A novel aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe to visualize peroxynitrite levels during Golgi stress

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-), an endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS), can cause a variety of diseases in organisms at high levels. Golgi oxidative stress produces a large number of ROS, and the quantitative detection of various ROS is of great significance to study Golgi oxidative stress. Therefore, accurate detection of ONOO- level in Golgi is important to reveal the mechanism of ONOO- in living organisms. Here, we developed a Golgi-targeted aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe Gol-ONOO- to detect ONOO- in cells. The probe Gol-ONOO- has the advantages of instant response to ONOO-, high selectivity, low detection limit (250 nM) and large Stoke's shift (180 nm). Most importantly, the probe Gol-ONOO- monitored the increase of ONOO- level caused by monensin-induced oxidative stress in the Golgi apparatus, and it was the first time to realize ONOO- imaging in the Golgi apparatus.