BODIPY-based turn-on fluorescent probes for cysteine and homocysteine

Cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH) are interconnected and play essential roles in many biological processes. It is significant importance to detect these thiols for investigating their functions in cells and disease diagnosis. In this work, we have designed and synthesized two novel BODIPY-based turn-on fluorescent probes (BDP-Ph and BDP-R-Ph) carrying 4-methoxythiophenol moiety at mesa position as good leaving group for highly selective detection of Cys and Hcy. Furthermore, the probes have been successfully applied to detect intracellular Cys and Hcy by fluorescent imaging in living cells. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.