Coherent Raman scattering microscopy of lipid droplets in cells and tissues

Abstract

Lipid droplets (LDs) play a key role as the hub for lipid metabolism to maintain cellular metabolic homeostasis. Understanding the functions and changes of LDs in different pathological conditions is crucial for identifying new markers for diagnosis and discovering new targets for treatment. In recent years, coherent Raman scattering (CRS) microscopy has been popularized for the imaging and quantification of LDs in live cells. Compared with spontaneous Raman scattering microscopy, CRS microscopy offers a much higher imaging speed while maintaining similar chemical information. Due to the high lipid density, LDs usually have strong CRS signals and therefore are the most widely studied organelle in the CRS field. In this review, we discuss recent achievements using CRS to study the quantity, distribution, composition, and dynamics of LDs in various systems.

Pinpointing Fat Molecules: Advances in Coherent Raman Scattering Microscopy for Lipid Metabolism

“…Here, we discuss recent advancements in the applications of CRS microscopy for analyzing lipid metabolism, including novel strategies for lipid imaging and measurements, data analysis approaches, and major findings facilitated by these innovations. We aim to avoid overlapping with prior review and note several recent literature reviews discussing the technical development of CRS microscopy, − including more specific review articles for SRS microscopy in lipid droplets (LDs) and lipid metabolism in cancer …”