A turn-on fluorescent probe for imaging lysosomal hydrogen sulfide in living cells

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an endothelial gasotransmitter which has been extensively studied recently in various physiological processes. H₂S can induce lysosomal membrane destabilization leading to an autophagic event of precipitation apoptosis coupled with calpain activation, thus ensuring cellular demise. In this study, we developed a lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe for the recognition of H₂S with considerable fluorescence enhancement. Through introducing a lysosome-targetable group 4-(2-aminoethyl)-morpholine into the H₂S probe N-imide termus of 4-azide-1,8-naphthalimide, the new compound Lyso-AFP can recognize H₂S in lysosomes. This probe emerges as a more biocompatible analysis tool with low poison by-product than reported H₂S fluorescent probes.