Enhancing Kinase Activity Detection with a Programmable Lanthanide Metal–Organic Framework via ATP-to-ADP Conversion

Precise modulation of host–guest interactions between programmable Ln-MOFs (lanthanide metal–organic frameworks) and phosphate analytes holds immense promise for enabling novel functionalities in biosensing. However, the intricate relationship between these functionalities and structures remains largely elusive. Understanding this correlation is crucial for advancing the rational design of fluorescent biosensor technology. Presently, there exists a large research gap concerning the utilization of Ln-MOFsto monitor the conversion of ATP to ADP, which poses a limitation for kinase detection. In this work, we delve into the potential of Ln-MOFs to amplify the fluorescence response during the kinase-mediated ATP-to-ADP conversion. Six Eu-MOFs were synthesized and Eu-TPTC ([1,1′:4′,1″]-terphenyl-3,3′′,5,5′′-tetracarboxylic acid) was selected as a ratiometric fluorescent probe, which is most suitable for high-precision detection of creatine kinase activity through the differential response from ATP to ADP. The molecular -level mechanism was confirmed by density functional theory. Furthermore, a simple paper chip-based platform was constructed to realize the fast (20 min) and sensitive (limit of detection is 0.34 U/L) creatine kinase activity detection in biological samples. Ln-MOF–phosphate interactions offer promising avenues for kinase activity assays and hold the potential for precise customization of analytical chemistry.