Abstract
Small-molecule synthetic fluorescent probes represent powerful tools for interrogating labile zinc pools in biology. Transported into cells through passive diffusion, they are particularly well suited for visualizing dynamic changes of zinc in living systems. When employing fluorescent probes for visualizing biological zinc, there are important limitations that differentiate this approach from quantitative microanalytical techniques. Notably, fluorescent probes engage in a competitive exchange equilibrium with endogenous ligands and proteins and thus detect changes of labile Zn(II) pools rather than total cellular zinc levels. Focusing on design approaches and photophysical concepts, this chapter offers an overview of the most widely employed fluorogenic and ratiometric probes for the detection of Zn(II) in a biological environment, discusses concepts relevant for the design and application of Zn(II)-responsive probes for two-photon excitation microscopy, and outlines current challenges and limitations of their application in biological systems.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support from the National Science Foundation under grant CHE-1306943 and the National Institutes of Health under the award number R01GM067169 is gratefully acknowledged. We also thank Dr. M. Thomas Morgan for a critical review of the manuscript.
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Yu, J., Fahrni, C.J. (2019). In Situ Imaging of Zinc with Synthetic Fluorescent Probes. In: Fukada, T., Kambe, T. (eds) Zinc Signaling. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0557-7_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0557-7_18
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