A novel FRET-based fluorescent probe for the selective detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and its application for bioimaging

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule with multiple functions in many physiological and pathological processes. Herein, our group developed a novel fluorescent probe (Flu-N₃) for H₂S on the basis of the 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin and fluorescein FRET system. Adding H₂S to a solution of Flu-N₃ resulted in a clearly observable fluorescence enhancement (50-fold). This probe showed high sensitivity and selectivity towards H₂S over other reactive species with a detection limit of 0.031 μM and a fast response time (within 8 s). Moreover, Flu-N₃ displayed little toxicity to HepG-2 cells and was successfully applied to image exogenous and endogenous H₂S in living cells and nude mice.