A Sensitive Fluorescent Probe for Tracking Viscosity Changes in the Mitochondria Under Physiological and Pathological...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Probes

Background:

• Mitochondrial viscosity is crucial for cellular function, but its dynamic changes are difficult to monitor.
• Dysregulation of mitochondrial viscosity is linked to various diseases, highlighting the need for advanced detection methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel near-infrared fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of mitochondrial viscosity.
• To enable real-time, in situ visualization of dynamic mitochondrial viscosity changes in living cells and animal models.

Main Methods:

• Development of a near-infrared fluorescent probe (FTZ-BTZ) utilizing a twisted intramolecular charge transfer mechanism.
• Assessment of probe sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and cytotoxicity.
• Mitochondrial targeting capability confirmed via colocalization imaging.
• Real-time monitoring of mitochondrial viscosity changes induced by pharmacological stimuli in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• The FTZ-BTZ probe exhibited high sensitivity (R² = 0.9906), excellent selectivity, stability, and low cytotoxicity.
• Precise mitochondrial targeting was confirmed (Pearson's coefficient = 0.9052).
• Successful real-time visualization of dynamic mitochondrial viscosity changes in response to various stimuli (LPS, dexamethasone, nystatin, monensin) was achieved.
• The probe effectively distinguished drug-induced viscosity gradients in mouse models.

Conclusions:

• The novel FTZ-BTZ probe offers a high-performance tool for investigating mitochondrial viscosity.
• This molecular tool facilitates real-time study of mitochondrial viscosity in physiological and pathological processes at the subcellular level.