A benzothiazole-based near-infrared fluorescent probe for sensing SO2 derivatives and viscosity in HeLa cells

The unbalanced metabolism of sulfur dioxide can cause various diseases, such as neurological disorders and lung cancer. Until now, some researches revealed that the normal function of lysosomes would be disrupted by its abnormal viscosity. As a signal molecule, sulfur dioxide (SO2) plays an important role in lysosome metabolism. However, the connection of metabolism between the SO2 and viscosity in lysosomes is still unknown. Herein, we developed a benzothiazole-based near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (Triph-SZ), which can monitor the SO2 derivatives and respond to the change of viscosity in lysosomes through two-photon imaging. Triph-SZ present high sensitivity and selectivity fluorescence response with the addition of SO2 derivatives based on the nucleophilic addition, and it also exhibits a sensitive fluorescence enhancement to environmental viscosity, which allows Triph-SZ to be employed to monitor the level of HSO3 and viscosity changes in lysosomes by the two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Research shows that the unbalanced metabolism of sulfur dioxide may lead to diseases such as neurological disorders and lung cancer. The developed Triph-SZ probe can detect SO2 derivatives and respond to changes in viscosity in lysosomes, providing a potential tool for monitoring HSO3 levels and viscosity changes.