An aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe for selective lipid droplet imaging and real-time visualization of stress-related lipid metabolism.
- 1First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450001 China [email protected].
- 2College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450001 China [email protected].
- 3International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing 210037 China.
Abstract
Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic organelles essential for cellular energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Dysregulation of LDs has been increasingly associated with a range of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, in which abnormal lipid accumulation and oxidative stress are common features. Despite their biological importance, available tools for real-time, high-fidelity visualization of LD dynamics in living systems remain limited. In this study, we developed TPA-LDs, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe for LD imaging. The probe adopts a donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) structure and operates through an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, which contributes to its resistance to photobleaching under the imaging conditions, LD selectivity, and sensitivity to low-polarity environments characteristic of LDs. We show that TPA-LDs can selectively label LDs in live A549 cells and plant tissues, enabling real-time visualization of LD dynamics under physiological and pathological conditions, including nutrient stimulation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis. Owing to the central role of LDs in stress responses and lipid metabolism, TPA-LDs may provide a useful imaging tool for investigating LD-associated biological processes and their relevance to human diseases, including disorders of the nervous system.
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BibTeX
@article{ren2026aggregationinduced,
title = {{An aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe for selective lipid droplet imaging and real-time visualization of stress-related lipid metabolism.}},
author = {Xian Ren and Shaohua Zhu and Yajun Lian and Wenjing Ma and Lingbo Qu and Bing Yu},
journal = {RSC advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6ra07468e},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42835521},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - An aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe for selective lipid droplet imaging and real-time visualization of stress-related lipid metabolism.
AU - Xian Ren
AU - Shaohua Zhu
AU - Yajun Lian
AU - Wenjing Ma
AU - Lingbo Qu
AU - Bing Yu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - RSC advances
DO - 10.1039/d6ra07468e
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42835521
AB - Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic organelles essential for cellular energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Dysregulation of LDs has been increasingly associated with a range of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, in which abnormal lipid accumulation and oxidative stress are common features. Despite their biological importance, available tools for real-time, high-fidelity visualization of LD dynamics in living systems remain limited. In this study, we developed TPA-LDs, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescent probe for LD imaging. The probe adopts a donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) structure and operates through an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, which contributes to its resistance to photobleaching under the imaging conditions, LD selectivity, and sensitivity to low-polarity environments characteristic of LDs. We show that TPA-LDs can selectively label LDs in live A549 cells and plant tissues, enabling real-time visualization of LD dynamics under physiological and pathological conditions, including nutrient stimulation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis. Owing to the central role of LDs in stress responses and lipid metabolism, TPA-LDs may provide a useful imaging tool for investigating LD-associated biological processes and their relevance to human diseases, including disorders of the nervous system.
SN - 2046-2069
ER -