1
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Wu RS, Lin YS, Nain A, Unnikrishnan B, Lin YF, Yang CR, Chen TH, Huang YF, Huang CC, Chang HT. Evaluation of chemotherapeutic response in living cells using subcellular Organelle‒Selective amphipathic carbon dots. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 211:114362. [PMID: 35617797 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of structural changes in subcellular organelles is critical to evaluate the chemotherapeutic response of cells. However, commercial organelle selective fluorophores are easily photobleached, and thus are unsuitable for real-time and long-term observation. We have developed photostable carbon-dot liposomes (CDsomes)-based fluorophores for organellar and suborganellar imaging to circumvent these issues. The CDs synthesized through a mild pyrolysis/hydrolysis process exhibit amphipathic nature and underwent self-assembly to form liposome-like structures (CDsomes). The controlled hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity-guided preparation of CDsomes are used to selectively and rapidly (<1 min) stain nucleolus, cytoplasm, and membrane. In addition, the CDsomes offer universal high-contrast staining not only in fixed cells but also in living cells, allowing real-time observation and morphological identification in the specimen. The as-prepared CDsomes exhibit excitation-dependent fluorescence, and are much more stable under photoirradiation (e.g., ultraviolet light) than traditional subcellular dyes. Interestingly, the CDsomes can be transferred to daughter cells by diluting the particles, enabling multigenerational tracking of suborganelle for up to six generations, without interrupting the staining pattern. Therefore, we believe that the ultra-photostable CDsomes with high biocompatibility, and long-term suborganellar imaging capabilities, hold a great potential for screening and evaluating therapeutic performance of various chemotherapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Siang Wu
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Syuan Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Amit Nain
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Binesh Unnikrishnan
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Feng Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ruei Yang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Heng Chen
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Fen Huang
- Institute of Analytical and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan; School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Ching Huang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan; School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, 20224, Taiwan
| | - Huan-Tsung Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
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2
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Dini D, Salatelli E, Decker F. EQCM Analysis of the Insertion Phenomena in a n-Doped Poly-Alkyl-Terthiophene With Regioregular Pattern of Substitution. Front Chem 2021; 9:711426. [PMID: 34490205 PMCID: PMC8417062 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.711426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present work, we have undertaken the study of the n-doping process in poly-3,3″-didodecyl-2,2':5',2″-terthiophene (poly-33″-DDTT) employing the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The present study aims at understanding how cathodic charge in n-doped poly-33″-DDTT is compensated. For this purpose, the in situ analysis of the variations of the polymeric mass has been considered. Poly-33″-DDTT was obtained as a thin coating onto a metallic substrate via the anodic coupling of the corresponding monomer 3,3″-didodecyl-2,2':5',2″-terthiophene (33″-DDTT). When subjected to electrochemical n-doping in the polarization interval -2.5 ≤ E appl ≤ 0 V vs. Ag/Ag+, the films of poly-33″-DDTT varied their mass according to a mechanism of cations insertion during n-doping and cations extraction during polymer neutralization. In fact, the electrochemical doping of polythiophenes requires the accompanying exchange of charged species to maintain the electroneutrality within the structure of the polymer in all states of polarization. At the end of a full electrochemical cycle (consisting of the n-doping and the successive neutralization of poly-33″-DDTT), the polymer retains a fraction of the mass acquired during n-doping, thus manifesting the phenomena of mass trapping. The combined analysis of electrochemical and microgravimetric data suggests that poly-33″-DDTT in the n-doped state undergoes (or electrocatalyzes) uncontrolled electrochemical reactions that are not accompanied by mass variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Dini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Salatelli
- Department of Industrial Chemistry "Toso Montanari", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Franco Decker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
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3
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Cantelli A, Malferrari M, Soldà A, Simonetti G, Forni S, Toscanella E, Mattioli EJ, Zerbetto F, Zanelli A, Di Giosia M, Zangoli M, Barbarella G, Rapino S, Di Maria F, Calvaresi M. Human Serum Albumin-Oligothiophene Bioconjugate: A Phototheranostic Platform for Localized Killing of Cancer Cells by Precise Light Activation. JACS AU 2021; 1:925-935. [PMID: 34467339 PMCID: PMC8395684 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The electronic, optical, and redox properties of thiophene-based materials have made them pivotal in nanoscience and nanotechnology. However, the exploitation of oligothiophenes in photodynamic therapy is hindered by their intrinsic hydrophobicity that lowers their biocompatibility and availability in water environments. Here, we developed human serum albumin (HSA)-oligothiophene bioconjugates that afford the use of insoluble oligothiophenes in physiological environments. UV-vis and electrophoresis proved the conjugation of the oligothiophene sensitizers to the protein. The bioconjugate is water-soluble and biocompatible, does not have any "dark toxicity", and preserves HSA in the physiological monomeric form, as confirmed by dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism measurements. In contrast, upon irradiation with ultralow light doses, the bioconjugate efficiently produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and leads to the complete eradication of cancer cells. Real-time monitoring of the photokilling activity of the HSA-oligothiophene bioconjugate shows that living cells "explode" upon irradiation. Photodependent and dose-dependent apoptosis is one of the primary mechanisms of cell death activated by bioconjugate irradiation. The bioconjugate is a novel theranostic platform able to generate ROS intracellularly and provide imaging through the fluorescence of the oligothiophene. It is also a real-time self-reporting system able to monitor the apoptotic process. The induced phototoxicity is strongly confined to the irradiated region, showing localized killing of cancer cells by precise light activation of the bioconjugate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cantelli
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marco Malferrari
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alice Soldà
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Simonetti
- IRCCS
Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, Via Piero Maroncelli, 40, 47014 Meldola, FC, Italy
| | - Sonny Forni
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Edoardo Toscanella
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Edoardo J. Mattioli
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Zerbetto
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto Zanelli
- Istituto
per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Giosia
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Mattia Zangoli
- Istituto
per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
- Mediteknology
srl, Via Piero Gobetti,
101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanna Barbarella
- Istituto
per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
- Mediteknology
srl, Via Piero Gobetti,
101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Rapino
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Maria
- Istituto
per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività (ISOF), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
- Mediteknology
srl, Via Piero Gobetti,
101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Calvaresi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica “Giacomo Ciamician, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Francesco Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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4
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Novel (Phenothiazinyl)Vinyl-Pyridinium Dyes and Their Potential Applications as Cellular Staining Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062985. [PMID: 33804193 PMCID: PMC7999001 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here the synthesis and structural characterization of novel cationic (phenothiazinyl)vinyl-pyridinium (PVP) dyes, together with optical (absorption/emission) properties and their potential applicability as fluorescent labels. Convective heating, ultrasound irradiation and mechanochemical synthesis were considered as alternative synthetic methodologies proficient for overcoming drawbacks such as long reaction time, nonsatisfactory yields or solvent requirements in the synthesis of novel dye (E)-1-(3-chloropropyl)-4-(2-(10-methyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)vinyl)pyridin-1-ium bromide 3d and its N-alkyl-2-methylpyridinium precursor 1c. The trans geometry of the newly synthesized (E)-4-(2-(7-bromo-10-ethyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)vinyl)-1-methylpyridin-1-ium iodide 3b and (E)-1-methyl-4-(2-(10-methyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)vinyl)pyridin-1-ium tetrafluoroborate 3a′ was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. A negative solvatochromism of the dyes in polar solvents was highlighted by UV-Vis spectroscopy and explanatory insights were supported by molecular modeling which suggested a better stabilization of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO). The photostability of the dye 3b was investigated by irradiation at 365 nm in different solvents, while the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence properties of dye 3b and 3a′ in solid state were evaluated under one-photon excitation at 485 nm. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the new PVP dyes on B16-F10 melanoma cells was evaluated by WST-1 assay, while their intracellular localization was assessed by epi-fluorescence conventional microscopy imaging as well as one- and two-photon excited confocal fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). PVP dyes displayed low cytotoxicity, good internalization inside melanoma cells and intense fluorescence emission inside the B16-F10 murine melanoma cells, making them suitable staining agents for imaging applications.
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5
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O’Hagan S, Kell DB. Structural Similarities between Some Common Fluorophores Used in Biology, Marketed Drugs, Endogenous Metabolites, and Natural Products. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E582. [PMID: 33238416 PMCID: PMC7700180 DOI: 10.3390/md18110582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that at least some fluorophores can act as 'surrogate' substrates for solute carriers (SLCs) involved in pharmaceutical drug uptake, and this promiscuity is taken to reflect at least a certain structural similarity. As part of a comprehensive study seeking the 'natural' substrates of 'orphan' transporters that also serve to take up pharmaceutical drugs into cells, we have noted that many drugs bear structural similarities to natural products. A cursory inspection of common fluorophores indicates that they too are surprisingly 'drug-like', and they also enter at least some cells. Some are also known to be substrates of efflux transporters. Consequently, we sought to assess the structural similarity of common fluorophores to marketed drugs, endogenous mammalian metabolites, and natural products. We used a set of some 150 fluorophores along with standard fingerprinting methods and the Tanimoto similarity metric. Results: The great majority of fluorophores tested exhibited significant similarity (Tanimoto similarity > 0.75) to at least one drug, as judged via descriptor properties (especially their aromaticity, for identifiable reasons that we explain), by molecular fingerprints, by visual inspection, and via the "quantitative estimate of drug likeness" technique. It is concluded that this set of fluorophores does overlap with a significant part of both the drug space and natural products space. Consequently, fluorophores do indeed offer a much wider opportunity than had possibly been realised to be used as surrogate uptake molecules in the competitive or trans-stimulation assay of membrane transporter activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve O’Hagan
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK;
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess St, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Douglas B. Kell
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Molecular, Integrative and Systems Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Building 220, Kemitorvet, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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6
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Zangoli M, Di Maria F. Synthesis, characterization, and biological applications of semiconducting polythiophene‐based nanoparticles. VIEW 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Zangoli
- Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche CNR‐ISOF and Mediteknology srl Bologna Italy
| | - Francesca Di Maria
- Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche CNR‐ISOF and Mediteknology srl Bologna Italy
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7
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Canola S, Mardegan L, Bergamini G, Villa M, Acocella A, Zangoli M, Ravotto L, Vinogradov SA, Di Maria F, Ceroni P, Negri F. One- and two-photon absorption properties of quadrupolar thiophene-based dyes with acceptors of varying strengths. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2019; 18:2180-2190. [PMID: 30816403 PMCID: PMC6713623 DOI: 10.1039/c9pp00006b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The one-photon (1P) and two-photon (2P) absorption properties of three quadrupolar dyes, featuring thiophene as a donor and acceptors of varying strengths, are determined by a combination of experimental and computational methods employing the density functional theory (DFT). The emission shifts in different solvents are well reproduced by time-dependent DFT calculations with the linear response and state specific approaches in the framework of the polarizable continuum model. The calculations show that the energies of both 1P- and 2P-active states decrease with an increase of the strength of the acceptor. The 2P absorption cross-sections predicted by the response theory are accounted for by considering just one intermediate state (S1) in the sum-over-states formulation. For the chromophore featuring the stronger acceptor, the energetic positions of the 1P- and 2P-active states prevent the exploitation of the theoretically predicted very high 2P activity due to the competing 1P absorption into the S1 state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Canola
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. and INSTM, UdR Bologna, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mardegan
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Giacomo Bergamini
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Marco Villa
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Angela Acocella
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Mattia Zangoli
- MEDITEKNOLOGY srl, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Ravotto
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Sergei A Vinogradov
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Francesca Di Maria
- CNR-NANOTEC - Instituto di Nanotecnologia, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
| | - Paola Ceroni
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Fabrizia Negri
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Via F. Selmi, 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy. and INSTM, UdR Bologna, Italy
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8
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Shao W, Kaldas SJ, Yudin AK. 3-Cyanoallyl boronates are versatile building blocks in the synthesis of polysubstituted thiophenes. Chem Sci 2017; 8:4431-4436. [PMID: 28936329 PMCID: PMC5590094 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc00831g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the preparation of hitherto unprecedented 3-cyanoallyl boronates using condensation of the parent α-boryl aldehyde and nitriles. The resulting allyl boronates have been used to generate a wide range of borylated thiophenes, which represent a valuable class of heterocycles in modern drug discovery. Subsequent Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling enabled the synthesis of pharmaceutically important 3,5-disubstituted aminothiophenes. Moreover, late stage functionalization gave access to borylated bromothiophene and thieno[2,3-b]pyridines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Shao
- Davenport Research Laboratories , Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , 80 St. George St. , Toronto , ON M5S 3H6 , Canada .
| | - Sherif J Kaldas
- Davenport Research Laboratories , Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , 80 St. George St. , Toronto , ON M5S 3H6 , Canada .
| | - Andrei K Yudin
- Davenport Research Laboratories , Department of Chemistry , University of Toronto , 80 St. George St. , Toronto , ON M5S 3H6 , Canada .
