Development of a ratiometric fluorescent probe with a large emission shift for imaging ONOO− in live cells and zebrafish

Abstract

Developing a reliable tool for monitoring peroxynitrite (ONOO−) in the complex organisms is critical to uncover its detailed cellular functions in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Thus, a novel ratiometric fluorescent probe was reasonably designed for ONOO−, in which the rhodol-HBT conjugate dye was chosen as a fluorophore, and hydrazine moiety was adopted as recognition receptor of ONOO−. The probe exhibited outstanding sensitivity, specificity, and a fast response towards ONOO−. More importantly, the probe with a large emission shift (Δλem = 127 nm) has been proven to be capable of tracking ONOO− with high resolution in live cells and zebrafish. This work provides a simple and reliable tool for detecting and imaging ONOO− in the living systems, and thus we anticipate that the designed probe could be used as a powerful imaging tool in unraveling biological functions of ONOO−.