A series of boranil complexes with aggregation-induced emission effects were facilely constructed, which can be utilized to image lipid droplets in living cells and yolk lipids in zebrafish.

Anthocyanin pigmentation is an important consumption trait of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). In this study, we focused on the identification of NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2 and CUC2) proteins involved in the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation in apple flesh. A group of MdNACs was selected for comparison of expression patterns between the white-fleshed cultivar ‘Granny Smith’ and red-fleshed ‘Redlove’. Among them, MdNAC42 was screened, which exhibited a higher expression level in red-fleshed than in white-fleshed fruit, and has a positive correlation with anthocyanin content as fruits ripened. Moreover, overexpression of MdNAC42 in apple calli resulted in the up-regulation of flavonoid pathway genes, including MdCHS, MdCHI, MdF3H, MdDFR, MdANS and MdUFGT, thereby increasing the accumulation of anthocyanins, which confirmed the roles of MdNAC42 in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Notably, MdNAC42 was demonstrated to have an obvious interaction with MdMYB10 either in vitro or in vivo by yeast two-hybrid combined with bimolecular fluorescence complementation, further suggesting that MdNAC42 is an important part of the regulatory network controlling the anthocyanin pigmentation of red-fleshed apples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report identifying the MdNAC gene as related to anthocyanin accumulation in red-fleshed apples. This study provides valuable information for improving the regulatory model of anthocyanin biosynthesis in apple fruit.

Aggregation‐induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) with excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process have attracted significant attention in bioimaging applications owing to their high solid‐state emission efficiencies and large Stokes shifts. Herein, a series of simple AIEgens with ESIPT process, referred to as triphenylamine salicylaldehyde (TS) derivatives, are designed and synthesized by a rational hybridization of triphenylamine and salicylaldehyde units as the intramolecular rotor and ESIPT generator, respectively. Owing to the AIE and ESIPT effects, TS derivatives exhibit intense emission and large Stokes shifts (>140 nm) in the aggregated state. By altering the substituents in the triphenylamine units, their solid‐state emission varies from 490 to 590 nm. Owing to their excellent biocompatibilities and suitable lipophilicities, the TS derivatives are able to specifically and rapidly (<5 min) stain the lipid droplets in the cells in a wash‐free manner and successfully image the lipid‐rich tissue in vivo. Moreover, owing to their suitable hydrophilicity, TS and methoxyl substituted TS (TS‐OMe) are shown to stain gram‐positive bacteria with high selectivity.