A mitochondria-targeted single fluorescence probe for separately and continuously visualizing H2S and Cys with multi-response signals.

Hydrogen sulfide and cysteine are momentous endogenous regulators of many physiological processes and maintain a dynamic balance of redox in living organisms. To investigate the inter-relationship of them in vivo, there is a pressing need to develop analytical molecular tools to identify related biomolecules. We construct a mitochondria-targeted single fluorescence probe (Mit-CM) for separately and continuously visualizing H2S, Cys and H2S/Cys with multi-response fluorescence signals. Mit-CM has the following advantages: (Ⅰ) colorimetric and ratiometric: two well-separated emission bands can ensure accurate detection of the analyte and significant color changes contribute to rapid identification of the analyte by the naked eye; (Ⅱ) mitochondrial localization: study the physiological functions of H2S and Cys in mitochondria; (Ⅲ) separate and continuous detection of H2S and Cys: reveal the inter-relationship and interconversion of them in biological system. Moreover, the desirable attributes of low cytotoxicity, better biocompatibility and excellent mitochondria enrichment ability indicate that Mit-CM can be employed to achieve detection and observe distribution of H2S, Cys and H2S/Cys in living organism.