"Zipper" molecular beacons: A generalized strategy to optimize the performance of activatable protease probes

Juan Chen; Tracy W.B. Liu; Pui Chi Lo; Brian C. Wilson; Gang Zheng

doi:10.1021/bc900207k

"Zipper" molecular beacons: A generalized strategy to optimize the performance of activatable protease probes

Juan Chen, Tracy W.B. Liu, Pui Chi Lo, Brian C. Wilson, Gang Zheng

Cancer Systems Imaging

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the proof-of-principle concept for zipper molecular beacons (ZMB) comprising an asymmetrical polyarginine/polyglutamate electrostatic "zipper" hairpin-linked fluorophore-quencher pair. The objective is to balance maximal quenching efficiency and optimal two-step activation (protease cleavage/zipper dissociation), while enhancing target cell uptake. This strategy also eliminates the peptide sequence dependence of conventional protease beacons. This ZMB concept is a generalizable approach to improve the functionality of a wide range of diagnostic/therapeutic probes through a simple switching of substrate sequences.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1836-1842
Number of pages	7
Journal	Bioconjugate Chemistry
Volume	20
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/bc900207k
State	Published - Oct 21 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biotechnology
Bioengineering
Biomedical Engineering
Pharmacology
Pharmaceutical Science
Organic Chemistry

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10.1021/bc900207k

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AU - Wilson, Brian C.

AU - Zheng, Gang

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"Zipper" molecular beacons: A generalized strategy to optimize the performance of activatable protease probes

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