Fluorescent Probes for Imaging Protein Disulfides in Live Organisms

Cellular redox homeostasis is predominantly controlled by the ratio of thiols and disulfides, and reversible thioldisulfide exchange reactions are fundamental of the biological redox regulation. However, due to the dynamic exchanges of thiols and disulfides, the detection, especially the in situ detection, of protein disulfides (PDS) is challenging. We employ the strategy, i.e., the increase of emission upon an environment-sensitive dye binding to proteins, to design PDS probes and discover a two-photon probe PDSTP590 (S6) that selectively recognizes PDS in live organisms. With the aid of the probe, we further disclose the elevation of PDS in brains of the mouse stroke model.

Automated summary

Cellular redox homeostasis is primarily regulated by the ratio of thiols and disulfides, with reversible thioldisulfide exchange reactions being crucial. Detecting protein disulfides (PDS) poses challenges due to dynamic exchanges of thiols and disulfides. Researchers have designed a probe that selectively recognizes PDS in live organisms, revealing an increase of PDS in mouse brains of a stroke model.