Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China.
Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 31009, Zhejiang, China.
Mol Imaging Biol. 2022 Dec;24(6):1007-1017. doi: 10.1007/s11307-022-01752-y. Epub 2022 Jul 14.
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules have been widely utilized for fluorescence imaging in many biomedical applications, benefited from large Stokes shift, high quantum yield, good biocompatibility, and resistance to photobleaching. And visualization of mitochondria is almost investigated in vitro and ex vivo, but in vivo study of mitochondria is more essential for systematic biological research, especially during embryogenesis. Therefore, suitable and time-saving alternatives with simple operation based on AIE molecules are urgently needed compared with traditional transgenic approach.
Five tetraphenylethylene isoquinolinium (TPE-IQ)-based molecules with AIE characteristics and their ability of mitochondrial visualization in vitro and in vivo and mitochondrial tracking during embryogenesis on zebrafish model were investigated. The biosafety of these AIE molecules was also evaluated systematically in vitro and in vivo.
All these five AIE molecules could image mitochondria in vitro with good biocompatibility. In them, TPE-IQ1 exhibited excellent imaging quality for in vivo visualization and tracking of mitochondria during the 4-day embryogenesis in zebrafish, in comparison with the conventional transgenic fluorescent protein. Furthermore, TPE-IQ1 could visualize mitochondrial damage induced by chemicals in real time on 24-h post fertilization (hpf) embryos.
This study indicated TPE-IQ-based AIE molecules had the potential for mitochondrial imaging and tracking during embryogenesis and mitochondrial damage visualization in vivo.
聚集诱导发光（AIE）分子由于具有大斯托克斯位移、高量子产率、良好的生物相容性和抗光漂白性，已广泛应用于许多生物医学应用中的荧光成像。线粒体的可视化研究几乎都是在体外和离体进行的，但体内研究对于系统生物学研究更为重要，尤其是在胚胎发生过程中。因此，与传统的转基因方法相比，迫切需要基于 AIE 分子的合适且省时的替代方法，且操作简单。
研究了五种具有 AIE 特性的四苯乙烯异喹啉鎓（TPE-IQ）基分子及其在体外和体内进行线粒体可视化以及在斑马鱼模型中胚胎发生过程中线粒体追踪的能力。还系统地评估了这些 AIE 分子在体外和体内的生物安全性。
所有这五种 AIE 分子都可以在体外与良好的生物相容性成像线粒体。在这些 AIE 分子中，TPE-IQ1 与传统的转基因荧光蛋白相比，在斑马鱼的 4 天胚胎发生过程中，具有优异的体内可视化和追踪线粒体的成像质量。此外，TPE-IQ1 还可以实时可视化受精后 24 小时（hpf）胚胎中化学物质引起的线粒体损伤。
本研究表明，TPE-IQ 基 AIE 分子具有在胚胎发生过程中进行线粒体成像和追踪以及体内可视化线粒体损伤的潜力。
