Issue 32, 2020

Cyclooctatetraene-conjugated cyanine mitochondrial probes minimize phototoxicity in fluorescence and nanoscopic imaging

Abstract

Modern fluorescence-imaging methods promise to unveil organelle dynamics in live cells. Phototoxicity, however, has become a prevailing issue when boosted illumination applies. Mitochondria are representative organelles whose research heavily relies on optical imaging, yet these membranous hubs of bioenergy are exceptionally vulnerable to photodamage. We report that cyclooctatetraene-conjugated cyanine dyes (PK Mito dyes), are ideal mitochondrial probes with remarkably low photodynamic damage for general use in fluorescence cytometry. In contrast, the nitrobenzene conjugate of Cy3 exhibits enhanced photostability but unaffected phototoxicity compared to parental Cy3. PK Mito Red, in conjunction with Hessian-structural illumination microscopy, enables 2000-frame time-lapse imaging with clearly resolvable crista structures, revealing rich mitochondrial dynamics. In a rigorous stem cell sorting and transplantation assay, PK Mito Red maximally retains the stemness of planarian neoblasts, exhibiting excellent multifaceted biocompatibility. Resonating with the ongoing theme of reducing photodamage using optical approaches, this work advocates the evaluation and minimization of phototoxicity when developing imaging probes.

Graphical abstract: Cyclooctatetraene-conjugated cyanine mitochondrial probes minimize phototoxicity in fluorescence and nanoscopic imaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
19 may 2020
Accepted
25 iyl 2020
First published
27 iyl 2020
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2020,11, 8506-8516

Cyclooctatetraene-conjugated cyanine mitochondrial probes minimize phototoxicity in fluorescence and nanoscopic imaging

Z. Yang, L. Li, J. Ling, T. Liu, X. Huang, Y. Ying, Y. Zhao, Y. Zhao, K. Lei, L. Chen and Z. Chen, Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 8506 DOI: 10.1039/D0SC02837A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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