Lysosomal-targeted fluorescent probe based pH regulating reactivity for tracking cysteine dynamics under oxidative stress

J Mater Chem B. 2024 May 29;12(21):5157-5161. doi: 10.1039/d4tb00478g.

Abstract

The ability to detect and visualize cellular events and associated biological analytes is essential for the understanding of their physiological and pathological functions. Cysteine (Cys) plays a crucial role in biological systems and lysosomal homeostasis. This puts forward higher requirements on the performance of the probe. Herein, we rationally designed a coumarin-based probe for the reversible, specific, sensitive, and rapid detection of Cys based on pH regulating reactivity. The obtained probe (ECMA) introduces a morpholine moiety to target lysosomes, and α,β-unsaturated-ketone with an electron-withdrawing CN group served as a reversible reaction site for Cys. Importantly, ECMA was successfully applied to the real-time monitoring of Cys dynamics in living cells. Furthermore, cell imaging clearly revealed that exogenous Cys could induce the up-regulation of lysosomal ROS, which provided a powerful tool for investigating the relationship between oxidative stress and lysosomal Cys.

MeSH terms

  • Coumarins / chemistry
  • Cysteine* / chemistry
  • Cysteine* / metabolism
  • Fluorescent Dyes* / chemical synthesis
  • Fluorescent Dyes* / chemistry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Lysosomes* / chemistry
  • Lysosomes* / metabolism
  • Molecular Structure
  • Optical Imaging
  • Oxidative Stress* / drug effects
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Cysteine
  • Coumarins
  • Reactive Oxygen Species