Two-Photon DNAzyme–Gold Nanoparticle Probe for Imaging Intracellular Metal Ions

RNA-cleaving DNAzymes have been demonstrated as a promising platform for sensing metal ions. However, the poor biological imaging performance of RNA-cleaving DNAzyme-based fluorescent probes has limited their intracellular applications. Compared with traditional one-photon fluorescence imaging, two-photon (TP) fluorescent probes have shown advantages such as increased penetration depth, lower tissue autofluorescence, and reduced photodamage. Herein, for the first time, we developed an RNA-cleaving DNAzyme-based TP imaging probe (TP-8-17ES-AuNP) for Zn²⁺ detection in living cells by modifying a Zn²⁺-specific DNAzyme (8-17) with a TP fluorophore (TP-8-17ES) and using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for intracellular delivery. The modified TP-8-17ES exhibits good two-photon properties and excellent photostability. For the TP-8-17ES-AuNP, in the absence of Zn²⁺, the TP fluorophore is quenched by both AuNPs and the molecular quencher. Only in the presence of Zn²⁺ does the DNAzyme cleave the TP fluorophore-labeled substrate strand, resulting in fluorescence enhancement and TP imaging. Such probe shows remarkable selectivity of Zn²⁺ over other metal ions existing in the biological environment. Benefiting from the labeled TP fluorophore, the near-infrared (NIR) excited probe has the capability of TP imaging of Zn²⁺ in living cells and tissue with a deep tissue penetration up to 160 μm. This method can be generally applied to detect other metal ions in biological systems under TP imaging with higher tissue penetration ability and lower phototoxicity.