To respond to changes in their local surroundings, cells must be able to receive and process messages that originate outside their borders. Cells have transmembrane proteins called receptors that bind to signaling molecules outside the cell and then convey the signal via a series of chemical switches to internal signaling pathways. Recent research has shown that, along with conventional signaling molecules, which are large in size and often include charge, gaseous molecules such as Nitric oxide (NO), Carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can operate as signaling molecules and play profound regulatory roles in numerous physiological processes. These gaseous molecules have vital roles in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis, hence the development of appropriate chemical probes for their detection and measurement is required. The concentration of H2S will alter during the beginning and progression of disease states such as SEPSIS, hence fast and reliable detection of H2S is required to monitor disease progression. In this context, we synthesized a dual-mode chemical probe for H2S detection using fluorescence and Raman (SERS) approaches. A triple-mode probe employing fluorescence, SERS, and colorimetric techniques was also developed to differentiate biothiols such as H2S, Cysteine/Homocysteine, and GSH. A new probe for gasotransmitter CO detection has been developed and H2S interference in CO detection was addressed. Redox chemotherapeutic drugs act by inducing oxidative stress in cells. A series of naphthoquinones-containing compounds have been synthesized that exhibit promising anticancer properties and the redox imbalance caused by these molecules can be measured using a dual-mode redox active probe.
References:
1) Filipovic, M. R.; Zivanovic, J.; Alvarez, B.; Banerjee, R. Chem. Rev. 2018, 118, 3, 1253-1337.
2) Dickinson, B.C.; and Chang, C.J. Nat. Chem. Biol. 2011, 7, 8, 504-511.
3) Pereyra, C.E.; Dantas, R.F.; Ferreira, S.B.; Gomes, L.P. and Silva-Jr, F.P. Cancer Cell Int., 2019, 19, 1-20.
4) Parambil, A.P.; Shamjith, S.; Kurian, J.; Kesavan, A.; Sen, A.K.; Thangaraj, P.R.; Maiti, K.K. and Manheri, M.K. Anal. Methods, 2023, 15, 23, 2853-2860.