TWO-PHOTON MARKERS OF MITOCHONDRIA

Mitochondria are the subcellular organelles responsible for managing the energy supply to the cell. These organelles are surrounded by a polarized double membrane, with a membrane potential value around 180 mV. This membrane potential facilitates the passage of charged molecules allowing the selective accumulation of positively charged species within the mitochondria. The development of new fluorescent di-cationic compounds with 2-photon absorption properties allows selective labeling of mitochondria. As low-energy excitation wavelengths are used, the study of these organelles can be carried out in living cells.