New fluorescent reagents specific for Ca2+-binding proteins

Danya Ben-Hail, Daniela Lemelson, Adrian Israelson, Varda Shoshan-Barmatz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ca2+ carries information pivotal to cell life and death via its interactions with specific binding sites in a protein. We previously developed a novel photoreactive reagent, azido ruthenium (AzRu), which strongly inhibits Ca2+-dependent activities. Here, we synthesized new fluorescent ruthenium-based reagents containing FITC or EITC, FITC-Ru and EITC-Ru. These reagents were purified, characterized and found to specifically interact with and markedly inhibit Ca2+-dependent activities but not the activity of Ca2+-independent reactions. In contrast to many reagents that serve as probes for Ca2+, FITC-Ru and EITC-Ru are the first fluorescent divalent cation analogs to be synthesized and characterized that specifically bind to Ca2+-binding proteins and inhibit their activity. Such reagents will assist in characterizing Ca2+-binding proteins, thereby facilitating better understanding of the function of Ca2+ as a key bio-regulator.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)158-164
Number of pages7
JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume426
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 14 Sep 2012

Keywords

  • Ca transport
  • Ca transport inhibitor
  • Ca-binding proteins
  • Fluorescent reagent

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biophysics
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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