Biological applications of a turn-on bioluminescent probe for monitoring sulfite oxidase deficiency in vivo.

Sulfites are widely used as preservative and antioxidant additives in food and drug. A non-invasive method for in vivo imaging of sulfite represents a powerful tool for estimating its potential effects in living organisms. Herein, we report the design, development, and application of sulfite bioluminescent probes (SBPs) for the analyte-specific detection of sulfite through sulfite-mediated intramolecular cleavage. Among them, SBP-1 exhibited the excellent responsivity, high selectivity and sensitivity. By taking advantage of this probe, the first in vivo imaging of sulfate was successfully carried out, not only to trace exogenous sulfite level in living animal, but also to investigate endogenous sulfite in a sulfite oxidase deficiency model.