Photo-triggered Zn2+ release for the regulation of zinc enzymes

摘要

Zinc ions (Zn2+) play a critical role in the regulation of zinc enzymes and cell metabolism. However, previous Zn2+ delivery methods are usually based on pH-responsive zinc coordination complexes, which are difficult for the precise control of Zn2+ release at desired locations. To tackle this challenge, we herein developed a photo-triggered Zn2+ release system based on HBTH-Zn-TAT nanoparticles (NPs) with 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-benzothiazolines (HBTH) as the Zn2+ ligand, DSPE-PEG/DSPE-PEG-Mal polymers as the matrix and TAT peptide as the cell penetrating ligand. HBTH-Zn-TAT NPs can quickly release Zn2+ under white light irradiation and efficiently regulate extra- and intracellular zinc enzyme activities, such as carbonic anhydrase, caspase-3 and protein phosphatase type 2A (PP2A). Based on the advantages of the photo-triggered release of Zn2+ with a high spatiotemporal resolution, HBTH-Zn-TAT NPs are promising for the regulation of zinc enzymes and corresponding bioactivities.

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