Lee Yoobeen, Kim Kiho, Kim Dohun, Lee Jin Seok
Department of Chemistry, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea.
Department of Physics & Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
J Am Chem Soc. 2025 Apr 23;147(16):13180-13189. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c16365. Epub 2025 Mar 20.
Intracellular thermometry is a powerful method for studying biological thermodynamics across various physiological contexts. In this study, we present an organelle-specific quantum thermometry utilizing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) to obtain precise temperature measurements at the subcellular level. By conjugating antibodies, FNDs were selectively targeted to mitochondria, nuclei, and cell membranes in living fibroblasts, enabling real-time monitoring of temperature changes during adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and inhibition. The system integrates advanced bioconjugation and quantum sensing methodologies, thereby overcoming challenges, such as photobleaching and limited spatial resolution. Notably, mitochondria-targeted FNDs revealed significant temperature increases, revealing mitochondria as the primary site of thermogenesis during ATP inhibition. These findings establish a robust framework for investigating metabolic thermodynamics and offer a powerful tool for exploring the thermal regulation of cellular processes.
细胞内热测量是一种在各种生理环境下研究生物热力学的强大方法。在本研究中，我们提出了一种细胞器特异性量子测温法，利用荧光纳米金刚石（FND）中的氮空位（NV）中心在亚细胞水平上获得精确的温度测量。通过偶联抗体，FND被选择性地靶向活成纤维细胞中的线粒体、细胞核和细胞膜，从而能够实时监测三磷酸腺苷（ATP）合成和抑制过程中的温度变化。该系统整合了先进的生物偶联和量子传感方法，从而克服了诸如光漂白和空间分辨率有限等挑战。值得注意的是，靶向线粒体的FND显示出显著的温度升高，揭示了线粒体是ATP抑制过程中热生成的主要部位。这些发现为研究代谢热力学建立了一个强大的框架，并为探索细胞过程的热调节提供了一个有力的工具。
