Designing an intracellular fluorescent probe for glutathione: two modulation sites for selective signal transduction

Abstract

A selective probe for glutathione was designed and synthesized. The design incorporates spatial and photophysical constraints for the maximal emission signal. Thus, pHs, as well as the intracellular thiol concentrations, determine the emission signal intensity through a tight control of charge-transfer and PeT processes. The probe works satisfactorily inside the human breast adenocarcinoma cells, highlighting GSH distribution in the cytosol.