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Tracking the Oxygen Status in the Cell Nucleus with a Hoechst‐Tagged Phosphorescent Ruthenium Complex
Author(s) -
Hara Daiki,
Umehara Yui,
Son Aoi,
Asahi Wataru,
Misu Sotaro,
Kurihara Ryohsuke,
Kondo Teruyuki,
Tanabe Kazuhito
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/cbic.201700685
Subject(s) - ruthenium , nucleus , oxygen , phosphorescence , organelle , chemistry , moiety , photochemistry , biophysics , stereochemistry , biochemistry , catalysis , biology , organic chemistry , fluorescence , physics , microbiology and biotechnology , quantum mechanics
Molecular oxygen in living cells is distributed and consumed inhomogeneously, depending on the activity of each organelle. Therefore, tractable methods that can be used to monitor the oxygen status in each organelle are needed to understand cellular function. Here we report the design of a new oxygen‐sensing probe for use in the cell nucleus. We prepared “Ru‐Hoechsts”, each consisting of a phosphorescent ruthenium complex linked to a Hoechst 33258 moiety, and characterized their properties as oxygen sensors. The Hoechst unit shows strong DNA‐binding properties in the nucleus, and the ruthenium complex shows oxygen‐dependent phosphorescence. Thus, Ru‐Hoechsts accumulated in the cell nucleus and showed oxygen‐dependent signals that could be monitored. Of the Ru‐Hoechsts prepared in this study, Ru‐Hoechst b , in which the ruthenium complex and the Hoechst unit were linked through a hexyl chain, showed the most suitable properties for monitoring the oxygen status. Ru‐Hoechsts are probes with high potential for visualizing oxygen fluctuations in the nucleus.