title: Histochemical detection of lipid droplets in cultured cells.
abstract: Cells store excess lipid as esters in the form of triglycerides and cholesterol esters. Most lipid esters are compartmentalized in globular structures called lipid droplets. Here we describe several methods of detecting lipid droplets by fluorescence microscopy. Lipid droplets can be visualized either by staining the lipid ester core using fluorescent dyes or by labeling lipid droplet-specific proteins using antibodies. The intracellular distribution of lipid droplets can be analyzed without much difficulty by these methods, but care must be taken to avoid certain pitfalls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Molecular Cell Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Michitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinohara
authors.forename: Toyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002460:Cell Line; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010078:Oxazines / Q000737:chemistry; D000070780:Perilipin-2; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: C095489:4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene; D001391:Azo Compounds; D001896:Boron Compounds; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008055:Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010078:Oxazines; D000070780:Perilipin-2; C011049:oil red O; C044808:nile red