Shedding light on the mitochondrial matrix through a functional membrane transporter.

ABSTRACT: The first fluorescent probes that are actively channeled into the mitochondrial matrix by a specific mitochondrial membrane transporter in living cells have been developed. The new functional probes (BCT) have a minimalist structural design based on the highly efficient and photostable BODIPY chromophore and carnitine as a biotargeting element. Both units are orthogonally bonded through the common boron atom, thus avoiding the use of complex polyatomic connectors. In contrast to known mitochondria-specific dyes, BCTs selectively label these organelles regardless of their transmembrane potential and in an enantioselective way. The obtained experimental evidence supports carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase (CACT) as the key transporter protein for BCTs, which behave ther

SUBMITTER: Blazquez-Moraleja A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8146229 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature