Development and characterization of fluorescent cholesteryl probes with enhanced solvatochromic and pH-sensitive properties for live-cell imaging.

We present novel fluorescent cholesteryl probes (CNDs) with a modular design based on the solvatochromic 1,8-phthalimide scaffold. We have explored how different modules-linkers and head groups-affect the ability of these probes to integrate into lipid membranes and how they distribute intracellularly in mouse astrocytes and fibroblasts targeting lysosomes and lipid droplets. Each compound was assessed for its solvatochromic behavior in organic solvents and model membranes.

Modular Fluorescent Cholesterol Naphthalimide Probes And Their Application For Cholesterol Trafficking Studies In Cells.

Development of fluorescent cholesterol analogs to better understand subcellular cholesterol trafficking is of great interest for cell biology and medicine. Our approach utilizes a bifunctional 1,8-naphthalimide scaffold with a push-pull character, modified on one side with a head group and a linker on the other side connecting it to cholesterol an ester bond. Through structure-function studies, we've explored how different substituents-linkers and head groups-affect the ability of these fluorescent cholesterol naphthalimide analogs (CNDs) to mimic natural cholesterol behavior at both molecular and cellular levels.