A pyrrole-tricyanofuran-based probe for the detection of bisulfite and viscosity in lysosomes of living cells and zebrafish

• Published in: Journal of molecular structure Vol. 1284; p. 135422
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ling, Wu, Wei-Na, Zhao, Xiao-Lei, Fan, Yun-Chang, Wang, Yuan, Xu, Zhi-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.07.2023
• Subjects: Bisulfite; Fluorescent probe; Lysosome-targeting; Viscosity changes; Zebrafish imaging; Bisulfite; Zebrafish imaging; Fluorescent probe; Lysosome-targeting; Viscosity changes
• ISSN: 0022-2860; 1872-8014
• DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.135422

•A lysosome-targeting probe has been developed based on pyrrole-tricyanofuran.•The probe shows AIE behavior in almost pure aqueous media.•The probe can detect HSO3− and viscosity on fluorescence and UV−Vis spectra.•The probe can image lysosomal HSO3− and viscosity in cells and zebrafish. A novel AIE active bifunctional probe for detecting bisulfite (HSO3−) and viscosity synchronously was developed based on pyrrole-tricyanofuran skeleton. This probe exhibited aggregation-induced emission behavior in almost pure aqueous media, and responded to HSO3− with a “turn-off” signal and viscosity changes with a “turn-on” signal in semi-aqueous solutions, respectively. The response mechanism of the probe associated with HSO3−-involving CC breakage was demonstrated via ESI-MS, 1H NMR analysis, and density functional theory calculations. Furthermore, the probe has been applied to imaging endogenous HSO3− and viscosity changes in the lysosomes of C6 cells and zebrafish. [Display omitted]