Imaging of living cells and zebrafish in vivo using a ratiometric fluorescent probe for hydrogen sulfide

Abstract

We have developed a novel colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence probe for the selective and sensitive monitoring of hydrogen sulfide based on a dicyanoisophorone platform. An excellent linear relationship of fluorescence intensity ratio (I₆₃₇/I₅₅₈) (R² = 0.9867) versus hydrogen sulfide concentration in the range of 1–12 μM was obtained. This probe exhibited a remarkable fluorescence response to hydrogen sulfide over other physiological thiols or biological species, which fluoresces in the red region with a large Stokes shift (172 nm). This probe was successfully utilized to monitor H₂S under in vitro physiological conditions and for imaging H₂S in living cells and living zebrafish in vivo.