A deep-red emission fluorescent probe for visualization of fluoride anion accumulation in a murine model of acute fluoride toxicity and the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana

Fluorine (F) is a highly reactive and non-biodegradable pollutant widely present in the environment, which has seriously threatened ecosystems and human health. To date, no fluorescent probes have been reported to visually observe the accumulation of excess fluoride ions in living plants and animals, which severely limits the study of the toxic effects of fluoride ions in biological chains. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new deep-red emission fluorescent probe NRF for detecting the accumulation of F− in living animals and plants. Exploiting F-induced cleavage of the silicon-oxygen bond, the probe NRF exhibited remarkable fluorescence changes from weak to strong. In addition, this probe displayed some significant advantages in detecting F−, including excellent selectivity, good photostability, and low biological toxicity. Furthermore, its favorable properties for detecting F− were successfully demonstrated in HeLa cells and zebrafish. Notably, utilizing the robust probe NRF, visualization of F− accumulation in acute F− toxicity model and the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana tissues had been achieved. This study shows that NRF can be used as an effective tool to detect excess F− in living cells, animals and plants, and provides a method for elucidating the toxicity mechanism of fluoride in physiological and pathological processes.