School of Pharmacy, Wannan Medical College, 241002, Wuhu, P. R. China.
School of Anesthesiology, Wannan Medical College, 241002, Wuhu, P. R. China.
Chem Asian J. 2023 Apr 3;18(7):e202201291. doi: 10.1002/asia.202201291. Epub 2023 Feb 27.
Lipid droplet (LD) dysfunction can result in various diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Imaging agents built on dual-state emission (DSE) molecules that fluoresce in both dilute solutions and the aggregated state are receiving attention as this type of probe could provide bright fluorescence signals at variable concentrations, avoiding false signal readout caused by the concentration fluctuation in living systems. Herein, we identified a red emissive molecule featuring DSE, from three newly synthesized molecules, for specific detection of LDs in live cells. The bioimaging abilities have been well confirmed by optical spectroscopies, theoretical calculations, cell experiments, as well as animal studies. The DSE probe is effective for LD detection at concentrations ranging from 1 μM to 100 μM while retaining high brightness and signal fidelity. This study provides a knowledge base for the future design of DSE-active fluorescent probes for understanding LD-related diseases.
脂滴（LD）功能障碍可导致各种疾病，如非酒精性脂肪肝疾病。基于双重态发射（DSE）分子构建的成像剂在稀溶液和聚集态中都具有荧光，作为这类探针可以在不同浓度下提供明亮的荧光信号，避免了由于活体系中浓度波动而导致的错误信号读取。在此，我们从三种新合成的分子中鉴定出了一种具有 DSE 的红色发射分子，用于活细胞中 LD 的特异性检测。光学光谱、理论计算、细胞实验以及动物研究都很好地证实了该生物成像能力。DSE 探针在 1 μM 至 100 μM 的浓度范围内对 LD 的检测有效，同时保持高亮度和信号保真度。这项研究为未来设计用于理解 LD 相关疾病的 DSE 活性荧光探针提供了知识库。
