Visualization of Mitochondria During Embryogenesis in Zebrafish by Aggregation-Induced Emission Molecules

Peili Cen; Chunyi Cui; Yan Zhong; Youyou Zhou; Zhiming Wang; Pengfei Xu; Xiaoyun Luo; Le Xue; Zhen Cheng; Yen Wei; Qinggang He; Hong Zhang; Mei Tian

doi:10.1007/s11307-022-01752-y

Visualization of Mitochondria During Embryogenesis in Zebrafish by Aggregation-Induced Emission Molecules

Mol Imaging Biol. 2022 Dec;24(6):1007-1017. doi: 10.1007/s11307-022-01752-y. Epub 2022 Jul 14.

Authors

Peili Cen^{1

2

3}, Chunyi Cui^{1

2

3}, Yan Zhong^{1

2

3}, Youyou Zhou^{1

2

3}, Zhiming Wang⁴, Pengfei Xu⁵, Xiaoyun Luo^{1

2

3}, Le Xue^{1

2

3}, Zhen Cheng⁶, Yen Wei⁷, Qinggang He⁸, Hong Zhang^{9

10

11

12

13}, Mei Tian^{14

15

16}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China.
² Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China.
³ Key of Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Luminescence From Molecular Aggregates, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, Guangdong, China.
⁵ Women's Hospital and Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
⁶ Molecular Imaging Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
⁷ Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
⁸ College of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, Zhejiang, China.
⁹ Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China. hzhang21@zju.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China. hzhang21@zju.edu.cn.
¹¹ Key of Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China. hzhang21@zju.edu.cn.
¹² College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China. hzhang21@zju.edu.cn.
¹³ Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China. hzhang21@zju.edu.cn.
¹⁴ Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China. meitian@zju.edu.cn.
¹⁵ Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China. meitian@zju.edu.cn.
¹⁶ Key of Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China. meitian@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 35835950
DOI: 10.1007/s11307-022-01752-y

Abstract

Purpose: Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules have been widely utilized for fluorescence imaging in many biomedical applications, benefited from large Stokes shift, high quantum yield, good biocompatibility, and resistance to photobleaching. And visualization of mitochondria is almost investigated in vitro and ex vivo, but in vivo study of mitochondria is more essential for systematic biological research, especially during embryogenesis. Therefore, suitable and time-saving alternatives with simple operation based on AIE molecules are urgently needed compared with traditional transgenic approach.

Procedures: Five tetraphenylethylene isoquinolinium (TPE-IQ)-based molecules with AIE characteristics and their ability of mitochondrial visualization in vitro and in vivo and mitochondrial tracking during embryogenesis on zebrafish model were investigated. The biosafety of these AIE molecules was also evaluated systematically in vitro and in vivo.

Results: All these five AIE molecules could image mitochondria in vitro with good biocompatibility. In them, TPE-IQ1 exhibited excellent imaging quality for in vivo visualization and tracking of mitochondria during the 4-day embryogenesis in zebrafish, in comparison with the conventional transgenic fluorescent protein. Furthermore, TPE-IQ1 could visualize mitochondrial damage induced by chemicals in real time on 24-h post fertilization (hpf) embryos.

Conclusions: This study indicated TPE-IQ-based AIE molecules had the potential for mitochondrial imaging and tracking during embryogenesis and mitochondrial damage visualization in vivo.

Keywords: Aggregation-induced emission; Embryogenesis; Mitochondria; Zebrafish.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Embryonic Development
Fluorescent Dyes* / chemistry
Mitochondria
Optical Imaging / methods
Zebrafish*

Substances

Fluorescent Dyes