I08-Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (SXM)
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[29042, 24534]
Open Access
Abstract: Neuromelanin-pigmented neurons of the substantia nigra are selectively lost during the progression of Parkinson’s disease. These neurons accumulate iron in the disease state, and iron-mediated neuron damage is implicated in cell death. Animal models of Parkinson’s have evidenced iron loading inside the nucleoli of nigral neurons, however the nature of intranuclear iron deposition in the melanised neurons of the human substantia nigra is not understood. Here, scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) is used to probe iron foci in relation to the surrounding ultrastructure in melanised neurons of human substantia nigra from a confirmed Parkinson’s case. In addition to the expected neuromelanin-bound iron, iron deposits are also associated with the edge of the cell nucleolus. Speciation analysis confirms these deposits to be ferric (Fe3+) iron. The function of intranuclear iron in these cells remains unresolved, although both damaging and protective mechanisms are considered. This finding shows that STXM is a powerful label-free tool for the in situ, nanoscale chemical characterisation of both organic and inorganic intracellular components. Future applications are likely to shed new light on incompletely understood biochemical mechanisms, such as metal dysregulation and morphological changes to cell nucleoli, that are important in understanding the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s.
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Aug 2024
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I14-Hard X-ray Nanoprobe
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Huayun
Shi
,
Oliver W. L.
Carter
,
Fortuna
Ponte
,
Cinzia
Imberti
,
Miguel A.
Gomez-Gonzalez
,
Fernando
Cacho-Nerin
,
Paul D.
Quinn
,
Julia E.
Parker
,
Emilia
Sicilia
,
Huaiyi
Huang
,
Peter J.
Sadler
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[27852]
Open Access
Abstract: The novel hetero-dinuclear complex trans,trans,trans-[PtIV(py)2(N3)2(OH)(μ-OOCCH2CH2CONHCH2-bpyMe)IrIII(ppy)2]Cl (Pt-Ir), exhibits charge transfer between the acceptor photochemotherapeutic Pt(IV) (Pt-OH) and donor photodynamic Ir(III) (Ir-NH2) fragments. It is stable in the dark, but undergoes photodecomposition more rapidly than the Pt(IV) parent complex (Pt-OH) to generate Pt(II) species, an azidyl radical and 1O2. The Ir(III)* excited state, formed after irradiation, can oxidise NADH to NAD⋅ radicals and NAD+. Pt-Ir is highly photocytotoxic towards cancer cells with a high photocytotoxicity index upon irradiation with blue light (465 nm, 4.8 mW/cm2), even with short light-exposure times (10–60 min). In contrast, the mononuclear Pt-OH and Ir-NH2 subunits and their simple mixture are much less potent. Cellular Pt accumulation was higher for Pt-Ir compared to Pt-OH. Irradiation of Pt-Ir in cancer cells damages nuclei and releases chromosomes. Synchrotron-XRF revealed ca. 4× higher levels of intracellular platinum compared to iridium in Pt-Ir treated cells under dark conditions. Luminescent Pt-Ir distributes over the whole cell and generates ROS and 1O2 within 1 h of irradiation. Iridium localises strongly in small compartments, suggestive of complex cleavage and excretion via recycling vesicles (e.g. lysosomes). The combination of PDT and PACT motifs in one molecule, provides Pt-Ir with a novel strategy for multimodal phototherapy.
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Apr 2024
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I08-Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (SXM)
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James
Everett
,
Jake
Brooks
,
Vindy Tjendana
Tjhin
,
Frederik
Lermyte
,
Ian
Hands-Portman
,
Germán
Plascencia-Villa
,
George
Perry
,
Peter J.
Sadler
,
Peter B.
O’connor
,
Joanna F.
Collingwood
,
Neil D.
