Guo Yong, Huang Zhenlong, Wang Luwei, Gao Xinwei, Chen Yingying, Lu Feixiang, Sun Chengming, Li Haitao, Li Hao, He Yejun, Yan Wei, Liu Liwei, Qu Junle
College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, State Key Laboratory of Radio Frequency Heterogeneous Integration (Shenzhen University), Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China.
College of Agriculture, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Research Institute of Smart Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Anal Chem. 2025 Mar 18;97(10):5744-5752. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06843. Epub 2025 Mar 7.
Fluorescence imaging is a key tool for visualizing the morphology and dynamics of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in living cells to understand their role in regulating the growth, development, and reproduction of organisms. However, effective probes capable of simultaneously targeting both DNA and RNA, as well as tools for analyzing their distribution and relative ratios in organisms, are currently lacking. Therefore, fluorine-nitrogen codoped carbon dots with two-photon absorption (F-NCDs) were synthesized by the hydrothermal method and exhibited stable fluorescence, good biocompatibility, and a fluorescence lifetime sensitive to nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). The as-prepared F-NCDs act as a probe to quantify and distinguish the distribution of DNA and RNA in the nucleus via multicolor imaging by two-photon fluorescence lifetime microscopy (TP-FLIM). The method was particularly effective in tracking changes in the DNA/RNA distribution in plant cell nuclei (onion root tips) during different division stages and distinguishing animal tissues (zebrafish). The development of F-NCDs provides insights into the preparation of two-photon carbon dots and offers an effective visualization tool for TP-FLIM to dynamically study the function of genetic material in various life activities.
荧光成像对于可视化活细胞中核酸（DNA和RNA）的形态和动态以了解它们在调节生物体生长、发育和繁殖中的作用而言是一种关键工具。然而，目前缺乏能够同时靶向DNA和RNA的有效探针以及用于分析它们在生物体中的分布和相对比例的工具。因此，通过水热法合成了具有双光子吸收的氟氮共掺杂碳点（F-NCDs），其表现出稳定的荧光、良好的生物相容性以及对核酸（DNA和RNA）敏感的荧光寿命。所制备的F-NCDs通过双光子荧光寿命显微镜（TP-FLIM）进行多色成像，作为一种探针来定量和区分细胞核中DNA和RNA的分布。该方法在追踪植物细胞核（洋葱根尖）在不同分裂阶段的DNA/RNA分布变化以及区分动物组织（斑马鱼）方面特别有效。F-NCDs的开发为双光子碳点的制备提供了见解，并为TP-FLIM动态研究遗传物质在各种生命活动中的功能提供了一种有效的可视化工具。
