New Fluorescent Probe Illuminates Cellular Structures Across Species

Scientists have developed a fluorescent probe called CenSpark that illuminates centrioles and cilia in living cells. This new tool allows researchers to observe these cellular components in real time. Centrioles and cilia are crucial for cell division, movement, and communication.

Centrioles organize cellular architecture and guide cell division. Cilia function as sensory and motile antennae. Malfunctions in these structures are linked to various diseases, including certain cancers and ciliopathies. Previous research was limited by the lack of precise imaging tools for these structures in living cells.

The CenSpark probe was engineered to specifically bind to the unique microtubule arrangements found in centrioles and cilia. This allows for their selective labeling across different eukaryotic systems. The development, led by Pierre Gönczy at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), was published in *Nature Chemical Biology*.

Researchers validated CenSpark using advanced imaging techniques, including super-resolution microscopy and live-cell imaging. They tested the probe across a wide range of biological systems, from human cells to unicellular organisms. The team also used CenSpark to gain new biological insights, such as quantifying the dynamics of primary cilium formation in human cells.

CenSpark also tracked centrioles during an immune response. In engineered Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells, the probe showed how centrioles rapidly polarize toward cancer cells at the immunological synapse. This provides new avenues for understanding cancer immunotherapy. The probe offers a valuable tool for studying developmental disorders, cancer, infertility, and genetic diseases.