A nuclear-targeted activity-based sensing probe for ratiometric imaging of formaldehyde reveals endogenous epigenetic contributors to the nuclear formaldehyde pool.

ABSTRACT: Formaldehyde (FA) is both a one-carbon (1C) metabolite and a potent genotoxin in living cells. FA plays beneficial roles in endogenous catabolic processes and cellular signaling, but its potent electrophilicity necessitates strict regulation. This dichotomy is especially important in the nucleus, where endogenously produced FA has been shown to promote toxicity and disease by generating deleterious DNA adducts. More broadly, the sources and scavenging mechanisms of FA differ across subcellular compartments, underscoring the need for imaging sensors with subcellular spatial resolution to accurately probe contributions of FA to transient, local 1C pools. Here, we report NucRFAP-2, a nuclear-targeted, activity-based ratiometric probe for FA detection, and apply it to monitor dynamic changes i

SUBMITTER: Tenney L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12695149 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature