A self-assembled fluorescent nanoprobe recognized by FA1 site for specifically selecting HSA: Its applications in hemin detection, cell imaging and fluorescent tracing drug delivery.

As naturally essential biomacromolecule, HSA has become diagnostic indicators for various diseases and universal carriers for anticancer drug delivery, therefore, fluorescence detection and labeling for HSA possess significant application value in the biomedical field. In this paper, hydrazide Schiff base fluorescent probe NDQC was designed and synthesized, which self-assembled into nanoparticles in aqueous solution system and demonstrated excellent selectivity and sensitivity towards HSA. Through displacement assay and molecular docking simulation, the binding of NDQC with HSA in FA1 site was demonstrated, thereby no obvious fluorescence signal presented for homologous protein BSA due to their structural differences in binding site.