Detection of Intracellular Selenol-Containing Molecules Using a Fluorescent Probe with Near-Zero Background Signal

Selenocysteine (Sec), encoded as the 21st amino acid, is the predominant chemical form of selenium that is closely related to various human diseases. Thus, it is of high importance to identify novel probes for sensitive and selective recognition of Sec and Sec-containing proteins. Although a few probes have been reported to detect artificially introduced selenols in cells or tissues, none of them has been shown to be sensitive enough to detect endogenous selenols. We report the characterization and application of a new fluorogenic molecular probe for the detection of intracellular selenols. This probe exhibits near-zero background fluorescence but produces remarkable fluorescence enhancement upon reacting with selenols in a fast chemical reaction. It is highly specific and sensitive for intracellular selenium-containing molecules such as Sec and selenoproteins. When combined with flow cytometry, this probe is able to detect endogenous selenols in various human cancer cells. It is also able to image endogenous selenol-containing molecules in zebrafish under a fluorescence microscope. These results demonstrate that this molecular probe can function as a useful molecular tool for intracellular selenol sensing, which is valuable in the clinical diagnosis for human diseases associated with Sec-deficiency or overdose.