Imaging of mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial responses in cultured rat hippocampal neurons exposed to micromolar concentrations of TMRM.

ABSTRACT: Tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRM) is a fluorescent dye used to study mitochondrial function in living cells. Previously, we reported that TMRM effectively labeled mitochondria of neurons deep within mouse brain slices. Use of micromolar concentration of dye, which was required to get sufficient staining for two-photon imaging, resulted in typical fluctuations of TMRM. With prolonged exposure, we recorded additional responses in some neurons that included slow oscillations and propagating waves of fluorescence. (Note: We use the terms "fluctuation" to refer to a change in the fluorescent state of an individual mitochondrion, "oscillation" to refer to a localized change in fluorescence in the cytosol, and "wave" to refer to a change in cytosolic fluorescence that propagated within a c

SUBMITTER: Monteith A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3587568 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature