Department of Biotechnology
inStem (Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine)

A Tunable Palette of Molecular Rotors Allows Multicolor, Ratiometric Fluorescence Imaging and Direct Mapping of Mitochondrial Heterogeneity.

Publication Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

May 17, 2021

Journal

ACS applied bio materials

Volume/Issue

4/5

ISSN

2576-6422

Environment-sensitive molecular probes offer the potential for a comprehensive mapping of the complex cellular milieu. We present here a radically new strategy of multiplexing highly sensitive, spectrally tuned fluorescent dyes for sensing cellular microenvironment. To achieve this multicolor, ratiometric cellular imaging, we first developed a series of highly sensitive, tunable molecular rotors for mitochondrial imaging, with emission wavelengths spanning the visible spectrum. These fluorogenic merocyanine dyes are all sensitive to solvent viscosity despite distinctive photophysical features. Our results show that merocyanine dyes can show a rotor-like behavior despite significant changes to the conventional donor-acceptor or push-pull scaffolds, thereby revealing conserved features of rotor dye chemistry. Developing closely related but spectrally separated dyes that have distinct response functions allows us to do ″two-color, two-dye″ imaging of the mitochondrial microenvironment. Our results with multidye, combinatorial imaging provide a direct visualization of the intrinsic heterogeneity of the mitochondrial microenvironment. The overall mitochondrial microenvironment (including contributions from local membrane order) as reported through two-color fluorescence ″ratio″ changes of multiplexed rotor dyes shows dynamic heterogeneity with distinct spatiotemporal signatures that evolve over time and respond to chemical perturbations. Our results offer a powerful illustration of how multiplexed dye imaging allows the quantitative imaging of mitochondrial membrane order and cellular microenvironment.

Alternate Journal

ACS Appl Bio Mater

PubMed ID

35006848

Authors

Sufi O Raja
Gandhi Sivaraman
Sayan Biswas
Gaurav Singh
Fouzia Kalim
Ponnuvel Kandaswamy
Akash Gulyani

Keywords

Cells, Cultured
Molecular Structure
Indoles
Fluorescent Dyes
Animals
Benzopyrans
NIH 3T3 Cells
Mice
Optical Imaging
Materials Testing
Biocompatible Materials
Particle Size
Mitochondria