Polarity-Sensitive Probes for Superresolution Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biophysics
• Microscopy

Background:

• Lateral organization of plasma membrane molecules is crucial for cellular signaling.
• Lipid packing significantly influences membrane molecular organization.
• Polarity-sensitive dyes are effective for characterizing lipid membrane order using microscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the performance of specific polarity-sensitive dyes in superresolution microscopy.
• To determine the suitability of these dyes for probing nanoscale membrane heterogeneity.

Main Methods:

• Superresolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy.
• Utilized polarity-sensitive membrane dyes: Di-4-ANEPPDHQ, Di-4-AN(F)EPPTEA, and NR12S.
• Applied to cell-derived membrane vesicles, live cell plasma membranes, and single virus particles.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the high potential of tested dyes in STED microscopy.
• Showcased the dyes' ability to probe nanoscale membrane heterogeneity.
• Successfully applied dyes to various biological membrane systems.

Conclusions:

• Polarity-sensitive dyes are valuable tools for superresolution imaging of membrane organization.
• These dyes enable detailed characterization of nanoscale membrane structures.
• The findings support the use of these dyes for advanced membrane research.