ACS Sens. 2023 Aug 25;8(8):3195-3204. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.3c00886. Epub 2023 Jul 21.
Flexible, water-soluble hosts are capable of selective molecular recognition in cellular environments and can detect neurotransmitters such as choline in cells. Both cationic and anionic water-soluble self-folded deep cavitands can recognize suitable styrylpyridinium dyes in cellular interiors. The dyes selectively accumulate in nucleotide-rich regions of the cell nucleus and cytoplasm. The hosts bind the dyes and promote their relocation to the outer cell membrane: the lipophilic cavitands predominantly reside in membrane environments but are still capable of binding suitable targets in other cellular organelles. Incubating the cells with structurally similar biomarkers such as choline, cholamine, betaine, or butyrylcholine illustrates the selective recognition. Choline and butyrylcholine can be bound by the hosts, but minimal binding is seen with betaine or cholamine. Varying the dye allows control of the optical detection method, and both "turn-on" sensing and "turn-off" sensing are possible.
柔性、水溶性主体能够在细胞环境中进行选择性的分子识别，并能检测细胞中的神经递质，如胆碱。阳离子和阴离子水溶性自折叠深穴主体都可以在细胞内部识别合适的苯乙烯吡啶染料。这些染料选择性地积累在细胞核和细胞质中富含核苷酸的区域。主体与染料结合并促进其重新定位到细胞膜外：亲脂性深穴主体主要存在于膜环境中，但仍能够与其他细胞细胞器中的合适靶标结合。用结构类似的生物标志物如胆碱、胆胺、甜菜碱或丁酰胆碱孵育细胞，说明了选择性识别。胆碱和丁酰胆碱可以被主体结合，但甜菜碱或胆胺的结合很少。改变染料可以控制光学检测方法，并且可以进行“开启”和“关闭”感应。
