Influence of fluorophore and linker length on the localization and trafficking of fluorescent sterol probes

0538171 - ÚMG 2021 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Králová, Jarmila - Jurášek, M. - Miksatkova, L. - Marešová, A. - Faehnrich, J. - Cihlářová, P. - Drašar, P. - Bartůněk, Petr - Král, V.
Influence of fluorophore and linker length on the localization and trafficking of fluorescent sterol probes.
Scientific Reports. Roč. 10, č. 1 (2020), č. článku 22053. ISSN 2045-2322. E-ISSN 2045-2322
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA17-02836S; GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2018130
Institutional support: RVO:68378050
Keywords : cholesterol analogs * bodipy
OECD category: Cell biology
Impact factor: 4.380, year: 2020
Method of publishing: Open access
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78085-9

Fluorescent sterol probes, comprising a fluorophore connected to a sterol backbone by means of a linker, are promising tools for enabling high-resolution imaging of intracellular cholesterol. In this study, we evaluated how the size of the linker, site of its attachment and nature of the fluorophore, affect the localization and trafficking properties of fluorescent sterol probes. Varying lengths of linker using the same fluorophore affected cell penetration and retention in specific cell compartments. A C-4 linker was confirmed as optimal. Derivatives of heterocyclic sterol precursors attached with identical C-4 linker to different fluorophores at diverse positions also showed significant differences in their binding properties to various intracellular compartments and kinetics of trafficking. Two novel red-emitting probes with good cell permeability, fast intracellular labelling and slightly different distribution displayed very promising characteristics for sterol probes. These probes also strongly labelled endo/lysosomal compartment in cells with pharmacologically disrupted cholesterol transport, or with a genetic mutation of cholesterol transporting protein NPC1, that overlapped with filipin staining of cholesterol. Overall, the present study demonstrates that the physicochemical properties of the fluorophore/linker pairing determine the kinetics of uptake and distribution and subsequently influence the applicability of final probes.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0315992