Cell-penetrating conjugates of coproporphyrins with oligoarginine peptides: Rational design and application for sensing intracellular O2

  • Ruslan I. Dmitriev
  • , Honorata M. Ropiak
  • , Gelii V. Ponomarev
  • , Dmitri V. Yashunsky
  • , Dmitri B. Papkovsky

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A panel of phosphorescent oligoarginine conjugates of tetracarboxylic Pt(II)-coproporphyrin I dye (PtCP), monosubstituted with long peptides or tetra-substituted with short peptides and having different linkers and peripheral groups, is described. Their photophysical properties, cell loading efficiency, and mechanisms of transport into the cell were investigated and compared. The conjugates were seen to rely on endocytotic mechanisms of cell entry, which are different from that of the unconjugated oligoarginine peptide, and show diverse patterns of intracellular distribution. On the basis of this study, the tetra-substituted PtCP conjugate displaying whole cell distribution was selected for the sensing of intracellular O2. This probe has been tested in biological experiments on a fluorescence plate reader, including the monitoring of in situ oxygenation of respiring cells and their responses to metabolic stimulation. Similar conjugates of the phosphorescent Pd(II)-coprorphyrin and fluorescent coproporphyrin-ketone were also synthesized and assessed for the sensing of low levels intracellular O2 and ratiometric pH-sensing, respectively. The results produced and the structure-activity relationships determined can facilitate the rational design of new bioconjugates of porphyrin dyes tailored to specific applications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2507-2518
Number of pages12
JournalBioconjugate Chemistry
Volume22
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Dec 2011

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cell-penetrating conjugates of coproporphyrins with oligoarginine peptides: Rational design and application for sensing intracellular O2'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this