Development of a new-generation fluorescent probe for detection and imaging of peroxynitrite in cells

ORGN 580

Tao Peng and Dan Yang, yangdan@hku.hk, Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
Peroxynitrite, a highly reactive oxidant produced through the diffusion-controlled reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide, has been attracting extensive attention since Beckman et al. first proposed its formation in vivo in 1990. The pathogenesis of a series of diseases has been proposed to be linked to the production and reactions of peroxynitrite. However, the short half-life and low steady-state concentration of peroxynitrite in biological systems hamper its detection and measurement. So far the evidences for the formation and function of peroxynitrite in vivo are all indirect and mainly relied on its nitrative footprint, which is interfered by several other in vivo sources of nitrating oxidants. Here we report a new-generation fluorescent probe HKGreen-3 for the detection of peroxynitite with high sensitivity and specificity. The virtually non-fluorescent probe efficiently reacted with peroxynitrite under physiological conditions to show strong fluorescence enhancement (144-fold fluorescence increase upon 1 equiv. peroxynitrite treatment), while the fluorescence increases upon treatment of other reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) were negligible. The probe has also been used to detect peroxynitrite production in cultured macrophages.
 

Materials, Devices and Switches, Metal-Mediated Reactions, Asymmetric Reactions, Total Synthesis, Biologically-Related Molecules and Processes
7:00 PM-9:00 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- La Louisiane, Blrm. C, Poster

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Sci-Mix

Division of Organic Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008