Sub-Second Ratiometric Fluorescence Imaging of Histamine Dynamics in Living Cells via a Supramolecular Probe.
- 1Department of Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- 2Institute of Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging in Medicine, East China Normal University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Abstract
Histamine (HA) is a critical neurotransmitter, yet its intracellular dysregulation remains difficult to monitor due to the slow kinetics and environmental sensitivity of traditional fluorescent probes. Herein, we report a supramolecular ratiometric probe engineered via the host-guest self-assembly of cationic fluorophores with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). By precisely modulating the cationic locus within the guests, we achieved a 2:1 (host:guest) stoichiometric complex (CB[7]₂⊃GA-1) that displays a distinct 60 nm bathochromic shift. Functioning via a competitive displacement mechanism, this probe demonstrates exceptional selectivity and an ultrafast response time of 0.96 s (kobs = 3.56 s⁻ ¹). We successfully utilized this system to visualize real-time HA fluctuations in living mast cells with sub-second resolution. Notably, our imaging revealed a quantitative correlation between nigericin-induced cytoplasmic HA elevation and mast cell rupture. These findings validate the probe's efficacy in tracking cellular inflammatory responses and highlight its potential as an early-warning indicator for drug-induced cytotoxicity. Consequently, this work offers a robust tool for dissecting HA-related pathophysiology and establishes a generalizable design paradigm for the rapid, ratiometric sensing of biologically relevant analytes.
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BibTeX
@article{chan2026subsecond,
title = {{Sub-Second Ratiometric Fluorescence Imaging of Histamine Dynamics in Living Cells via a Supramolecular Probe.}},
author = {Chenming Chan and Yujie Han and Yu-Fei Song and Chunlei Jiang and Qi-Wei Zhang},
journal = {Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/advs.78254},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42875831},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Sub-Second Ratiometric Fluorescence Imaging of Histamine Dynamics in Living Cells via a Supramolecular Probe.
AU - Chenming Chan
AU - Yujie Han
AU - Yu-Fei Song
AU - Chunlei Jiang
AU - Qi-Wei Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
DO - 10.1002/advs.78254
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42875831
AB - Histamine (HA) is a critical neurotransmitter, yet its intracellular dysregulation remains difficult to monitor due to the slow kinetics and environmental sensitivity of traditional fluorescent probes. Herein, we report a supramolecular ratiometric probe engineered via the host-guest self-assembly of cationic fluorophores with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). By precisely modulating the cationic locus within the guests, we achieved a 2:1 (host:guest) stoichiometric complex (CB[7]₂⊃GA-1) that displays a distinct 60 nm bathochromic shift. Functioning via a competitive displacement mechanism, this probe demonstrates exceptional selectivity and an ultrafast response time of 0.96 s (kobs = 3.56 s⁻ ¹). We successfully utilized this system to visualize real-time HA fluctuations in living mast cells with sub-second resolution. Notably, our imaging revealed a quantitative correlation between nigericin-induced cytoplasmic HA elevation and mast cell rupture. These findings validate the probe's efficacy in tracking cellular inflammatory responses and highlight its potential as an early-warning indicator for drug-induced cytotoxicity. Consequently, this work offers a robust tool for dissecting HA-related pathophysiology and establishes a generalizable design paradigm for the rapid, ratiometric sensing of biologically relevant analytes.
SN - 2198-3844
ER -