acryloyldiethyletriamine)] attached to the surfaces of gold cores. The gold nanocomposites exhibit a bluish purple color because of the assembled gold cores that are conjugated with the diethylenetriamine groups incorporated into the copolymers. Glutathione added to the gold nanocomposite solution adsorbs onto the surface of the gold cores to liberate diethylenetriamine groups, resulting in spontaneous disassembly that changes the color of the solution to a reddish shade. Increasing the glutathione concentration facilitates the spontaneous disassembly of the gold nanocomposites. For the determination of glutathione, the colorimetric change of the gold nanoparticles is quantified with the a* value of the L*a*b* color coordinates defined by the CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) chromaticity diagram. A linear relationship between the a* value and the glutathione concentration of up to 6 x 10(-6) mol/L is obtained 15 min after the addition of glutathione that has a detection limit (defined as 3sigma) of 2.9 x 10(-8) mol/L. The colorimetric assay is successfully applied to the determination of glutathione in eye drops and health supplements.

Fluorescent and colorimetric probes for detection of thiols

Due to the biological importances of thiols, such as cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione, the development of optical probes for thiols has been an active research area in recent few years. This critical review focuses on the fluorescent or colorimetric sensors for thiols according to their unique mechanisms between sensors and thiols, including Michael addition, cyclization with aldehyde, cleavage of sulfonamide and sulfonate ester by thiols, cleavage of selenium-nitrogen bond by thiols, cleavage of disulfide by thiols, metal complexes-oxidation-reduction, metal complexes-displace coordination, nano-particles and others (110 references).

Gold nanoparticle-based near-infrared fluorescent detection of biological thiols in human plasma

In this work, a new fluorescent method for sensitive detection of biological thiols in human plasma was developed using a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye, FR 730. The sensing approach was based on the strong affinity of thiols to gold and highly efficient fluorescent quenching ability of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). In the presence of thiols, the NIR fluorescence would enhance dramatically due to desorption of FR 730 from the surfaces of Au NPs, which allowed the analysis of thiol-containing amino acids in a very simple approach. The size of Au NPs was found to affect the fluorescent assay and the best response for cysteine detection was achieved when using Au NPs with the diameter of 24 nm, where a linear range of 2.5 x 10(-8)M to 4.0 x 10(-6)M and a detection limit of as low as 10nM was obtained. This method also demonstrated a high selectivity to thiol-containing amino acids due to the strong affinity of thiols to gold. An important feature of the method is that the present fluorescent assay works in the NIR region, which is particularly favorable for the optical detection/imaging of biological samples. The method was successfully applied to the determination of thiols in a complex multicomponent mixture such as human plasma, which suggests our proposed method has great potential for diagnostic purposes.