Assembly-enhanced recognition: A biomimetic pathway to achieve ultrahigh affinities
Abstract
On the one hand, nature utilizes hierarchical assemblies to create complex biological binding pockets, enabling ultrastrong recognition toward substrates in aqueous solutions. On the other hand, chemists have been fervently pursuing high-affinity recognition by constructing covalently well-preorganized stereoelectronic cavities. The potential of noncovalent assembly, however, for enhancing molecular recognition has long been underestimated. Inspired by (strept)avidin, an amphiphilic azocalix[4]arene derivative capable of assembly in aqueous solutions has been explored by us and demonstrated to exhibit ultrahigh binding affinity (up to 10 12 M −1 ), which is almost four orders of magnitude higher than those reported for nonassembled azocalix[4]arenes. An ultrastable azocalix[4]arene/photosensitizer complex has been applied in hypoxia-targeted photodynamic therapy for tumors. These findings highlight the immense potential of an assembly-enhanced recognition strategy in the development of the next generation of artificial receptors with appropriate functionalities and extraordinary recognition properties.
Article Details
Journal Info
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Authors (12)
Fang-Yuan Chen
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University
Wen-Chao Geng
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University
Meng-Meng Chen
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University
Rong Fu
Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
Han Han
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
Zhan-Zhan Zhang
School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University
Wen-Bo Li
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University
Yuan-Qiu Cheng
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University
Juan-Juan Li
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Frontiers Science and Engineering
J. Fraser Stoddart
Kang Cai
College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300071, China
Dong-Sheng Guo
Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry