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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Specific Labeling of Mitochondrial Nucleoids for Time-lapse Structured Illumination Microscopy
07:53

Specific Labeling of Mitochondrial Nucleoids for Time-lapse Structured Illumination Microscopy

Published on: June 4, 2020

Labeling mitochondria with MitoTracker dyes.

Brad Chazotte

    Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
    |August 3, 2011
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    MitoTracker dyes permanently label mitochondria in live or fixed cells by chemically linking to thiol groups. This method is ideal for experiments where mitochondrial function is critical and other dyes may interfere.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cell Biology
    • Biochemistry
    • Microscopy

    Background:

    • Mitochondrial membrane potential is crucial for function and is targeted by dyes like Rhodamine 123, TMRM, and TMRE.
    • These dyes are effective only when the mitochondrial membrane potential is maintained.
    • MitoTracker dyes offer an alternative for mitochondrial labeling in live and fixed cells.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To describe a protocol for labeling mitochondria in live and fixed cells using MitoTracker dyes.
    • To highlight the advantages of MitoTracker dyes over traditional membrane-potential-dependent dyes.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilizing MitoTracker dyes, which are chemically reactive and link to thiol groups within mitochondria.
    • Applying the protocol to label mitochondria in both live and fixed cellular samples.

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    Last Updated: May 30, 2026

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    Main Results:

    • MitoTracker dyes permanently bind to mitochondria, allowing for stable labeling.
    • The dye remains detectable even after cell death or fixation.
    • MitoTracker labeling can be used in experiments where multiple labeling might otherwise impair mitochondrial function.

    Conclusions:

    • MitoTracker dyes provide a robust and permanent method for mitochondrial labeling.
    • This technique is suitable for a wide range of cellular imaging applications, including those involving fixed cells or sensitive functional assays.