Viscosity-Sensitive Solvatochromic Fluorescent Probes for Lipid Droplets Staining

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Imaging

Background:

• Lipid droplets (LDs) are crucial intracellular organelles storing neutral lipids.
• The microenvironment within LDs influences key physiological processes like metabolism and signaling.
• Accurate sensing of LDs is vital for understanding cellular functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel fluorescent chemo-sensor for intracellular lipid droplets.
• To investigate the sensing capabilities of the probe concerning microenvironmental factors.
• To evaluate the probe's utility in cellular and in vivo imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Molecular design and synthesis of the fluorescent chemo-sensor (Couoxo-LD).
• Assessment of Couoxo-LD's sensitivity to polarity and viscosity.
• Cellular imaging in HeLa cells, including co-localization studies with commercial dyes.
• In vivo imaging in zebrafish.

Main Results:

• Couoxo-LD effectively labels intracellular lipid droplets with high selectivity.
• The probe exhibits sensitivity to polarity and viscosity, potentially due to its D-π-A structure and TICT mechanism.
• Successful application in HeLa cell imaging with excellent co-localization (0.93) and low biotoxicity.
• Demonstrated efficacy for in vivo imaging of lipid droplets in zebrafish.

Conclusions:

• Couoxo-LD is a versatile and selective fluorescent probe for lipid droplet detection.
• Its sensitivity to microenvironmental changes offers new possibilities for studying LD dynamics.
• The probe shows significant potential for both cellular and in vivo imaging applications.