A Fluorescent Probe Differentiates Apoptosis from Cysteine-Deprivation Ferroptosis through Imaging of Viscosity and Lipid Droplets.

Since death is an inevitable phenomenon, exploring cell deaths holds importance. During this process, the cellular microenvironment within cells such as pH, polarity, viscosity etc alter. One such microenvironment, viscosity elevates during different cell deaths.

Unraveling Ferroptosis Mechanisms: Tracking Cellular Viscosity with Small Molecular Fluorescent Probes.

Ferroptosis is a recently identified form of regulated cell death characterized by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation. Numerous functions for ferroptosis have been identified in physiological as well as pathological processes, most notably in the treatment of cancer. The intricate balance of redox homeostasis is profoundly altered during ferroptosis, leading to alteration in cellular microenvironment.

Ratiometric fluorescent probes for pH mapping in cellular organelles.

The intracellular pH (pHi) in organelles, including mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, and nuclei, differs from the cytoplasmic pH, and thus maintaining the pH of these organelles is crucial for cellular homeostasis. Alterations in the intracellular pH (ΔpHi) in organelles lead to the disruption of cell proliferation, ion transportation, cellular homeostasis, and even cell death. Hence, accurately mapping the pH of organelles is crucial.

A Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Hypochlorite and Lipid Droplets to Monitor Oxidative Stress.

Mitochondria are valuable subcellular organelles and play crucial roles in redox signaling in living cells. Substantial evidence proved that mitochondria are one of the critical sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and overproduction of ROS accompanies redox imbalance and cell immunity. Among ROS, hydrogen peroxide (HO) is the foremost redox regulator, which reacts with chloride ions in the presence of myeloperoxidase (MPO) to generate another biogenic redox molecule, hypochlorous acid (HOCl).