An arylboronate-based fluorescent probe for selective and sensitive detection of peroxynitrite and its applications for fluorescence imaging in living cells

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−) is an extremely reactive oxygen species in biological systems, and can react with a wide variety of molecular targets including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, eventually resulting in mitochondria dysfunction and cell death. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new arylboronate-based fluorescent probe, which could detect ONOO− with a big fluorescence off-on ratio (155-fold), fast response rate (50 s), high sensitivity (detection limit:0.83 nM), and excellent selectivity over a series of biologically relevant reactive oxygen species as well as anions, cations, and biothiols. The sensing mechanism has proved to be the ONOO−-triggered covalent assembly of a bright iminocourmarin fluorophore. With the probe, the stimulation-induced ONOO− in RAW264.7 murine macrophages as well as the endogenous ONOO− in endothelial cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) has been successfully visualized.

Graphical abstractAn arylboronate-based fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of peroxynitrite has been developed and applied to image the stimulation-induced peroxynitrite in RAW264.7 murine macrophages as well as the endogenous peroxynitrite in endothelial cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide