Real‐Time Imaging of Cell Behaviors in Living Organisms by a Mitochondria‐Targeting AIE Fluorogen. (17th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Situ, Bo; Chen, Sijie; Zhao, Engui; Leung, Chris Wai Tung; Chen, Yilong; Hong, Yuning; Lam, Jacky Wing Yip; Wen, Zilong; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Wenqing; Zheng, Lei; Tang, Ben Zhong
• Is Part Of: Advanced functional materials. Volume 26:Number 39(2016)
• Page Start: 7132
• Page End: 7138
• Publication Date: 2016-08-17
• Subjects: aggregation‐induced emission -- cell apoptosis -- fluorescent probe -- mitochondria targeting -- in vivo staining; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201602865
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1616-301X

Abstract

Abstract : Visualizing behaviors of cell populations within living multicellular organisms in real time is of great value to life science but challenging due to the lack of ideal probes. In this work, a biocompatible fluorogen, azide‐functionalized tetraphenylethene pyridinium (TPE‐PyN3 ), is reported for noninvasive imaging and sensing within living systems. TPE‐PyN3 exhibits unique aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) attributes and high affinity to mitochondria, enabling it to achieve specific mitochondrial imaging and long‐term cellular observing with excellent photostability both in vitro and in vivo. The high membrane penetrability of TPE‐PyN3 allows all of the cells within the living zebrafish embryos to be morphologically visualized and reconstructed in 3D. Moreover, TPE‐PyN3 is capable of indicating cell apoptosis because of its sensitivity to the change of mitochondrial membrane potential. The findings presented here provide a simple and noninvasive tool for studying behaviors of cell populations in vivo for the first time by a small‐molecule AIE probe. Abstract : An aggregation‐induced emission active probe with distinctive properties for biological imaging and sensing in cultured cells and in living systems is presented. Novel applications of this probe such as in situ cellular imaging and cell apoptosis detection in living zebrafish embyros are demonstrated.