Live cell mitochondrial 3-dimensional dynamic ultrastructures under oxidative phosphorylation revealed by a Pyridine-BODIPY probe

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics Vol. 178; p. 113036
• Main Authors: Zhu, Tong, Yang, Guanqing, Liu, Xiaolu, Xiang, Pan, Yang, Zhenghui, Zhang, Sijing, Chen, Juan, Wang, Hong, Campos de Souza, Senio, Zhang, Zhongping, Zhang, Ruilong, Tian, Yupeng, Wu, Jieying, Tian, Xiaohe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 15.04.2021
• Subjects: 3-Dimensional dynamic; Biosensing Techniques; BODIPY-Pyridine derivative; Boron Compounds; Humans; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Mitochondrial ultrastructure; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Pyridines; STED nanoscopy; Mitochondrial ultrastructure; Oxidative phosphorylation; 3-Dimensional dynamic; BODIPY-Pyridine derivative; STED nanoscopy
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113036

Recent advancements in super-resolution nanoscopy allowed the study of mitochondrial biology at nanoscale and boosted the understanding its correlated cellular processes those were previously poorly understood. Nevertheless, studying mitochondrial ultrastructure remains a challenge due to the lack of probes that could target specific mitochondrial substances (e.g. cristae or mtDNA) and survive under harsh super-resolution optical conditions. Herein, in this work, we have rationally constructed a pyridine-BODIPY (Py-BODIPY) derivative that could target mitochondrial membrane in living cells without interfering its physiological microenvironments. Furthermore, we found Py-BODIPY is a membrane potential independent probe, hence it is not limit to live-cell staining but also showed a strong internalization into pre-fixed and stimulus disrupted sample. Importantly, its cristae specificity and superb photostability allow the observation of mitochondrial dynamic nano-structures with an unprecedented resolution, allow demonstrating how mitochondrial 3D ultrastructure evolved under oxidative phosphorylation condition. •Py-BODIPY is a ΔΨm independent mitochondrial probe.•Py-BODIPY showed superb photostability and increased cristae resolution.•Py-BODIPY revealed mitochondrial 3D dynamics at nanoscale.