title: Ratiometric fluorescence imaging of cellular polarity: decrease in mitochondrial polarity in cancer cells.
abstract: Mitochondrial polarity strongly influences the intracellular transportation of proteins and interactions between biomacromolecules. The first fluorescent probe capable of the ratiometric imaging of mitochondrial polarity is reported. The probe, termed BOB, has two absorption maxima (λabs = 426 and 561 nm) and two emission maxima--a strong green emission (λem = 467 nm) and a weak red emission (642 nm in methanol)--when excited at 405 nm. However, only the green emission is markedly sensitive to polarity changes, thus providing a ratiometric fluorescence response with a good linear relationship in both extensive and narrow ranges of solution polarity. BOB possesses high specificity to mitochondria (Rr =0.96) that is independent of the mitochondrial membrane potential. The mitochondrial polarity in cancer cells was found to be lower than that of normal cells by ratiometric fluorescence imaging with BOB. The difference in mitochondrial polarity might be used to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, 116024 Dalian (China).
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jiangli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Jingyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaoqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019556:COS Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003374:Coumarins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D052160:Benzothiazoles; D003374:Coumarins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes
keywords: cancer sensing; dyes; mitochondria; polarity; ratiometric imaging