Effect of selected fluorophores on equine skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration

Summary

Equine skeletal muscle provides a rich source of mitochondria, suitable for both basic and applied studies of cellular energetics. Inclusion of fluorophores and the associated endpoints provides valuable information to complement measurements of mitochondrial oxygen flux, but investigators must be aware of the possible artifacts created by those fluorophores. Our studies demonstrate that Magnesium Green has no significant effect on respiration of isolated mitochondria, whereas tetramethylrhodamine inhibits phosphorylating respiration and increases leak respiration. Amplex UltraRed increases phosphorylating and non-phosphorylating respiration through Complex I. The effect of Amplex UltraRed is a novel finding, and further study is necessary to determine the mechanism underlying this artifact.

Cite:

Davis MS, Barrett MR, Bayly WM, Bolinger A (2024) Effect of selected fluorophores on equine skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration. Bioenerg Commun 2024.2. https://doi.org/10.26124/bec:2024-0002