Synthesis of a new fluorescent small molecule probe and its use for in vivo lipid imaging

A new small molecule probe for in vivo lipid imaging, LipidGreen (compound 5), was developed. LipidGreen stained lipid droplets in 3T3L1 cell lines and fat deposits in zebrafish without apparent toxicity up to 100 mu M. The utility of LipidGreen as a drug screening platform for fat regulation was also demonstrated in live zebrafish.