Zinc probes

Zinc (Zn2+) is the second most abundant transition metal in living organisms after iron. Mounting evidence indicates that zinc has multiple roles in cell biology, as a part of metalloenzyme catalytic sites, as a structural component of gene regulatory proteins and as a free signal ion, particularly in the cortex of the brain. It is of particular importance in the regulation of gene expression, as Zn2+-binding proteins account for nearly 50% of the transcription regulatory proteins in the human genome. In addition to protein-bound Zn2+, free or loosely bound Zn2+ exists at high concentration especially in brain and both can be visualized by Zinc probes (e.g. Zinpyr-1 or ZnAFs).