Telling
Open Access
Abstract: The accumulation of amyloid plaques and increased brain redox burdens are neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Altered metabolism of essential biometals is another feature of Alzheimer’s, with amyloid plaques representing sites of disturbed metal homeostasis. Despite these observations, metal-targeting disease treatments have not been therapeutically effective to date. A better understanding of amyloid plaque composition and the role of the metals associated with them is critical. To establish this knowledge, the ability to resolve chemical variations at nanometer length scales relevant to biology is essential. Here, we present a methodology for the label-free, nanoscale chemical characterization of amyloid plaques within human Alzheimer’s disease tissue using synchrotron X-ray spectromicroscopy. Our approach exploits a C–H carbon absorption feature, consistent with the presence of lipids, to visualize amyloid plaques selectively against the tissue background, allowing chemical analysis to be performed without the addition of amyloid dyes that alter the native sample chemistry. Using this approach, we show that amyloid plaques contain elevated levels of calcium, carbonates, and iron compared to the surrounding brain tissue. Chemical analysis of iron within plaques revealed the presence of chemically reduced, low-oxidation-state phases, including ferromagnetic metallic iron. The zero-oxidation state of ferromagnetic iron determines its high chemical reactivity and so may contribute to the redox burden in the Alzheimer’s brain and thus drive neurodegeneration. Ferromagnetic metallic iron has no established physiological function in the brain and may represent a target for therapies designed to lower redox burdens in Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, ferromagnetic metallic iron has magnetic properties that are distinct from the iron oxide forms predominant in tissue, which might be exploitable for the in vivo detection of amyloid pathologies using magnetically sensitive imaging. We anticipate that this label-free X-ray imaging approach will provide further insights into the chemical composition of amyloid plaques, facilitating better understanding of how plaques influence the course of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Mar 2024
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E01-JEM ARM 200CF
E02-JEM ARM 300CF
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[16991, 18188]
Open Access
Abstract: The 16e square-planar bis-thiolato-Au(III) complexes [AuIII(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecarborane-1,2-dithiolato)2][NBu4] (Au-1) and [AuIII(4-methyl-1,2-benzenedithiolato)2][NBu4] (Au-2) have been synthesized and fully characterized. Au-1 and Au-2 were encapsulated in the symmetrical triblock copolymer poloxamer (Pluronic®) P123 containing blocks of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide), giving micelles AuMs-1 and AuMs-2. High electron flux in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was used to generate single gold atoms and gold nanocrystals on B/S-doped graphitic surfaces, or S-doped amorphous carbon surfaces from AuMs-1 and AuMs-2, respectively. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) data suggested strong interactions of gold atoms/nanocrystals with boron in the B/S-doped graphitic matrix. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, also supported the experimental findings, pointing towards strong Au–B bonds, depending on the charge on the Au–(B-graphene) fragment and the presence of further defects in the graphene lattice.
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Dec 2023
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B24-Cryo Soft X-ray Tomography
I14-Hard X-ray Nanoprobe
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[22696, 21505, 25824]
Open Access
Abstract: The Pt(IV) prodrug trans, trans, trans-[Pt(pyridine)2(N3)2(OH)2] (Pt1) and its coumarin derivative trans, trans, trans-[Pt(pyridine)2(N3)2(OH)(coumarin-3-carboxylate)] (Pt2) are promising agents for photoactivated chemotherapy. These complexes are inert in the dark but release Pt(II) species and radicals upon visible light irradiation, resulting in photocytotoxicity toward cancer cells. Here, we have used synchrotron techniques to investigate the in-cell behavior of these prodrugs and visualize, for the first time, changes in cellular morphology and Pt localization upon treatment with and without light irradiation. We show that photoactivation of Pt2 induces remarkable cellular damage with extreme alterations to multiple cellular components, including formation of vacuoles, while also significantly increasing the cellular accumulation of Pt species compared to dark conditions. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) measurements in cells treated with Pt2 indicate only partial reduction of the prodrug upon irradiation, highlighting that phototoxicity in cancer cells may involve not only Pt(II) photoproducts but also photoexcited Pt(IV) species.
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Nov 2021
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Open Access
Abstract: Organo-osmium(II) 16-electron complexes [OsII(η6-arene)(R-PhDPEN)] (where η6-arene = para-cymene or biphenyl) can catalyze the reduction of prochiral ketones to optically pure alcohols in the presence of a hydride source. Such complexes can achieve the conversion of pyruvate to unnatural d-lactate in cancer cells. To improve the catalytic performance of these osmium complexes, we have introduced electron-donor and electron-acceptor substituents (R) into the para (R1) or meta (R2) positions of the chiral R-phenyl-sulfonyl-diphenylethylenediamine (R-PhDPEN) ligands and explored the reduction of quinones, potential biological substrates, which play a major role in cellular electron transfer chains. We show that the series of [OsII(η6-arene)(R-PhDPEN)] derivatives exhibit high turnover frequencies, enantioselectivities (>92%), and conversions (>93%) for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of acetophenone-derived substrates and reduce duroquinone and menadione to their di-alcohol derivatives. Modeling of the catalysis using density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggests a mechanism involving formic acid deprotonation assisted by the catalyst amine groups, phenyl-duroquinone stacking, hydride transfer to OsII, possible CO2 coordination, and tilting of the η6-arene ring, followed by hydride transfer to the quinone. These findings not only reveal subtle differences between Ru(II) and Os(II) catalysts, but also introduce potential biological applications.
