A highly selective ratiometric fluorescence probe for bioimaging of hypobromous acid in living cells and zebrafish

Abstract

Hypobromous acid is an important reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is involved in operating various cellular functions. However, the abnormal production of HOBr can induce the generation of a variety of diseases. Although fluorescence probes are huge contributor to our understanding of the biological roles of HOBr, relatively few probes have been used to detect HOBr. Hence, we constructed a ratiometric fluorescent probe Ratio-HOBr with high selectivity to sensitively monitor HOBr. Probe Ratio-HOBr exhibited quick response (< 10 s) for HOBr. Besides, probe Ratio-HOBr has high selectivity and sensitivity for HOBr with a linear concentration range from 0−20 μM and a limit of detection as 92 nM. Further studies found that probe Ratio-HOBr showed good biocompatibility for imaging HOBr in living cells and zebrafish.