Targeted imaging of lysosomal zinc ions with a tetrahedral DNA framework fluorescent reporter.

ABSTRACT: Abnormal levels of zinc ions within endo-lysosomes have been implicated in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the detection of low-concentration zinc ions at the organelle level remains challenging. Here we report the design of an endo-lysosome-targeted fluorescent reporter, Znluor_ly, for imaging endogenous zinc ions. Znluor_ly is constructed from an amphiphilic DNA framework (DNF) with programmable size and shape, which can encapsulate zinc-responsive fluorophores within its hydrophobic nanocavity. We find that the tetrahedral DNFs of 20 bp in the edge length are effectively located within endo-lysosomes, which can detect zinc ions with a detection limit of ∼31.9 nM (a sensitivity that is ∼2.5 times that of the free fluorophore). Given the organelle-targ

SUBMITTER: Gao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11493095 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature