DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176189 ISSN:
A New Lysosome-Targeted NIR Fluorescent Probe for Specific Detection of Cysteine over Homocysteine and Glutathione
Qiuchen Liu, Chang Liu, Song He, Xianshun Zeng, Jian Zhang, Jin Gong- Chemistry (miscellaneous)
- Analytical Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
- Molecular Medicine
- Drug Discovery
- Pharmaceutical Science
In this paper, by modifying the thioxanthene-benzothiozolium fluorophore, BCy-Cys, a lysosome-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe was synthesized for the detection of cysteine (Cys) from homocysteine (Hcy)/glutathione (GSH). As expected, BCy-Cys exhibited high selectivity and high sensitivity for detection of Cys over Hcy/GSH, with an extremely low limit of detection at 0.31 μM, marked by obvious color changes. HRMS was conducted to confirm that the fluorescence intensity at 795 nm was significantly enhanced by the enhancement of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). Importantly, BCy-Cys could be used to visualize both exogenous and endogenous lysosomal Cys, signifying its potential application in complex organismal systems.