Bioimaging, cellular uptake and dynamics in living cells of a lipophilic fluorescent benzothiadiazole at low temperature (4 °C)

A novel lipophilic fluorescent small-molecule 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivative (named here as BTD-AO) was designed, synthesized, characterized and applied as a live cell-imaging probe. Its cellular uptake and cellular dynamics at low temperature (4 degrees C) using MDA-MB-237 were investigated. Confocal bioimages revealed that the new bioprobe was capable of easily transposing the cell-membrane at low temperatures and also revealed the dynamics of BTD-AO over time. BTD-AO had a high affinity for vesicles (lipid droplets) and had its subcellular location precisely determined during its migration in the cells.