A Novel Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Correction Method for Intracellular Ca2+ Measurement with Fura-2-Analog in Live Cells

J Vis Exp. 2019 Sep 20:(151). doi: 10.3791/59881.

Abstract

To measure [Ca2+] quantitatively, fura-2 analogs, which are ratiometric fluoroprobes, are frequently used. However, dye usage is intrinsically limited in live cells because of autofluorescence interference, mainly from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). More specifically, this is a major obstacle when measuring the mitochondrial [Ca2+] quantitatively using fura-2 analogs because the majority of NADH is in the mitochondria. If the fluorescent dye concentration is the same, a certain excitation intensity should produce the same emission intensity. Therefore, the emission intensity ratio of two different excitation wavelengths should be constant. Based on this principle, a novel online correction method of NADH signal interference to measure [Ca2+] was developed, and the real signal intensity of NADH and fura-2 can be obtained. Further, a novel equation to calculate [Ca2+] was developed with isosbestic excitation or excitation at 400 nm. With this method, changes in mitochondrial [Ca2+] could be successfully measured. In addition, with a different set of the excitation and emission wavelengths, multiple parameters, including NADH, [Ca2+], and pH or mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm), could be simultaneously measured. Mitochondrial [Ca2+] and Ψm or pH were measured using fura-2-FF and tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE) or carboxy-seminaphtorhodafluor-1 (carboxy-SNARF-1).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Benzopyrans
  • Calcium / analysis*
  • Cytoplasm
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Fura-2*
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • NAD / analysis*
  • Naphthols
  • Rhodamines

Substances

  • Benzopyrans
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Naphthols
  • Rhodamines
  • carboxy-seminaphthorhodaminefluoride
  • NAD
  • tetramethylrhodamine
  • Calcium
  • Fura-2