A simple benzothiazole-based turn-on fluorescent probe for detecting H2S in HeLa cells

H2S is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule that plays a vital role in many biological processes. Small molecule fluorescent probes as a powerful tool can be used to in vivo and in vitro visualize the H2S with many advantages. At present, many fluorescence probes were reported based on the nucleophilicity of H2S, which were susceptible to interference from other nucleophilic species and possessed poor selectivity. In this work, we designed a simple benzothiazole-based turn-on fluorescence probe HBT-PBA that was modified with pyridyl disulfide as a recognition group and had good selectivity towards H2S over biothiols. Additionally, HBT-PBA was utilized for fluorescence images of the H2S in the lysosomes and endoplasmic reticulum of HeLa cells.