DHEA-Bodipy–a functional fluorescent DHEA analog for live cell imaging

Susanne Lemcke (1) , Christoph Hönnscheidt (1) , Gustav Waschatko (1) , Anita Bopp (1) , Dieter Lütjohann (2) , Norbert Bertram , Katja Gehrig-Burger (1)

1 University of Mainz
2 University Clinics of Bonn

The androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been reported to protect neuronal cells against dysfunction and apoptosis. Several signaling pathways involved in these effects have been described but little is known about the intracellular trafficking of DHEA. We describe design, synthesis and characterization of DHEA-Bodipy, a novel fluorescent DHEA analog. DHEA-Bodipy proved to be a functional DHEA derivative: DHEA-Bodipy (i) induced estrogen receptor α-mediated gene activation, (ii) protected PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells against serum deprivation-induced apoptosis, and (iii) induced stress fibers and focal adhesion contacts in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. DHEA-Bodipy bound rapidly and specifically to plasma membranes of living PC12 cells. We analyzed metabolism and trafficking of DHEA-Bodipy in human neuroblastoma cells. DHEA-Bodipy is the first functional fluorescent DHEA derivative suitable for live cell imaging of intracellular DHEA transport and localization.

Mots clés: DHEA-Bodipy; genomic; non-genomic; fluorescence microscopy; live cell imaging; trafficking

Susanne Lemcke, Christoph Hönnscheidt, Gustav Waschatko, Anita Bopp, Dieter Lütjohann, et al.. DHEA-Bodipy–a functional fluorescent DHEA analog for live cell imaging. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 2009, 314 (1), pp.31. ⟨10.1016/j.mce.2009.09.006⟩. ⟨hal-00529009⟩