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9
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Barbarella G, Zangoli M, Di Maria F. Synthesis and Applications of Thiophene Derivatives as Organic Materials. ADVANCES IN HETEROCYCLIC CHEMISTRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aihch.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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10
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Carrillo-Carrion C, Escudero A, Parak WJ. Optical sensing by integration of analyte-sensitive fluorophore to particles. Trends Analyt Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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11
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Di Maria F, Blasi L, Quarta A, Bergamini G, Barbarella G, Giorgini L, Benaglia M. New biocompatible polymeric micelles designed for efficient intracellular uptake and delivery. J Mater Chem B 2015; 3:8963-8972. [PMID: 32263028 DOI: 10.1039/c5tb01631b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
New amphiphilic block copolymers are easily synthesised by post-polymerisation modifications of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) chain derivatives. The obtained material, upon dispersion in water, is capable of self-assembling into robust micelles. These nanoparticles, which are also characterised by adaptable stability, were loaded with different thiophene based fluorophores. The photoluminescent micelles were administered to cultured cells revealing a high and rapid internalisation of structurally different fluorescent molecules by the same internalisation pathway. Appropriate pairs of chromophores were selected and loaded into the micelles to induce Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The disappearing of the FRET phenomenon, after cell uptaking, demonstrated the intracellular release of the nanoparticle contents. The studied nanomaterial and the loaded chromophores have also shown to be biocompatible and non toxic towards the tested cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Maria
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Area della Ricerca, via P. Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy.
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12
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Barbarella G, Di Maria F. Supramolecular oligothiophene microfibers spontaneously assembled on surfaces or coassembled with proteins inside live cells. Acc Chem Res 2015; 48:2230-41. [PMID: 26234700 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.5b00241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
During the last few decades, multifunctional nano- and microfibers made of semiconducting π-conjugated oligomers and polymers have generated much interest because of a broad range of applications extending from sensing to bioelectronic devices and (opto)electronics. The simplest technique for the fabrication of these anisotropic supramolecular structures is to let the molecules do the work by spontaneous organization driven by the information encoded in their molecular structure. Oligothiophenes-semiconducting and fluorescent compounds that have been extensively investigated for applications in thin-film field-effect transistors and solar cells and to a lesser extent as dyes for fluorescent labeling of proteins, DNA, and live cells-are particularly suited as building blocks for supramolecular architectures because of the peculiar properties of the thiophene ring. Because of the great polarizability of sulfur outer-shell electrons and the consequent facile geometric deformability and adaptability of the ring to the environment, thiophene can generate multiple nonbonding interactions to promote non-covalent connections between blocks. Furthermore, sulfur can be hypervalent, i.e., it can accommodate more than the eight electrons normally associated with s and p shells. Hypervalent oligothiophene-S,S-dioxides whose oxygen atoms can be involved in hydrogen bonding have been synthesized. These compounds are amphiphilic, and some of them are able to spontaneously cross the membrane of live cells. Hypervalent nonbonding interactions of divalent sulfur, defined as weak coordination to a proximate nitrogen or oxygen, have also been invoked in the solid-state packing of many organic molecules and in the architecture of proteins. In this Account, we describe two different types of thiophene-based building blocks that can induce the spontaneous formation of nanostructured microfibers in very different environments. The first, based on the synthesis of "sulfur-overrich" hexamers and octamers, leads to surface-independent self-assembly of microfibers-helical or rodlike depending on the groups attached to the same identical inner core-that are crystalline, fluorescent, and conductive and display chirality despite the lack of chiral carbon atoms on the building blocks. Supramolecular polymorphic microfibers are also formed, and they are characterized by very different functional properties. The second, based on a rigid oligothiophene-S,S-dioxide, leads to coassembled protein-oligothiophene microfibers that are physiologically formed inside live cells. The oligothiophene-S,S-dioxide can indeed spontaneously cross the membrane of live cells and be directed toward the perinuclear region, where it is recognized and incorporated by specific peptides during the formation of fibrillar