Recent advances in Golgi-targeted fluorescent probes in ferroptosis research

Abstract

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent modality of regulated cell death mediated by lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a central regulator of diverse pathologies, including tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration. The Golgi apparatus, which governs lipid metabolism, ion homeostasis, and oxidative stress responses, undergoes structural and functional perturbations during ferroptosis, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. Recent advances in Golgi-targeted fluorescent probes now enable real-time, subcellular-resolution mapping of microenvironmental dynamics, offering unprecedented opportunities to dissect Golgi-mediated ferroptosis signaling. This Review systematically examines the design principles and recent progress of Golgi-directed fluorescent probes, critically assesses their current limitations, and outlines future directions for developing next-generation probes to interrogate key molecular and microenvironmental alterations underlying ferroptosis.