Title:

Exogenous Clickable Phospholipids for Imaging Hydrogen Peroxide

Phospholipids are the fundamental building blocks of a cell’s various membranes. The integrity of these membranes between organelles and individual cells is of vital importance for the stability and continuous function of an organism. Peroxides are molecules that function as signaling molecules between cells in low concentrations but have the potential to produce a reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can wreak havoc on the cells within our bodies. In high concentrations, ROS degrade cellular membranes and collapse cellular function which lead to innumerable physiological complications; neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and physical degenerative diseases such as cancer. Characterization of the structure and function of cellular membranes during ROS degradation events is critical for understanding impacts to homeostasis and onset of disease. Membrane illumination while ROS are present is a task well suited to fluorescent biosensors, molecules that undergo structural modification in the presence of an analyte of interest. Integration of these sensors into the membrane of the cell is possible with recent advances in strain promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC). The literature reveals a method to use this SPAAC reaction to couple a biosensor to a synthetic phospholipid, which, when tailored with the appropriate sensor, enables the qualitative study of membrane function with an analyte of interest via fluorescence microscopy.

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