Kinetically Orthogonal Probe for Simultaneous Measurement of H2S and Nitroreductase: A Refined Method to Predict the Invasiveness of Tumor Cells

The concentrations of nitroreductase and H2S have been widely used to predict the invasiveness of tumors. However, the above two substrates always interfere with the measurement of each other as both substrates react with the typical nitroaromatic probe with the same process. Moreover, the above interferences may lead to the misjudgment of the tumor invasiveness. We used a strategy combining kinetical distinguishing and signal amplification to construct a kinetically orthogonal probe labeled KOP. The above strategy expanded the gap between the reactivity of KOP to H2S and nitroreductase with an acceptable reactivity and could determine the concentration of coexisting nitroreductase and H2S on a kinetic curve with a breakpoint. KOP could also indicate the correct invasiveness tendency in the cellular model with a complex H2S generation pathway, while the traditional kinetically nonorthogonal probe could not indicate invasiveness correctly.

Automated summary

Researchers developed a strategy to construct a kinetically orthogonal probe labeled KOP, which can measure the concentrations of nitroreductase and H2S and accurately indicate the invasiveness of tumors in a cellular model with complex H2S generation pathway.