Polysiloxane-based Mitochondria-Targeted fluorescent probe for the detection of endogenous and exogenous H2S in living cells

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is considered as the third endogenous gas signaling molecule involved in redox homeostasis and many biological processes in vivo. In contrast, endogenous H2S exhibits important biological effects in the central nervous system. At the same time, endogenous H2S is involved in neuroprotection and cognitive memory and is essential for the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis. In mitochondria, H2S acts as a cytoprotective factor and participates in regulating the levels of important reactive substances. In this work, we devised a novel mitochondrial H2S probe (P0–P–N3), which includes flexible and stable “Si–O–Si” bridging framework, the lipophilic cationic triphenylphosphine targeting group, naphthalimides derivatives reactive group. The probe showed excellent optical properties. Due to the Si–O bonding, the probe exhibits low biotoxicity and excellent photostability. In addition, the probe performs well in live imaging. Therefore, P0–P–N3 will open the way to broaden the application of silicone materials in the field of fluorescence imaging.