1 research outputs found
Near-Infrared Molecular Logic Gate for <i>In Situ</i> Construction and Quantification of Cell–Macromolecule Conjugates
Engineering cell surfaces with macromolecules offers
the potential
to manipulate and control their phenotype and function for cell-based
therapies. In situ construction and real-time evaluation
of cell–macromolecule conjugates are vital for characterizing
their dynamics, mobility, and function but remain a great challenge.
Herein, we design a near-infrared (NIR) heptamethine cyanine (LS)-bearing
dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) and norbornene (NB) in its structure for
rapid and selective bioorthogonal “click” coupling to
azide-labeled cells and tetrazine-functionalized macromolecular precursors.
Specifically, only orthogonal dual “click” cell–macromolecule
conjugates turn on NIR fluorescence, in which LS behaves as an AND
logic gate, with azide- and tetrazine-derivatives being “input”
and the emission intensity as the output. LS enables in situ construction and real-time evaluation of the process and functional
effects that macromolecules “graft to” cells with high
cytocompatibility. This probe is tailor-made for live-cell microscopy
technologies, which may open new opportunities for promoting further
developments in cell-tracking and cell-based therapies