A ratiometric fluorescent probe for gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide based on a coumarin-benzopyrylium platform

A ratiometric fluorescent probe for H₂S was developed based on a coumarin– benzopyrylium platform. The ratiometric sensing is realized by a selective conversion of acyl azide to the corresponding amide, which subsequently undergoes an intramolecular spirocyclization to alter the large π-conjugated system of CB fluorophore. Compared with the traditional azide-based H₂S probes, the proposed probe utilizes the acyl azide as the recognition moiety and exhibits a rapid response (∼1 min) towards H₂S, which is superior to most of the azide-based H₂S probes. Preliminary fluorescence imaging experiments show that probe 1 has potential to track H₂S in living cells.     

一种用于活体细胞Zn2+检测的高灵敏度比例计量荧光探针

无论是在水溶液还是乙腈溶液中,2-PBI(2-(2′-吡啶基)苯并咪唑)的发射光谱都表现出一定的红移,但由于该分子对Zn2+低的结合能力以及多变的配位比例,2-PBI不能作为一个比例计量型的Zn2+荧光探针。本研究通过在2-PBI的5位引入推电子基团N,N-二甲基,增加探针的配位原子数同时促进探针的ICT效应,设计合成比例计量型Zn^2+荧光探针DBITA。实验结果表明,除了172 nm的大斯托克斯位移外,DBITA还表现出特定的Zn^2+诱导的红移,发射波长从534 nm红移到609 nm,DBITA与Zn^2+以1∶1比例结合。此外,DBITA对Zn^2+表现出极高的亲和力,配合物DBITA/Zn^2+结合的Kd值为0.16 pmol·L^-1。在HeLa细胞中,DBITA完成了细胞内的Zn^2+的定量造影。     

Phenanthroline-fluorescein molecular hybrid as a ratiometric and selective fluorescent chemosensor for Cu2+ via FRET strategy: synthesis,computational studies and in vitro applications

A FRET-based chemosensor L containing donor phenanthroline and acceptor fluorescein moiety was designed, synthesised and characterised for the ratiometric fluorescent detection of Cu²⁺ in organo-aqueous solution. Probe L showed high selectivity and excellent sensitivity towards Cu²⁺ ions by exhibiting both colorimetric and fluorometric changes due to opening of the spirolactum ring of fluorescein upon complexation with Cu²⁺. In presence of Cu²⁺ ions, probe L formed L-Cu²⁺ complex in 1:1 stoichiometric fashion which is established on the basis of Job’s plot and mass spectroscopy. We also performed DFT computational studies to know the binding nature and coordination feature of the complex. Furthermore, fluorescence imaging studies revealed that probe L was cell permeable and could be used to detect intracellular Cu²⁺ in living cells.     

A colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent turn-on fluoride chemodosimeter and application in live cell imaging: high selectivity via specific SiO cleavage in semi aqueous media and prompt recovery of ESIPT along with the X-ray structures

A ratiometric fluorescent turn-on probe for fluoride ion, based on modulation of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process by chemodosimetric desilylation pathway is reported. The probe SNBT (silyl protected hydroxynaphthalene benzothiazole moiety) shows a significant increase of ratiometric absorption band at 440 nm and emission band at 477 nm by the deprotection of fluoride mediated silyl bond cleavage in CH₃CN–H₂O (8/2, v/v, 25 °C). The test strips based on SNBT and F⁻ are fabricated, which can act as a convenient and efficient F⁻ test kits. Furthermore, the biological application shows that it can be very useful as a selective fluoride probe in the fluorescence imaging of living cells.     

A ratiometric fluorescent probe for zinc ions based on the quinoline fluorophore

A ratiometric fluorescent zinc probe 1 of carboxamidoquinoline with a carboxylic acid group was designed and synthesised. Probe 1 exhibits high selectivity for sensing Zn²⁺; about a 13-fold increase in fluorescence emission intensity and an 82?nm red-shift of fluorescence emission are observed upon binding Zn²⁺ in EtOH/H₂O (1?:?1, V/V) solution. The ratiometric fluorescence response is attributed to the 1?:?1 complex formation between probe 1 and Zn²⁺ which has been utilised as the basis for the selective detection of Zn²⁺. The analytical performance characteristics of the proposed Zn²⁺-sensitive probe were investigated. The linear response range covers a concentration range of Zn²⁺ from 2.0?×?10^?6 to 5.0?×?10^?5?mol?L^?1 and the detection limit is 2.7?×?10^?7?mol?L^?1. The determination of Zn²⁺ in both tap and river water samples shows satisfactory results.     

A tetraphenylimidazole-based fluorescent probe for the detection of hydrogen sulfide and its application in living cells

A novel probe based on the fluorescence off–on strategy was prepared to optically detect hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) via an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) mechanism. The probe shows high sensitivity and excellent selectivity to H₂S. It also displays a large Stokes shift (∼140 nm) and a remarkable quantum yield enhancement (Ф = 0.412) after interaction with H₂S. Moreover, the cellular imaging experiment demonstrated that it has potential utility for H₂S sensing in biological sciences.     

FRET‐Based Mitochondria‐Targetable Dual‐Excitation Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Monitoring Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is connected with various physiological and pathological functions. However, understanding the important functions of H₂S remains challenging, in part because of the lack of tools for detecting endogenous H₂S. Herein, compounds Ratio‐H₂S 1/2 are the first FRET‐based mitochondrial‐targetable dual‐excitation ratiometric fluorescent probes for H₂S on the basis of H₂S‐promoted thiolysis of dinitrophenyl ether. With the enhancement of H₂S concentration, the excitation peak at λ≈402 nm of the phenolate form of the hydroxycoumarin unit drastically increases, whereas the excitation band centered at λ≈570 nm from rhodamine stays constant and can serve as a reference signal. Thus, the ratios of fluorescence intensities at λ=402 and 570 nm (I₄₀₂/I₅₇₀) exhibit a drastic change from 0.048 in the absence of H₂S to 0.36 in the presence of 180 μM H₂S; this is a 7.5‐fold variation in the excitation ratios. The favorable properties of the probe include the donor and acceptor excitation bands, which exhibit large excitation separations (up to 168 nm separation) and comparable excitation intensities, high sensitivity and selectivity, and function well at physiological pH. In addition, it is demonstrated that the probe can localize in the mitochondria and determine H₂S in living cells. It is expected that this strategy will lead to the development of a wide range of mitochondria‐targetable dual‐excitation ratiometric probes for other analytes with outstanding spectral features, including large separations between the excitation wavelengths and comparable excitation intensities.     

Novel fluorescent probe based on dicoumarin for detection of hydrogen sulfide in real samples

A novel dicoumarin-derived hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) selective fluorescent “turn-on” probe 3-(2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonate)-dicoumarin (DC-HS) created by covalent bonding between the 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl (DNBS) and the 3-hydroxy-dicoumarin (DC-OH) units. Upon the addition of H₂S, the probe DC-HS solution's fluorescence significantly increased, and its appearance is changed from practically colorless to brilliant yellow. Probe DC-HS also showed significant fluorescence amplification that was quantitatively detectable in the concentration range of 0–1.5 μM and had a low detection limit or limit of detection of 0.2 nM. Moreover, with a high recovery rate and excellent accuracy, the developed fluorescent molecule was used successfully for the analysis of H₂S in red wine samples.     

A Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Ratiometric Probe Based on Quantum Dot-Cresyl Violet for Imaging Hydrogen Sulfide in Living Cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has been confirmed as a significant endogenous gaseous signaling molecule involved in various physiological processes. In order to monitor H₂S in living cells, a Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) ratiometric probe based on quantum dot-cresyl violet was developed. In this work, the quantum dot nanospheres via a facile ultrasonication emulsion strategy, and the mixture chloroform solution containing hydrophobic quantum dots and COOH-functionalized amphiphilic polymer were successfully transferred into the oil-in-water micelle. The negatively charged quantum dot nanospheres with quantum dots embedded in the polymer matrixes were successfully fabricated after the evaporation of chloroform. And then, these quantum dot nanospheres were condensed with positively charged cresyl violet-azide (CV-N₃) via electrostatic interaction to obtain the complexes (QDS-N₃). The as-prepared QDS-N₃ complexes were monodispersed nanospheres with an average diameter of about 120 nm. These complexes were taken up by the cell through endocytosis, and they were still stable even in wide pH range. In addition, the QDS-N₃ complexes exhibited no cellular toxicity which was verified by MTT assay. In this ratiometric probe, CV-N₃ as a FRET acceptor was conjugated to quantum dot nanospheres. The quantum dots emitted at 591 nm and served as the FRET donor; once the aryl azide on the CV-N₃ was reduced by H₂S to aniline, the probe emitted at 620 nm. The ratiometric probe allowed the elimination of interference of excitation intensity, intracellular environment and other factors. Furthermore, this method also offered a general protocol for preparing nanosensors for monitoring various small molecular in living cells.     

A Golgi Apparatus-Targetable Probe Based on Lanthanide Complexes for Ratiometric Time-Gated Luminescence Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide

Development of bioanalytical methods for selective and accurate detection of H₂S in living samples is essential for understanding the pathological and physiological functions of this gasotransmitter in biological systems. Here we report a Golgi apparatus-targetable lanthanide complex-based luminescent probe, Golgi-ABTTA-Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺, that can be used for accurately determining H₂S in aqueous solution and living cells via the ratiometric time-gated luminescence (RM-TGL) technique. This probe is composed of 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine-Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ mixed complexes as the luminophore, 4-azidobenzyl-ether as the responsive moiety, and sulfanilamide as the Golgi apparatus-targeting moiety. Upon reaction with H₂S, accompanied by the cleavage of 4-azidobenzyl group from the probe molecule, the long-lived emission of Tb³⁺ complex at 540 nm is significantly enhanced, while that of Eu³⁺ complex at 610 nm is obviously reduced. It was noted that the I₅₄₀/I₆₁₀ ratio increased by 8.8 times after the probe was exposed to H₂S, which enabled H₂S to be detected with RM-TGL method. After being incubated with living cells, the probe molecules were selectively accumulated in the Golgi apparatus, which allowed H₂S in the Golgi apparatus to be successfully imaged in RM-TGL mode.     

An effective colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe for bisulfite in aqueous solution

We have developed the first two-photon colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe, BICO, for the detection of bisulfite (HSO₃⁻) in aqueous solution. The probe contains coumarin and benzimidazole moieties and can detect HSO₃⁻ based on the Michael addition reaction with a limit of detection 5.3 × 10⁻⁸ M in phosphate-buffered saline solution. The probe was used to detect bisulfite in tap water, sugar and dry white wine. Moreover, test strips were made and used easily. We successfully applied the probe to image living cells, using one-photon fluorescence imaging. BICO overcomes the limitations in sensitivity of previously reported probes and the solvation effect of bisulfite, which demonstrates its excellent value in practical application.     

Two-photon fluorescent probe for hydrogen sulfide based on a red-emitting benzocoumarin dye

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an endogenous gasotransmitter and plays intriguing biological roles. To study the biological role of H₂S, efficient fluorescent probes are in great demand. For imaging of H₂S in deep-tissue, a two-photon probe that emits in the red wavelength region is of choice to avoid the autofluorescence from intrinsic biomolecules. Here, we disclose such a probe, which, developed based on an acetyl benzocoumarin fluorophore, can be excited at 900?nm under two-photon excitation and emit in the red region. The probe shows high reactivity, selectivity, and sensitivity in in vitro assays. Two-photon microscopic imaging of H₂S in HeLa cells aided by the probe demonstrates that it is potentially useful to study H₂S level changes in cells and tissues influenced by external stimuli.     

