A Single Nanoprobe for Ratiometric Imaging and Biosensing of Hypochlorite and Glutathione in Live Cells Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Anal Chem. 2016 Oct 4;88(19):9518-9523. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b02081. Epub 2016 Sep 16.

Abstract

Hypochlorite (ClO-) and glutathione (GSH) have been reported to closely correlate with oxidative stress and related diseases; however, a clear mechanism is still unknown, mainly owing to a lack of accurate analytical methods for live cells. Herein we create a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobe, 4-mercaptophenol (4-MP)-functionalized gold flowers (AuF/MP), for imaging and biosensing of ClO- and GSH in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells upon oxidative stress. The SERS spectra of AuF/MP change with the reaction between ClO- and 4-MP on AuFs within 1 min and then recover after reaction with GSH, resulting in the ratiometric detection of ClO- and GSH with high accuracy. The single SERS probe also shows high selectivity for ClO- and GSH detection against other reactive oxygen species and amino acids which may exist in biological systems, as well as remarkable sensitivity ascribed to a larger amount of hot spots on AuFs. The significant analytical performance of the developed nanoprobe, together with good biocompatibility and high cell-permeability, enables the present SERS probe imaging and real-time detection of ClO- and GSH in live cells upon oxidative stress.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Glutathione / analysis*
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Hypochlorous Acid / analysis*
  • Indicators and Reagents / chemistry
  • Indicators and Reagents / pharmacology*
  • Indicators and Reagents / toxicity
  • Mice
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / toxicity
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Phenols / chemistry
  • Phenols / toxicity
  • RAW 264.7 Cells
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman / methods
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / chemistry
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds / toxicity

Substances

  • 4-mercaptophenol
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Phenols
  • Sulfhydryl Compounds
  • Hypochlorous Acid
  • Gold
  • Glutathione