Reaction-based fluorescent probes for selective imaging of hydrogen sulfide in living cells

J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Jul 6;133(26):10078-80. doi: 10.1021/ja203661j. Epub 2011 Jun 15.

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is emerging as an important mediator of human physiology and pathology but remains difficult to study, in large part because of the lack of methods for selective monitoring of this small signaling molecule in live biological specimens. We now report a pair of new reaction-based fluorescent probes for selective imaging of H(2)S in living cells that exploit the H(2)S-mediated reduction of azides to fluorescent amines. Sulfidefluor-1 (SF1) and Sulfidefluor-2 (SF2) respond to H(2)S by a turn-on fluorescence signal enhancement and display high selectivity for H(2)S over other biologically relevant reactive sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen species. In addition, SF1 and SF2 can be used to detect H(2)S in both water and live cells, providing a potentially powerful approach for probing H(2)S chemistry in biological systems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amines / chemistry
  • Azides / chemistry
  • Cell Survival
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Sulfide / metabolism*
  • Molecular Imaging / methods*

Substances

  • Amines
  • Azides
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Hydrogen Sulfide