Beyond zinc coordination: Bioimaging applications of Zn(II)-complexes

This article focuses on the bioimaging applications of fluorescent Zn(II)-complexes. Thanks to the biocompatible nature of zinc ions that makes possible the use of Zn(II)-complexes in various cell imaging applications with minimal cytotoxicity. The ability of Zn(II)-complexes to bind phosphate derived anions is important. This provides a useful way to design fluorescent probes targeting intracellular phosphates and anionic phospholipids at the cell surface, which is the characteristic feature of apoptosis. The phosphate-binding ability of Zn(II)-complexes is further used in protein labeling, targeted drug delivery, and imaging of bacterial infections. Staining of different subcellular locations is also achieved by employing fluorescent Zn(II)-complexes. Altogether, fluorescent Zn(II)-complexes represent a unique class of synthetic fluorescent probes that have several biological applications ranging from bioimaging to therapeutics. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This article discusses the importance of fluorescent Zn(II)-complexes in bioimaging applications, highlighting their use in cell imaging, cell surface labeling, protein labeling, targeted drug delivery, and subcellular localization.