A fast-responsive fluorescent probe based on a styrylcoumarin dye for visualizing hydrogen sulfide in living MCF-7 cells and zebrafish

As a vital antioxidant molecule, H2S can make an important contribution to regulating blood vessels and inhibiting apoptosis when present at an appropriate concentration. Higher levels of H2S can interfere with the physiological responses of the respiratory system and central nervous system carried out by mammalian cells. This is associated with many illnesses, such as diabetes, mental decline, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Therefore, the accurate measurement of H2S in organisms and the environment is of great significance for in-depth studies of the pathogenesis of related diseases. In this contribution, a new coumarin-carbazole-based fluorescent probe, COZ-DNBS, showing a rapid response and large Stokes shift was rationally devised and applied to effectively sense H2S in vivo and in vitro. Upon using the probe COZ-DNBS, the established fluorescent platform could detect H2S with excellent selectivity, showing 62-fold fluorescence enhancement, a fast-response time (<1 min), high sensitivity (38.6 nM), a large Stokes shift (173 nm), and bright-yellow emission. Importantly, the probe COZ-DNBS works well for monitoring levels of H2S in realistic samples, living MCF-7 cells, and zebrafish, showing that COZ-DNBS is a promising signaling tool for H2S detection in biosystems.

Automated summary

In this study, a new fluorescent probe COZ-DNBS was developed for the rapid and sensitive detection of H2S. The probe exhibited excellent selectivity and showed promise for monitoring H2S levels in realistic samples and living organisms.