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Aug 2021
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I08-Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (SXM)
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James
Everett
,
Frederik
Lermyte
,
Jake
Brooks
,
Vindy
Tjendana-Tjhin
,
Germán
Plascencia-Villa
,
Ian
Hands-Portman
,
Jane M.
Donnelly
,
Kharmen
Billimoria
,
George
Perry
,
Xiongwei
Zhu
,
Peter J.
Sadler
,
Peter B.
O'Connor
,
Joanna F.
Collingwood
,
Neil D.
Telling
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15854]
Open Access
Abstract: The chemistry of copper and iron plays a critical role in normal brain function. A variety of enzymes and proteins containing positively charged Cu+, Cu2+, Fe2+, and Fe3+ control key processes, catalyzing oxidative metabolism and neurotransmitter and neuropeptide production. Here, we report the discovery of elemental (zero–oxidation state) metallic Cu0 accompanying ferromagnetic elemental Fe0 in the human brain. These nanoscale biometal deposits were identified within amyloid plaque cores isolated from Alzheimer’s disease subjects, using synchrotron x-ray spectromicroscopy. The surfaces of nanodeposits of metallic copper and iron are highly reactive, with distinctly different chemical and magnetic properties from their predominant oxide counterparts. The discovery of metals in their elemental form in the brain raises new questions regarding their generation and their role in neurochemistry, neurobiology, and the etiology of neurodegenerative disease.
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Jun 2021
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I14-Hard X-ray Nanoprobe
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19838, 20548]
Open Access
Abstract: Transition metal complexes are often prodrugs which undergo activation by ligand exchange and redox reactions before they interact with target sites. It is therefore important to understand the roles of both the metal and the ligands in their activation, especially in cells. Here we use a combination of synchrotron nanoprobe X-ray fluorescence (XRF) from Os L3M5 and Br KL3 emissions and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection of 189Os, 79Br, and 127I, to investigate the time-dependent accumulation and localization of osmium as well as the monodentate ligand and the chelated phenylazopyridine in A2780 human ovarian cancer cells treated with the potent anticancer complexes [Os(η6-p-cymene)(4-R2-phenyl-azopyridine-5-R1)X]PF6, with R2 = NMe2 or OH, R1 = H or Br, and X = Cl or I. The data confirm that the relatively inert iodido complexes are activated rapidly in cancer cells by release of the iodido ligand, probably initiated by attack by the intracellular tripeptide glutathione (γ-L-Glu-l-Cys-Gly) on the azo double bond. The bond between osmium and the azopyridine appears to remain stable in cells for ca. 24 h, although some release of the chelated ligand is observed. Interestingly, the complexes seem to be degraded more rapidly in normal human cells, perhaps providing a possible mechanism for selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells.
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Jun 2021
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I14-Hard X-ray Nanoprobe
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20552]
Open Access
Abstract: Most metallodrugs are prodrugs that can undergo ligand exchange and redox reactions in biological media. Here we have investigated the cellular stability of the anticancer complex [OsII[(η6‐p‐cymene)(RR/SS‐MePh‐DPEN)] [1] (MePh‐DPEN=tosyl‐diphenylethylenediamine) which catalyses the enantioselective reduction of pyruvate to lactate in cells. The introduction of a bromide tag at an unreactive site on a phenyl substituent of Ph‐DPEN allowed us to probe the fate of this ligand and Os in human cancer cells by a combination of X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental mapping and inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). The BrPh‐DPEN ligand is readily displaced by reaction with endogenous thiols and translocated to the nucleus, whereas the Os fragment is exported from the cells. These data explain why the efficiency of catalysis is low, and suggests that it could be optimised by developing thiol resistant analogues. Moreover, this work also provides a new way for the delivery of ligands which are inactive when administered on their own.
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Feb 2021
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I08-Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (SXM)
I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism - scattering
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Open Access
Abstract: Atypical low-oxidation-state iron phases in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology are implicated in disease pathogenesis, as they may promote elevated redox activity and convey toxicity. However, the origin of low-oxidation-state iron and the pathways responsible for its formation and evolution remain unresolved. Here we investigate the interaction of the AD peptide β-amyloid (Aβ) with the iron storage protein ferritin, to establish whether interactions between these two species are a potential source of low-oxidation-state iron in AD. Using X-ray spectromicroscopy and electron microscopy we found that the co-aggregation of Aβ and ferritin resulted in the conversion of ferritin’s inert ferric core into more reactive low-oxidation-states. Such findings strongly implicate Aβ in the altered iron handling and increased oxidative stress observed in AD pathogenesis. These amyloid-associated iron phases have biomarker potential to assist with disease diagnosis and staging, and may act as targets for therapies designed to lower oxidative stress in AD tissue.
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Jun 2020
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