Bifunctional Probes Reveal the Rules of Intracellular Ether Lipid Transport.

ABSTRACT: Ether glycerophospholipids bear a long chain alcohol attached via an alkyl or vinyl ether bond at the sn1 position of the glycerol backbone. Ether lipids play a significant role in physiology and human health. However, their cellular functions remain largely unknown due to a lack of tools for identifying their subcellular localization and interacting proteins. Here, we address this methodological gap by synthesizing minimally modified bifunctional ether lipid probes by introducing diazirine and alkyne groups. To interrogate the subcellular kinetics of intracellular ether lipid transport in mammalian cells, we used a combination of fluorescence imaging, machine learning-assisted image analysis, and mathematical modelling. We find that alkyl-linked ether lipids are transported up to twofold

SUBMITTER: Bohlig K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12603971 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature