Biothiol Xenon MRI Sensor Based on Thiol-Addition Reaction

Abstract

Biothiols such as cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH) play an important role in regulating the vital functions of living organisms. Knowledge of their biodistribution in real-time could help diagnose a variety of conditions. However, existing methods of biothiol detection are invasive and require assays. Herein we report a molecular biosensor for biothiol detection using the nuclear spin resonance of (129)Xe. The (129)Xe biosensor consists of a cryptophane cage encapsulating a xenon atom and an acrylate group. The latter serves as a reactive site to covalently bond biothiols through a thiol-addition reaction. The biosensor enables discrimination of Cys from Hcy and GSH through the chemical shift and average reaction rate. This biosensor can be detected at a concentration of 10 μM in a single scan and it has been applied to detect biothiols in bovine serum solution. Our results indicate that this biosensor is a promising tool for the real-time imaging of biothiol distributions.