A novel ultrasensitive peroxynitrite-specific fluorescent probe and its bioimaging applications in living systems

Peroxynitrite, one of the well-known reactive nitrogen species (RNS), which is considered to be an important oxidant. Besides, peroxynitrite plays an important role in the broad spectrum of biological processes, and it is also a vital participant in the emergence of cancer. To this end, the fluorescent probe PN-1 was rationally synthesized, which contains a coumarin-fused coumarin dye and borates as the specific recognition group. Probe PN-1 exhibits several obvious performances, for instance, high specificity, excellent sensitivity, and it could promptly respond toward ONOO−. Using this simple fluorescent probe, we achieved the imaging of endogenous and exogenous ONOO− fluctuations in living cells and zebrafish. Moreover, PN-1 has efficiently differentiated cancerous cells from normal cells owing to image their different native ONOO− levels, these results indicated that PN-1 is expected to be an analytical tool, for researching ONOO− related cancer biology and studying the related effect of ONOO− in food. [Display omitted] •The probe could quantitatively and sensitively detect ONOO− (DL = 4 nM).•The probe possessed an ultrafast response for ONOO− (within 5 s).•The probe displayed prominent selectivity towards ONOO−.•The probe could track endogenous and exogenous ONOO− fluctuations in living cells and zebrafish.•The probe could efficiently differentiate cancerous cells from normal cells.