Abstract
Lipid droplets (LDs) have been known as a non-negligible cellular organelle for lipid storage and metabolism. Fluorescent probes for imaging LDs would be paramount for depicting their functions in cells. Although commercially available Nile Red and BODIPYtm 493/503 have been widely used for labelling LDs, they exhibit unsatisfactory specificity and spectroscopic properties. This feature article reviews the recent advances in organic fluorescent probes for imaging LDs. We first introduce the key points for probe design, including regulating hydrophobicity and enhancing fluorescence quantum yield in LDs. Then, we summarize the structural features and biological applications of some representative LD probes classified by their frameworks. In addition, the current challenges and future research trends for the fluorescent probes of LDs are discussed as well.
Highlights
Lipid droplets (LDs) are the lipid storage cellular organelles consisting of a neutral lipid core, mainly containing cholesterol esters and triglycerides [1,2] covered by a phospholipid monolayer shell where a number of associated proteins were recently found (Figure 1)
In order to understand its role in different metabolic disorders and get insights on their interactions with other cellular compartments, it is of the highest importance to have reliable imaging tools for LDs
Significant progress has already been made in the development of new LD-specific probes, including: (1) the range of available emission colors was expanded, and span from blue to NIR; (2) efficient LDs probes that are compatible with 2PE are available; (3) the selectivity toward LDs was improved; (4) some photophysical properties were enhanced such as: higher brightness, photostability, and Stokes shifts
Summary
Lipid droplets (LDs) are the lipid storage cellular organelles consisting of a neutral lipid core, mainly containing cholesterol esters and triglycerides [1,2] covered by a phospholipid monolayer shell where a number of associated proteins were recently found (Figure 1). In order to understand its role in different metabolic disorders and get insights on their interactions with other cellular compartments, it is of the highest importance to have reliable imaging tools for LDs. The visualization of cellular LDs can be carried out by label-free imaging techniques, such as conventional transmission light microscopy [7], direct organelle mass spectrometry [8], Raman microscopy [9], and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy [10]. The fluorescence imaging techniques have proved to be powerful methods to study complex biological processes due to their high sensitivity [11] It allows precisely imaging the localization, distribution, and biophysical properties of many intracellular compartments such as mitochondria, nucleus, plasma membrane, etc.
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