A Cell-Penetrating Ratiometric Nanoprobe for Intracellular Chloride

• DOI: 10.1021/ol300086w
• Publication Date: 2012-05-25T19:16:20Z
• Authors: Luca Baù; Francesco Selvestrel; Maria Arduini; Ilaria Zamparo; Claudia Lodovichi; Fabrizio Mancin
• Keywords: in vivo cells; 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; Molecular Structure; Quinolinium Compounds; Intracellular Space; Silicon Dioxide; Cell Line; 03 medical and health sciences; Chlorides; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Animals; Nanoparticles; sensor for Chloride

NanoChlor, a nanoparticle-based fluorescent probe for chloride that is both ratiometric and capable of spontaneously penetrating neuronal cells at submillimolar concentrations, was designed and studied. NanoChlor is built on silica nanoparticles grafted with 6-methoxyquinolinium as the chloride-sensitive component and fluorescein as the reference dye. A Stern-Volmer constant of 50 M(-1) was measured in Ringer's buffer at pH 7.2, and the response to chemically induced chloride currents was recorded in real time in hippocampal cells.