Hydro-Cy3-Mediated Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species In Vitro and In Vivo

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are potent signaling molecules with critical roles in cellular pathology and homeostasis. They are produced in all cell types via a diverse array of cellular machinery, giving rise to an equally diverse repertoire of molecular effects. These range from cytotoxic killing of microbes to alteration of the cellular transcriptional response to stress. Despite their importance, research into ROS has been difficult given their inherent instability and transient signaling properties. Herein we describe methods for the use of the redox-sensitive probe hydro-Cy3 for the detection and quantification of ROS both in vitro and in vivo.