Mitochondrion‐Specific Live‐Cell Bioprobe Operated in a Fluorescence Turn‐On Manner and a Well‐Designed Photoactivatable Mechanism

Abstract

A novel mitochondrion-specific live-cell fluorescence turn-on photoactivatable bioprobe, named o-TPP3M, is designed and readily prepared, operating in a new photoactivatable mechanism based on a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer effect, the restriction of intramolecular rotations, and photocyclodehydrogenation. This bioprobe exhibits unique photoactivation behavior, a large signal-to-background ratio, and no cytotoxicity to living cells, providing a promising candidate for varied bioresearch.

Spatiotemporally Controllable Peptide‐Based Nanoassembly in Single Living Cells for a Biological Self‐Portrait

“…However, because of its complexity and dynamism, the physiological environment in vivo poses a major challenge to progress in medicine, chemistry, and biochemistry . The controlled self‐assembly of designed small molecules on the cellular and organ level has enabled pioneering efforts and valuable biological applications . However, the precise targeting of responsive supramolecular assemblies of synthetic compounds to specific biomolecules, such as intracellular enzymes, in single living cells is difficult and has rarely been reported .…”

“…Through the addition of signaling functionality to synthetic compounds, the real‐time visualization of the intracellular position of functional biomolecules and simultaneous evaluation of their bioactivity in single live cells would be achieved. This capability not only would help us to collect a large amount of information from a single cell but also might provide new insights into previously undiscovered biological processes …”

Aggregation‐Induced Emission for Highly Selective and Sensitive Fluorescent Biosensing and Cell Imaging

“…Fluorescent probes that can selectively illuminate specific organelle are highly desirable for studying cellular processes . For long time observation of dynamic changes within living cells, the fluorescent probe used must be photostable under continuous irradiation of the exciting light .…”

A Mitochondrion‐Specific Photoactivatable Fluorescence Turn‐On AIE‐Based Bioprobe for Localization Super‐Resolution Microscope

“…That is because o ‐TPE‐ON+ bears two electron‐donating (D) methoxy groups and two electron‐accepting (A) 1‐methylpyridinium groups, which endow o ‐TPE‐ON+ with twisted intramolecular charge‐transfer (TICT) characteristics. Under polar circumstance (such as H 2 O), TICT effect is stronger than AIE effect, leading to faint emission of the aggregates in the polar solvents (Figure S4b,c, Supporting Information) . In this way, o ‐TPE‐ON+ is nonemissive in an aqueous solution, which ensures it is in dark state before activation and thus a very low background.…”