A novel polarity-sensitive fluorescent probe for lighting up lipid droplets and its application in discriminating dead and living zebrafish.

In the present study, we developed a novel fluorescent chemosensor with a hybrid structure of 3-pyridinonitrile-coumarin derivatives by molecular design strategy that can effectively label intracellular lipid droplets. Interestingly, the probe ATOP-LD also exhibited polarity-sensitive properties, which may be attributable to its own strong electron-giving and electron-absorbing moieties. In addition, the probe exhibited excellent interference resistance, pH stability and low biotoxicity and had been successfully applied to cell imaging. Also, probe ATOP-LD could discriminate dead and living zebrafish or its embryos. These satisfactory properties prove that the probe is useful and possesses great potential for application. Lipid droplets (LDs) represent essential intracellular organelles that store and supply lipids, which are associated with the synthesis of many disease-related intracellular signalling molecules. Aberrant expression of lipid droplets may cause cytotoxicity, cellular dysfunction and apoptosis. Similarly, as a very critical parameter and indicator of normal cells, polarity performs a vital function in many biological processes and physiological environments. In the present study, we developed a novel fluorescent chemosensor by molecular design strategy that can effectively label intracellular lipid droplets. Interestingly, the probe ATOP-LD also exhibited polarity-sensitive properties, which may be attributable to its own strong electron-giving and electron-absorbing moieties. Iinaten addition, the probe exhibited excellent interference resistance, pH stability and low biotoxicity, and had been successfully applied to cell imaging. Also, probe ATOP-LD could discriminate dead and living zebrafish or its embryos. [Display omitted] • A novel fluorescent chemosensor by molecular design strategy was developed, which can effectively label intracellular lipid droplets. • The probe ATOP-LD also exhibited polarity-sensitive properties, which may be attributable to its own strong electron-giving and electron-absorbing moieties. • The probe exhibited excellent interference resistance, pH stability and low biotoxicity. • Probe ATOP-LD had been successfully applied to cell imaging, zebrafish and its embryos imaging. • The probe was useful to discriminate dead and living zebrafish, which is a very cleaver application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]