Substituent Effects in BODIPY in Live Cell Imaging.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Biology
• Molecular Imaging
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Organoselenium compounds are valuable fluorescent probes for detecting biological analytes.
• BODIPY-based probes are widely used in bioimaging due to their favorable photophysical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of substituents on BODIPY systems for organoselenium fluorescent probes.
• To develop a selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and lipid droplet imaging.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of novel organoselenium-BODIPY derivatives.
• Spectroscopic analysis for probe characterization and analyte detection.
• Live cell imaging studies to assess probe localization and response.

Main Results:

• The probe exhibited quenched fluorescence, with a turn-on response selective for NaOCl among ROS/RNS.
• Achieved a low detection limit (19.6 nm) and significant fluorescence enhancement (≈110-fold).
• Demonstrated specific localization and accumulation in lipid droplets in live cells, attributed to aggregation-induced emission (AIE) from a mesityl group.

Conclusions:

• Substituents on the BODIPY core significantly influence the sensing capabilities of organoselenium probes.
• The developed probe offers high selectivity and sensitivity for ROS/RNS detection and enables lipid droplet imaging in live cells.
• Aggregation-induced emission is a key mechanism for the observed turn-on fluorescence in cellular environments.