A unique red-emitting molecular rotor for high-fidelity visualizing and long-term tracking mitochondria

Visualizing and tracking mitochondrial changes is the key to understand the processes of diseases related to mitochondria, which is meaningful to physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. So, a great deal of mitochondrial probes was designed and synthesized according to the principle that probes with a positive charge can target mitochondria through mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). However, these traditional mitochondrial probes are not able to visualize and track mitochondrial changes, because their targeting abilities depend on high MMP. Once MMP decreases, they will leak from mitochondria. Herein, we designed and synthesized a red-emitting molecule rotor (SQ, sensitive to viscosity) that could visualize mitochondria with high-fidelity. The rotor was able to firmly immobilize in mitochondrial inner membrane through the cooperation of MMP and the high viscosity property of mitochondrial membrane, and it could still stain mitochondria with long-term regardless of MMP changes. Hence, the probe is able to real-time image and distinguish four kinds of mitochondria with high-fidelity in muscle tissues. In addition, SQ can monitor mitochondrial autophagy in real time. These results demonstrate that SQ is a powerful tool for high-fidelity visualizing and long-term tracking mitochondria in vitro and in vivo.