Dynamic visualization of endoplasmic reticulum viscosity in living cells with a multirotor-based fluorescent probe

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function is sensitive to intracellular viscosity.
• Monitoring ER viscosity is crucial for understanding cellular physiological states.
• Viscosity-responsive fluorescent probes offer a method for real-time ER monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel multirotor-based fluorescent probes.
• To evaluate the probes' sensitivity to viscosity and their targeting ability to the ER.
• To demonstrate the application of a developed probe for visualizing ER viscosity dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of three multirotor-based fluorescent probes (1-3).
• Assessment of probe viscosity sensitivity and ER targeting specificity.
• In situ imaging of ER viscosity changes using Probe 1.

Main Results:

• Probes 1 and 2 demonstrated high viscosity sensitivity.
• Probes 1 and 2 showed specific targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum.
• Probe 1 successfully visualized dynamic ER viscosity changes in response to biological stimuli.

Conclusions:

• Novel multirotor fluorescent probes were developed for viscosity sensing.
• Probe 1 is a valuable tool for real-time monitoring of ER viscosity.
• This approach aids in studying ER function during various cellular processes like inflammation and reticulophagy.