Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
07:53
Specific Labeling of Mitochondrial Nucleoids for Time-lapse Structured Illumination Microscopy
Published on: June 4, 2020
6.6K
Phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes as multicolor probes for specific mitochondrial imaging and tracking
Yu Chen1, Liping Qiao, Liangnian Ji
1MOE Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.
Biomaterials
|October 15, 2013
Summary
New iridium(III) complexes (Ir1-Ir4) effectively image mitochondria and track their morphology in live cells. These phosphorescent probes offer high specificity and photostability, outperforming existing trackers for long-term organelle imaging.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Cell Biology
- Bioimaging
Background:
- Mitochondria are crucial for cellular energy production and are implicated in various diseases.
- Accurate imaging of mitochondrial morphology and dynamics is essential for understanding cellular function.
- Existing mitochondrial trackers often suffer from poor photostability or specificity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes for mitochondria-specific imaging.
- To evaluate the efficacy of these complexes in tracking mitochondrial morphology and dynamics.
- To compare their performance against commercially available mitochondrial trackers.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of four iridium(III) complexes with tunable emission colors: [Ir(C-N)2(PhenSe)](+).
- Cellular imaging experiments using live and fixed cells to assess mitochondrial targeting and specificity.
- Evaluation of photostability and resistance to mitochondrial membrane potential loss.
- Long-term tracking of mitochondrial morphological changes.
Main Results:
- The synthesized iridium(III) complexes (Ir1-Ir4) demonstrated high specificity for mitochondria in both live and fixed cells.
- These complexes did not require membrane permeabilization or medium replacement for effective imaging.
- Ir1-Ir4 exhibited high resistance to mitochondrial membrane potential loss and environmental changes.
- Ir2-Ir4 showed superior photostability compared to commercial mitochondrial trackers.
- The complexes enabled long-term imaging and tracking of mitochondrial morphological dynamics.
Conclusions:
- The developed phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes are effective and specific probes for mitochondria.
- Their robustness and photostability make them suitable for long-term organelle imaging and dynamic studies.
- These complexes represent a promising advancement in staining agents for organelle-selective imaging in living cells.
