Bifunctional Single-Molecular Fluorescent Probe: Visual Detection of Mitochondrial SO2 and Membrane Potential

Anal Chem. 2023 Apr 18;95(15):6287-6294. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c05021. Epub 2023 Apr 4.

Abstract

Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) significantly affect the mitochondrial state. In this work, TC-2 and TC-8 were constructed through side-chain engineering, in which TC-2 bearing the poorer hydrophobicity could localize on mitochondria better. Interestingly, short-wave emission was captured due to the sensitive response of TC-2 to SO2 (LOD = 13.8 nM). Meanwhile, the probe could bind with DNA, presenting enhanced long-wave emission. Encouragingly, TC-2 could migrate from mitochondria to the nucleus when MMP was decreased, accompanied by the increase of fluorescence lifetime (9-fold). Hence, TC-2 could be used for dual-channel monitoring of mitochondrial SO2 and MMP, which showed a completely different pathway from the commercial MMP detectors JC-1/JC-10. The cellular experiments showed that MMP was gradually decreased due to reactive oxygen species-triggered oxidative stress, and the SO2 level was up-regulated simultaneously. Overall, this work proposed a new method to investigate and diagnose the mitochondrial-related diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescent Dyes* / metabolism
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial
  • Membrane Potentials
  • Mitochondria* / metabolism
  • Sulfur Dioxide / metabolism

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Sulfur Dioxide