Bi- and Trifunctional Lipids for Visualization of Sphingolipid Dynamics within the Cell.

Investigations into lipid localization and transport are often hampered by a lack of methods and tools to faithfully visualize lipids in the context of living cells, since fluorescent modifications drastically change lipid properties. Here, we describe the use of bifunctional as well as trifunctional sphingosine to reveal its subcellular localization via crosslinking, fixation, and specific staining by click reaction with a fluorophore. Additionally, these probes allow investigations into lipid metabolism as revealed by thin-layer chromatography.