A highly specific ferrocene-based fluorescent probe for hypochlorous acid and its application to cell imaging

Area of Science:

• Chemical biology
• Biomedical imaging
• Fluorescent probes

Background:

• Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a reactive oxygen species involved in various biological processes.
• Accurate detection of HOCl in live cells is crucial for understanding its role in cellular functions and diseases.
• Existing detection methods may lack specificity or sensitivity for in vivo applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, synthesize, and characterize a novel ferrocene-based fluorescent probe for selective detection of HOCl.
• To evaluate the probe's performance in live cell imaging applications.
• To demonstrate the probe's ability to distinguish HOCl from other reactive oxygen species.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of the (9-anthryl)ethenylferrocene probe.
• Investigation of the probe's photophysical properties and response to HOCl.
• Testing the probe's selectivity against other reactive oxygen species (ROS) at physiological pH.
• Assessing cell membrane permeability and performing fluorescence imaging of HOCl in HeLa cells.

Main Results:

• A highly specific ferrocene-based fluorescent probe, (9-anthryl)ethenylferrocene, was successfully synthesized.
• The probe exhibits a >100-fold fluorescence enhancement upon selective reaction with HOCl via a cleavable double bond.
• The probe demonstrates high specificity for HOCl over other ROS (e.g., *OH, *O(2)(-), (1)O(2), H(2)O(2)) at pH 7.4.
• The probe is cell membrane permeable and effectively used for fluorescence imaging of HOCl in live HeLa cells.

Conclusions:

• The developed (9-anthryl)ethenylferrocene probe is a potent tool for sensitive and selective fluorescence imaging of HOCl in live cells.
• Its design overcomes limitations of previous probes by utilizing a cleavable linker and leveraging ferrocene's quenching effect.
• This probe holds significant potential for advancing research in oxidative stress and related biological processes.