Stimulated emission depletion microscopy is one of the super-resolution techniques as well as one of the most useful techniques for observing nanometer structures in cells. It is based on the use of fluorescence; the absorption of light, followed by the emission of light at higher wavelengths. As with most fluorescence microscopes, STED microscopy uses fluorophores to label the observed structure. The properties of these fluorophores differ; in particular they must have better photostability as well as an appropriate emission and absorption spectrum. Since we want the fluorescent labels to distribute to certain structures or parts of structures, their selectivity is very important.
The purpose of our work was synthesis of new fluorescent probes and checking their suitability for marking cell structures on a STED microscope. The basis for my master's thesis were probes for the labelling of lipid droplets based on 4-cyanocoumarin and Nile red, which have already been introduced in various other master's thesis. Both types of probes proved to be very suitable for STED microscopy, but there were problems with selectivity as there was a lot of signal from the background. The compounds described in this master's thesis (compounds 18 and 20), however, have a slightly higher lipophilicity, so we expected greater selectivity in the labelling of lipid droplets. In addition to lipid droplet labelling probes, a plasma membrane labelling probe (compound 11) based on Nile red was also prepared. The Nile red emission is very sensitive to the polarity of the surroundings, so we hope that the probe will be useful in monitoring membrane processes involving changes in polarity.
The absorption and emission spectra were recorded for compounds 11, 18 and 20, and these in principle correspond to the specifications required by the STED microscope at the Jožef Stefan Institute. Tests done at institut have shown that probes 18 and 20 more selectively label lipid droplets, are not cytotoxic, but photobleaching of both probes is a problem. This surprised us, because probes that have exactly the same fluorophore and were the basis for our probes, do not photobleech as much. Tests on STED microscope with probe 11 will be done in the future.
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