Dual-Site Fluorescent Sensor as a Multiple Logic System for Studying the Dichotomous Function of Sulfur Dioxide under Oxidative Stress Induced by Peroxynitrite.

Abstract

Intracellular reactive oxygen species and reactive sulfur play a vital role in regulating redox homeostasis and maintaining cell functions. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) has emerged as an important gas signal molecule recently, which is not only a potential reducing agent but also a potential inductor of oxidative stress in organisms. Due to high reactivity, peroxynitrite (ONOO-) could act on many biomolecules, such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and cause irreversible damage, eventually leading to cell apoptosis or necrosis. In order to further illuminate the dichotomous role of SO2 under oxidative stress induced by ONOO-, we designed the first dual-site fluorescent sensor (NIR-GYf) for separate or continuous detection of SO2 and ONOO-. NIR-GYf was successfully used for cell imaging of endogenous SO2 and ONOO-. In addition, western blotting analysis was used to verify the oxidation and antioxidation of SO2 and its dichotomous biological influence. Finally, NIR-GYf was integrated with multiple Boolean logic operations to construct an advanced analysis device, thereby realizing the direct analysis of SO2 and ONOO- levels.