Gao Meng, Su Huifang, Li Shiwu, Lin Yuhan, Ling Xia, Qin Anjun, Tang Ben Zhong
State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Chem Commun (Camb). 2017 Jan 16;53(5):921-924. doi: 10.1039/c6cc09471f. Epub 2016 Dec 23.
Lipid droplets (LDs) as dynamic organelles are associated with many metabolic processes. Ideal fluorescent probes for LD-specific imaging require excellent specificity, superior brightness, fast cell permeability, and easy preparation. However, conventional fluorophores for LD imaging suffer from drawbacks of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), poor photostability, and difficulty of preparation. To tackle these challenges, herein, we develop an easily accessible aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe for LD-specific imaging and dynamic movement tracking. This AIE probe has significant advantages in terms of fast cell permeability, low cytotoxicity, strong photostability, and high two-photon absorption cross-sections in the near infra-red (NIR) range. It is thus expected to have broad applications in the study of LDs' biological functions.
脂滴（LDs）作为动态细胞器，与许多代谢过程相关。用于脂滴特异性成像的理想荧光探针需要具备出色的特异性、卓越的亮度、快速的细胞通透性以及易于制备的特点。然而，传统的用于脂滴成像的荧光团存在聚集诱导猝灭（ACQ）、光稳定性差以及制备困难等缺点。为应对这些挑战，在此我们开发了一种易于获得的聚集诱导发光（AIE）荧光探针，用于脂滴特异性成像和动态运动追踪。这种AIE探针在快速细胞通透性、低细胞毒性、强光稳定性以及近红外（NIR）范围内的高二光子吸收截面方面具有显著优势。因此，预计它在脂滴生物学功能的研究中具有广泛的应用。
