Issue 8, 2024

A two-in-one probe: imaging lipid droplets and endoplasmic reticulum in tandem

Abstract

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lipid droplets (LDs) intricately interact in cellular processes, with the ER serving as a hub for lipid synthesis and LDs acting as storage organelles for lipids. Developing fluorescent probes that can simultaneously visualise the ER and LDs provides a means for real-time and specific visualisation of these subcellular organelles and elucidating their interaction. Herein, we present synthetically simple and novel donor–π–acceptor styryl fluorophores (PFC, PFN and PFB) incorporating pentafluorophenyl (PFP) to demonstrate exquisite discriminative imaging of ER and LD with a single excitation wavelength. The PFP moiety aids the ER selectivity, while the overall hydrophobicity of the molecule aids in the LD targeting. Furthermore, the fluorophores are utilised in studying the changes in size, distribution, and biogenesis of LDs within ER regions after treatment with oleic acid. Strong emission, lower concentrations ∼100 nM requirement, minimal cytotoxicity, and photostability make these fluorophores excellent tools for probing sub-cellular dynamics.

Graphical abstract: A two-in-one probe: imaging lipid droplets and endoplasmic reticulum in tandem

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 jan 2024
Accepted
25 jan 2024
First published
30 jan 2024

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024,12, 2028-2041

A two-in-one probe: imaging lipid droplets and endoplasmic reticulum in tandem

S. Mansuri, P. Mahalingavelar, V. Soppina and S. Kanvah, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 2028 DOI: 10.1039/D4TB00026A

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