proteins without being harmful to the cells. Coassembled oligothiophene-protein microfibers are progressively formed through a cell-mediated physiological process. Thanks to the oligothiophene blocks, the microfibers possess fluorescence and charge-conduction properties. By means of fluorescence imaging, we demonstrated that various types of live cells seeded on these microfibers were able to internalize and degrade them, experiencing in turn different effects on their morphology and viability, suggesting a possible use of the microfibers as multiscale biomaterials to direct cell behavior. On the whole, our results show the great versatility of oligothiophene building blocks and allow us to foresee that their capabilities of spontaneous assembly in the most different environments could be exploited in much more exciting research fields than those explored to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Barbarella
- Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche (CNR-ISOF), Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Maria
- Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche (CNR-ISOF), Via P. Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi”, Università del Salento, via Monteroni, I-73100 Lecce, Italy
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13
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Magnusson K, Appelqvist H, Cieślar-Pobuda A, Wigenius J, Karlsson T, Łos MJ, Kågedal B, Jonasson J, Nilsson KPR. Differential vital staining of normal fibroblasts and melanoma cells by an anionic conjugated polyelectrolyte. Cytometry A 2015; 87:262-72. [PMID: 25605326 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.22627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Molecular probes for imaging of live cells are of great interest for studying biological and pathological processes. The anionic luminescent conjugated polythiophene (LCP) polythiophene acetic acid (PTAA), has previously been used for vital staining of cultured fibroblasts as well as transformed cells with results indicating differential staining due to cell phenotype. Herein, we investigated the behavior of PTAA in two normal and five transformed cells lines. PTAA fluorescence in normal cells appeared in a peripheral punctated pattern whereas the probe was more concentrated in a one-sided perinuclear localization in the five transformed cell lines. In fibroblasts, PTAA fluorescence was initially associated with fibronectin and after 24 h partially localized to lysosomes. The uptake and intracellular target in malignant melanoma cells was more ambiguous and the intracellular target of PTAA in melanoma cells is still elusive. PTAA was well tolerated by both fibroblasts and melanoma cells, and microscopic analysis as well as viability assays showed no signs of negative influence on growth. Stained cells maintained their proliferation rate for at least 12 generations. Although the probe itself was nontoxic, photoinduced cellular toxicity was observed in both cell lines upon irradiation directly after staining. However, no cytotoxicity was detected when the cells were irradiated 24 h after staining, indicating that the photoinduced toxicity is dependent on the cellular location of the probe. Overall, these studies certified PTAA as a useful agent for vital staining of cells, and that PTAA can potentially be used to study cancer-related biological and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Magnusson
- Division of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Palamà IE, Di Maria F, D'Amone S, Barbarella G, Gigli G. Biocompatible and biodegradable fluorescent microfibers physiologically secreted by live cells upon spontaneous uptake of thiophene fluorophore. J Mater Chem B 2015; 3:151-158. [DOI: 10.1039/c4tb01562b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Physiological secretion of fluorescent nanostructured microfibers upon spontaneous uptake of the appropriate organic fluorophore by live cells and the effects of cell seeding on the isolated microfibers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca Di Maria
- Dept. Matematica e Fisica ‘Ennio De Giorgi’
- University of Salento
- Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale Ricerche (CNR-ISOF)
- Bologna
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Gigli
- Institute Nanoscience CNR (NNL, CNR-NANO)
- Lecce
- Italy
- Dept. Matematica e Fisica ‘Ennio De Giorgi’
- University of Salento
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15
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Rasmussen SC, Evenson SJ, McCausland CB. Fluorescent thiophene-based materials and their outlook for emissive applications. Chem Commun (Camb) 2015; 51:4528-43. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cc09206f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
An overview of fluorescent thiophene-based materials and their applications, highlighting in particular the various methods employed to achieve highly emissive materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth C. Rasmussen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- North Dakota State University
- Fargo
- USA
| | - Sean J. Evenson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- North Dakota State University
- Fargo
- USA
| | - Casey B. McCausland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- North Dakota State University
- Fargo
- USA
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