Precise and long-term tracking of mitochondria in neurons using a bioconjugatable and photostable AIE luminogen.

Hojeong Park,Ben Zhong Tang,Haixiang Liu,Jing Zhang,Benzhao He,Chao Wu,Chungwon Park,Ryan T K Kwok,Guangle Niu,Hyokeun Park

doi:10.1039/d1sc06336g

Hojeong Park, Ben Zhong Tang + Show 8 more

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https://doi.org/10.1039/d1sc06336g

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Tracking mitochondrial movement in neurons is an attractive but challenging research field as dysregulation of mitochondrial motion is associated with multiple neurological diseases. To realize accurate and long-term tracking of mitochondria in neurons, we elaborately designed a novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active luminogen, TPAP-C5-yne, where we selected a cationic pyridinium moiety to target mitochondria and employed an activated alkyne terminus to achieve long-term tracking through bioconjugation with amines on mitochondria. For the first time, we successfully achieved the accurate analysis of the motion of a single mitochondrion in live primary hippocampal neurons and the long-term tracking of mitochondria for up to a week in live neurons. Therefore, this new AIEgen can be used as a potential tool to study the transport of mitochondria in live neurons.

Highlights

Mitochondria play a vital role in cells as organelles involving ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), generation of free radical species (ROS), and apoptotic cell death.[1,2] In neurons, mitochondria are exceptionally important for ful lling the extraordinarily high metabolic rate of the central nervous system
In view of the outstanding advantages of aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), we investigated whether aggregation-induced emission (AIE) could be bonded to mitochondria via the bioconjugation strategy and further realized the visual monitoring of mitochondrial mobility
We elaborately introduced an activated alkyne unit into the AIE-active framework TPAP to achieve covalent binding with amines on mitochondria through bioconjugation considering the efficient reaction ability between activated alkyne and amines.[42]

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Introduction

Mitochondria play a vital role in cells as organelles involving ATP synthesis by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), generation of free radical species (ROS), and apoptotic cell death.[1,2] In neurons, mitochondria are exceptionally important for ful lling the extraordinarily high metabolic rate of the central nervous system. To realize accurate and longterm tracking of mitochondria in neurons, we elaborately designed a novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active luminogen, TPAP-C5-yne, where we selected a cationic pyridinium moiety to target mitochondria and employed an activated alkyne terminus to achieve long-term tracking through bioconjugation with amines on mitochondria.

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