Gasotransmitter Regulation of Phosphatase Activity in Live Cells Studied by Three‐Channel Imaging Correlation

Enzyme activity in live cells is dynamically regulated by small‐molecule transmitters for maintaining normal physiological functions. A few probes have been devised to measure intracellular enzyme activities by fluorescent imaging, but the study of the regulation of enzyme activity via gasotransmitters in situ remains a long‐standing challenge. Herein, we report a three‐channel imaging correlation by a single dual‐reactive fluorescent probe to measure the dependence of phosphatase activity on the H₂S level in cells. The two sites of the probe reactive to H₂S and phosphatase individually produce blue and green fluorescent responses, respectively, and resonance energy transfer can be triggered by their coexistence. Fluorescent analysis based on the three‐channel imaging correlation shows that cells have an ideal level of H₂S to promote phosphatase activity up to its maximum. Significantly, a slight deviation from this H₂S level leads to a sharp decrease of phosphatase activity. The discovery further strengthens our understanding of the importance of H₂S in cellular signaling and in various human diseases.     

A two-photon fluorescent probe with a large turn-on signal for imaging hydrogen sulfide in living tissues

A two-photon fluorescence turn-on H₂S probe GCTPOC–H₂S based on a two-photon platform with a large cross-section, GCTPOC, and a sensitive H₂S recognition site, dinitrophenyl ether was constructed. The probe GCTPOC–H₂S exhibits desirable properties such as high sensitivity, high selectivity, functioning well at physiological pH and low cytotoxicity. In particular, the probe shows a 120-fold enhancement in the presence of Na₂S (500 μM), which is larger than the reported two-photon fluorescent H₂S probes. The large fluorescence enhancement of the two-photon probe GCTPOC–H₂S renders it attractive for imaging H₂S in living tissues with deep tissue penetration. Significantly, we have demonstrated that the probe GCTPOC–H₂S is suitable for fluorescence imaging of H₂S in living tissues with deep penetration by using two-photon microscopy. The further application of the two-photon probe for the investigation of biological functions and pathological roles of H₂S in living systems is under progress.     

Reaction-based sensing of fluoride ions using desilylation method for triggering excited-state intramolecular proton transfer

Naphthalene based benzothiazole (NBT) has been investigated as new colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for fluoride. The selectivity of NBT has been explored based on combination of desilylation reaction and modulation of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) from the desilylation product to F^?. The method exhibited a high selectivity and a great sensitivity toward fluoride anions through ‘turn-on’ chromogenic activity and sensitivity. The structure of HNBT has been established by single-crystal XRD. Density functional theory and TDDFT calculations were performed in order to demonstrate the electronic properties of HNBT, NBT and their anion. Upon treatment with fluoride in aqueous CH₃CN solution, the TBS protective group of probe NBT was removed readily and ESIPT of the probe was switched on, which resulted in a decrease of the emission band at 415 nm and an increase in a new fluorescence peak around 586 nm. An easy-to-prepare test paper, obtained by dipping the paper into the solution of NBT, was able to detect fluoride ions in practical samples. The detection limit of the probe in the determination of fluoride ions was 10.18 μM.     

Near-infrared fluorescent probe for hydrogen sulfide: high-fidelity ferroptosis evaluation in vivo during stroke

Ferroptosis is closely associated with cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and ischemia-reperfusion injury and the detection of its pathological process is very important for early disease diagnosis. Fluorescence based sensing technologies have become excellent tools due to the real-time detection of cellular physiological or pathological processes. However, to date the detection of ferroptosis using reducing substances as markers has not been achieved since the reducing substances are not only present at extremely low concentrations during ferroptosis but also play a key role in the further development of ferroptosis. Significantly, sensors for reducing substances usually consume reducing substances, instigating a redox imbalance, which further aggravates the progression of ferroptosis. In this work, a H₂S triggered and H₂S releasing near-infrared fluorescent probe (HL-H₂S) was developed for the high-fidelity in situ imaging of ferroptosis. In the imaging process, HL-H₂S consumes H₂S and releases carbonyl sulfide, which is then catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase to produce H₂S. Importantly, this strategy does not intensify ferroptosis since it avoids disruption of the redox homeostasis. Furthermore, using erastin as an inducer for ferroptosis, the observed trends for Fe²⁺, MDA, and GSH, indicate that the introduction of the HL-H₂S probe does not exacerbate ferroptosis. In contrast, ferroptosis progression was significantly promoted when the release of H₂S from HL-H₂S was inhibited using AZ. These results indicate that the H₂S triggered and H₂S releasing fluorescent probe did not interfere with the progression of ferroptosis, thus enabling high-fidelity in situ imaging of ferroptosis.

A H₂S triggered and H₂S releasing near-infrared fluorescent probe (HL-H₂S) was developed. HL-H₂S does not interfere with the progression of ferroptosis by consuming H₂S, thus enabling high-fidelity in situ imaging of ferroptosis.     

Two-photon dual-channel fluorogenic probe for in situ imaging the mitochondrial H2S/viscosity in the brain of drosophila Parkinson’s disease model

H₂S is an essential gas signal molecule in cells, and viscosity is a key internal environmental parameter. Recent studies have shown that H₂S acts as a cytoarchitecture agent and gas transmitter in many tissues, e.g., as a regulator of neuroendocrine in the brain for mediating vascular tone in blood vessels. Mitochondrial viscosity is an important parameter for judging whether mitochondrial function is normal. It has been reported that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are connected with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and the protective role of H₂S in PD models has been extensively demonstrated. Herein, Mito-HS, a new two-photon fluorescent probe was demonstrated to detect cross-talk between the two channels of mitochondrial viscosity and H₂S content. Moreover, this probe could detect the relative amount of and changes in mitochondrial H₂S in situ due to the reduced mitochondrial targeting ability after reaction with H₂S. The results show that H₂S in mitochondria is inversely related to viscosity. The PD model has a lower H₂S in mitochondria and a higher mitochondrial viscosity than did the normal. This result is important for our deep understanding of PD and its causes.     

Development of an AND Logic‐Gate‐Type Fluorescent Probe for Ratiometric Imaging of Autolysosome in Cell Autophagy

The concomitant detection of two biological events facilitates the highly selective and sensitive analysis of specific biological functions. In this article, we report an AND logic‐gate‐type fluorescent probe that can concurrently sense two biological events in living cells: H₂O₂ accumulation and acidification. The probe exhibits a unique fluorescence sensing mechanism, in which a xanthene fluorophore is oxidatively transformed to a xanthone derivative by H₂O₂, thereby resulting in a clear dual‐emission change. This transformation is significantly accelerated under weak acidic conditions, which enables the selective and sensitive detection of H₂O₂ production in an acidic cellular compartment. This unique sensing property was successfully applied to the ratiometric fluorescence imaging of autolysosome formation in selective mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy), which highlights the utility of this novel probe in autophagy research.     

Developing a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe based on ESIPT for the detection of pH changes in living cells

As an important parameter of intracellular metabolism, pH plays important roles in maintaining normal physiological processes. The abnormal pH could cause disorder of cell function which may cause neurological diseases. Herein, we present two novel ratiometric fluorescent probes to detect pH changes. The probes employed 2-(2′-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole as fluorescent platform, and displayed desirable fluorescence response to pH on the basis of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process. The probe BtyC-1 showed green fluorescence at 546 nm under acidic conditions, while it displayed strong blue fluorescence at 473 nm and weak green fluorescence at 546 nm under alkaline conditions. Biological experiments demonstrated that the probe BtyC-1 could be successfully applied for the ratiometric imaging of cellular pH and the NH₄Cl-induced pH changes in living cells.     

Design,synthesis and evaluation of a novel fluorescent probe to accurately detect H2S in lysosomes

A novel H₂S-responsive fluorescent probe Rh-Lyso-H₂S has been designed and synthesized. The Rh-Lyso-H₂S shows high sensitivity and selectivity toward H₂S, with a limit of detection of 3.36?×?10^?7?M. The reason is that Rh-Lyso-H₂S changed from a stable non-conjugated closed-ring lactone conformation with weak fluorescence to a conjugated open-ring conformation with strong fluorescence in the presence of H₂S. The Rh-Lyso-H₂S has a good lysosome-targeting capacity and is used to detect lysosomal H₂S in living cells, which is driven via the protonation of its basic morpholine moiety by acidic lysosomes. Rh-Lyso-H₂S is triggered by H₂S via removing the thiophenecarboxylate group, and the corresponding activated mechanism of Rh-Lyso-H₂S toward H₂S is proposed.