Fluorescent Probe for Transmembrane Dynamics during Osmotic Effects

Anal Chem. 2020 Mar 3;92(5):3888-3895. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05390. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Abstract

Membrane tension pores determine organelle dynamics and functions, giving rise to physical observables during the cell death process. While fluorescent organelle-targeted probes for specific chemical analytes are increasingly available, subcellular dynamic processes involving not only chemical parameters but also physicochemical and physical parameters are uncommon. Here, we report a mitochondrial chemical probe, named RCN, rationally designed to monitor osmotic effects during transmembrane tension pore formation by using local mitochondrial polarity and a subcellular localization redistribution property of the probe. Utilizing fluorescence spectroscopy, high-resolution confocal imaging, and spectrally resolved confocal microscopy, we provide a new correlation between mitochondrial dynamics and bleb vesicle formation using osmotic pressure stimuli in the cell, where the mitochondrial local polarity was found to drastically increase. The RCN provides a reliable protocol to assess transmembrane pore formation driven by osmotic pressure increments through local polarity variations and is a more robust physicochemical parameter allowing the health and decease status of the cell to be measured.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Confocal*
  • Mitochondria / chemistry*
  • Mitochondrial Dynamics / physiology*
  • Osmotic Pressure / physiology

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes