A Cell Trappable Methyl Rhodol-Based Fluorescent Probe for Hydrogen Sulfide Detection

Area of Science:

• Chemical Biology
• Molecular Imaging
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a crucial signaling molecule in biological systems.
• Existing fluorescent H₂S probes often suffer from membrane permeability issues, leading to signal loss.
• Development of robust and cell-compatible probes is essential for studying H₂S functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel, cell-trappable fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of H₂S.
• To evaluate the probe's performance in terms of fluorescence turn-on response, selectivity, and cell permeability.
• To demonstrate the probe's utility in live cell imaging studies.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of the CT-MeRhoAz probe, a methylrhodolazide derivative with an acetoxymethyl ester.
• Characterization of the probe's fluorescence response to H₂S, including fold-change and selectivity assays.
• Live cell imaging experiments to assess probe biocompatibility, cell trapping, and signal stability.

Main Results:

• The CT-MeRhoAz probe exhibits a significant 2500-fold fluorescence turn-on response to H₂S, further enhanced to 3000-fold for its carboxylic acid form.
• The probe demonstrates high selectivity for H₂S over other biologically relevant analytes.
• Live cell imaging confirmed the probe's biocompatibility and effective cell trapping, preventing leakage unlike the parent scaffold.

Conclusions:

• CT-MeRhoAz is a highly effective, cell-trappable fluorescent probe for H₂S detection.
• The probe's design overcomes limitations of previous probes, enabling stable and reliable H₂S imaging in live cells.
• This tool facilitates further research into the physiological roles of H₂S.