Synthetic green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore analog for rapid, selective and sensitive detection of cyanide in water and in living cells

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Chemical, 2018-07, Vol.265, p.257-263
• Main Authors: Mirajkar, Abhishek L., Mittapelli, Lavanya L., Nawale, Ganesh N., Gore, Kiran R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cells; Cells (biology); Chromophores; Cyanide chemodosimeter; Cyanides; Drinking water; Fluorescence; Fluorogenic chemosensor; GFP; HBI; Proteins; THBI; Time dependence; Toxicity; Water pollution
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2018.03.068

[Display omitted] •THBI is a novel synthetic GFP chromophore analog for rapid (in less than 5 s) detection of cyanide in water.•The probe exhibited excellent selectivity and 24-fold fluorescence enhancement towards cyanide over 10 different anions.•THBI is found to be feasible for naked eye cyanide detection. It exhibits rapid colour change from colourless to yellow.•THBI has a very small detection limit of 0.17 μM (4.5 ppb) which is much lower than WHO limit.•THBI can efficiently detect cyanide in water, in live cell and on the solid support. Here, we report Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) chromophore analog as a turn-on fluorescent chemodosimeter (THBI) for selective detection of cyanide in water, on solid state and in living cells. The detection limit was found to be 0.17 μM (4.5 ppb). The time dependent study revealed that there is a rapid enhancement in fluorescence intensity (in less than 5s) and was constant over the period of 1 h. Cell imaging data exhibited that THBI was successfully crossed cell membrane and visualized fluorescence response in live HCT cells.