Single-cell time-lapse imaging of intracellular O2 in response to metabolic inhibition and mitochondrial cytochrome-c release

Cell Death Dis. 2017 Jun 1;8(6):e2853. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2017.247.

Abstract

The detection of intracellular molecular oxygen (O2) levels is important for understanding cell physiology, cell death, and drug effects, and has recently been improved with the development of oxygen-sensitive probes that are compatible with live cell time-lapse microscopy. We here provide a protocol for the use of the nanoparticle probe MitoImage-MM2 to monitor intracellular oxygen levels by confocal microscopy under baseline conditions, in response to mitochondrial toxins, and following mitochondrial cytochrome-c release. We demonstrate that the MitoImage-MM2 probe, which embeds Pt(II)-5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)-porphyrin as oxygen sensor and poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) as an O2-independent component, enables quantitative, ratiometric time-lapse imaging of intracellular O2. Multiplexing with tetra-methyl-rhodamine-methyl ester in HeLa cervical cancer cells showed significant increases in intracellular O2 accompanied by strong mitochondrial depolarization when respiratory chain complexes III or IV were inhibited by Antimycin A or sodium azide, respectively, and when cells were maintained at 'physiological' tissue O2 levels (5% O2). Multiplexing also allowed us to monitor intracellular O2 during the apoptotic signaling process of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization in HeLa expressing cytochrome-c-eGFP, and demonstrated that mitochondria post cytochrome-c release are able to retain their capacity to respire at physiological O2 despite a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential.

MeSH terms

  • Antimycin A / pharmacology
  • Cytochromes c / metabolism*
  • Electron Transport Complex III / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Electron Transport Complex III / genetics
  • Electron Transport Complex III / metabolism
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / metabolism
  • Fluorenes / chemistry
  • Gene Expression
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Metalloporphyrins / chemistry
  • Mitochondria / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism*
  • Molecular Probes / chemistry*
  • Oxygen / analysis*
  • Oxygen / metabolism
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Rhodamines / chemistry
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*
  • Sodium Azide / pharmacology
  • Time-Lapse Imaging / methods

Substances

  • Fluorenes
  • Metalloporphyrins
  • Molecular Probes
  • Polymers
  • Rhodamines
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Antimycin A
  • Cytochromes c
  • Sodium Azide
  • Electron Transport Complex IV
  • Electron Transport Complex III
  • Oxygen