Carboxy Bodipy-Based Fast Trigger Fluorescent Probe for Imaging Endogenous Hypochlorous Acid

Although hypochlorous acid (HClO/ClO-) is regarded as a harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells, it plays an essential role in many physiological and pathological processes, such as an innate immunity and metabolic balance. In this paper, we developed a new carboxy Bodipy-based probe for rapid, sensitive, and specific monitoring of ClO-. Bp-S produces bright fluorescent Bp-COOH based on the selective recognition of ClO- to thiocarbamate groups. Bp-S exhibits high selectivity, high sensitivity, and high resistance to photobleaching in the recognition of ClO-. Fluorescence imaging of this probe in Hela cells and RAW264.7 cells also successfully detected changes in exogenous/endogenous ClO-, respectively, suggesting that Bp-S has high potential for future disease diagnosis and research.

Automated summary

Despite being considered as a harmful ROS in cells, hypochlorous acid (HClO/ClO-) plays a crucial role in various physiological and pathological processes. This study introduces a novel carboxy Bodipy-based probe, Bp-S, which exhibits high selectivity, sensitivity, and resistance to photobleaching for the detection of ClO-. The fluorescence imaging of Bp-S successfully detected changes in exogenous/endogenous ClO- in Hela cells and RAW264.7 cells, suggesting its potential in disease diagnosis and research.