Engineering an asymmetric rhodamine dye suitable for developing ratiometric fluorescent probe.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Biology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Molecular Probes

Background:

• Rhodamine-based fluorescent probes are vital for biological imaging.
• Developing ratiometric probes from rhodamine without extra fluorophores remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a novel rhodamine-based ratiometric fluorescent probe for nitroreductase (NTR) detection.
• To demonstrate the probe's utility in cellular and tissue imaging.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a rhodamine-based ratiometric fluorescent probe (RDQF-RB-NTR) by regulating electron cloud density.
• Evaluated probe sensitivity, selectivity, and ratiometric response to NTR.
• Performed cell imaging to detect NTR fluctuations and differences between normal and cancer cells.
• Applied the probe for NTR imaging in liver tissue slices.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized RDQF-RB-NTR, a ratiometric fluorescent probe for NTR.
• RDQF-RB-NTR demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity for NTR detection.
• The probe accurately visualized NTR level differences in cells and tissues.
• Upregulation of NTR was observed in liver cirrhosis tissue samples.

Conclusions:

• A novel rhodamine-based ratiometric fluorescent probe (RDQF-RB-NTR) was developed.
• The probe is effective for sensitive and selective NTR detection in biological systems.
• RDQF-RB-NTR facilitates imaging of NTR in cells and liver tissues, aiding disease research.