Synergistically activated dual-locked fluorescent probes to monitor H 2 S-induced DNA damage.

Naphthalimide-based fluorescent probes (NAN0-N3 and NAN6-N3) were developed with dual locked fluorescence. Here, ≥1.9 × 10 -2 mM of H 2 S and ≥2.2 × 10 -2 μg mL -1 of DNA could unlock a highly sensitive off-on fluorescence response through synergistic changes of the molecular structure and conformation. As such, the probes could monitor DNA damage induced by the overexpression of H 2 S, and were able to evaluate the degree of apoptosis of living cells mediated by H 2 S-induced mtDNA or nDNA damage.