Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Migrasomes are highly dynamic, migration-associated membrane organelles involved in intercellular communication, cargo transfer, mitochondrial quality control, and cellular homeostasis. Their continuous formation, growth, maturation, and detachment impose unique demands on fluorescence imaging, particularly for stable and long-term visualization in living systems. Conventional imaging approaches, including protein-based markers and lipophilic membrane dyes, often suffer from genetic manipulation requirements, cellular internalization, membrane redistribution, photobleaching, or insufficient retention. Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) provide a promising platform to address these limitations because their fluorescence can be activated by restricted molecular motion and their structures can be readily engineered for membrane interaction and functional sensing. In this review, we discuss the molecular design principles of AIEgens for migrasome imaging, with particular emphasis on membrane targeting, durable membrane retention, probe–lipid interactions, photophysical performance, and environmental responsiveness. Representative probes, including TTCPy, OT2SQ, and CDPP-2PF6, illustrate the evolution from phospholipid-targeted structural imaging to mechanosensitive sensing and long-term, lipid-dependent visualization. We further highlight emerging opportunities to improve migrasome selectivity, extend imaging in complex biological systems, and integrate functional readouts of membrane mechanics, lipid remodeling, and cargo dynamics. Together, these advances suggest that rational molecular engineering, rather than AIE activity alone, is central to the development of next-generation probes for selective, longitudinal, and functional migrasome imaging.
Source: ChemRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214613636