An ESIPT-based fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift for peroxynitrite detection in HeLa cells and zebrafish

The quick coupled reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with superoxide free radicals (center dot O-2(-)) produces peroxynitrite (ONOO-), it is a powerful biological oxidant. And according to interact with proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and other organisms, the ONOO- eventually leads to all sorts of diseases, for instance, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer, inflammation. To fully understand the multiple pathological processes of ONOO- in vivo, it is imperative to exploit effective tools to realize the precise, fast and sensitive detection of endogenous ONOO-. We described a novel fluorescent probe named YV in this work, covering the synthesis, characterization and biological application. YV can detect ONOO- by means of fluorescence imaging. Because of the borate group cleavage, YV exhibited a fluorescence intensity change toward ONOO-. It was, the principle of ESIPT that resulted in fluorescence enhancement. The probe YV shows a series of advantages such as high selectivity, fast response, significant Stokes shift and low detection limit. Fluorescence imaging can be used to identify variations in ONOO- in Hela cells and zebrafish. YV will be a robust imaging tool for detecting endogenous ONOO-.

Automated summary

The quick reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide free radicals produces peroxynitrite, a powerful biological oxidant that leads to various diseases by interacting with proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and other organisms. In this study, a fluorescent probe named YV was developed for the precise and sensitive detection of endogenous peroxynitrite. The probe exhibited high selectivity, fast response, significant Stokes shift, and low detection limit, making it a robust imaging tool for identifying variations in peroxynitrite.