MitoTracker™ Dyes for Mitochondria Labeling

This is typically a result of using too high of a concentration of the Mitotracker dye. Most organic dyes are used in the low micromolar range. The MitoTracker dyes are used at a much lower concentration, around 50–200 nanomolar. Higher concentrations can cause background fluorescence and non-mitochondrial staining.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

Yes, it has been done. A literature search will find numerous examples. However, be aware that plate readers are typically less sensitive than microscopes or flow cytometers, which means that the degree of change in fluorescence may not be as sensitive or easily detectable with a plate reader. Be sure to optimize label times and concentrations carefully.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

Yes, this is possible because MitoTracker Red CMXRox dye is retained upon fixation. See Table 2 in this manual (https://assets.thermofisher.com/TFS-Assets/LSG/manuals/mp07510.pdf).

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

The Mitotracker dyes should be imaged soon after staining because over time, those dyes can be toxic.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.

-Calcium flux: Each of the Oregon Green calcium indicators binds intracellular calcium with increasing affinity, providing a sensitivity range to match many applications. Oregon Green probes emit green fluorescence at resting levels of Ca2+ and increase their fluorescence intensity 14-fold with increasing Ca2+ concentration. The cell-permeant formulation (Cat. No. O6807) can be loaded in cell media and is compatible with flow cytometry.
-Rhodamine-based calcium indicators comprise a range of probes for large or small changes in Ca2+ concentration. They exhibit a 50-fold increase in fluorescence upon calcium binding and offer a range of wavelengths that can be used in conjunction with GFP or green-fluorescent dyes for multiplexing. Rhod-2, AM (Cat. No. R1245MP), in particular, localizes to mitochondria and can be used with flow cytometry.
-Membrane potential: A distinctive feature of the early stages of apoptosis is the disruption of the mitochondria, including changes in membrane and redox potential. We offer a range of products specifically designed to assay mitochondrial membrane potential in live cells by flow cytometry, with minimal disruption of cellular function. The MitoProbe family of mitochondrial stains (Cat. Nos. M34150, M34151, and M34152) provide quick, easy, and reliable flow cytometric detection of the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential that occurs during apoptosis. MitoTracker dyes (Cat. Nos. M7510 and M7512) are membrane potential-dependent probes for staining mitochondria in live cells. The staining pattern of MitoTracker dyes is retained throughout subsequent flow cytometry immunocytochemistry, DNA end labeling, in situ hybridization, or counterstaining steps. The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Assay (Cat. No. M34153) provides a more direct method of measuring mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening than assays relying on mitochondrial membrane potential alone. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) is a non-specific channel formed by components from the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes, and appears to be involved in the release of mitochondrial components during cell death.
-Phagocytosis: In phagocytosis, cells internalize particulate matter such as microorganisms, and this process is important for immune responses and during the clearance of apoptotic cells. Probes for studying phagocytosis include BioParticles indicators—bacteria and yeast labeled with fluorescent dyes.
-Tracking phagocytosis using a quench/wash-based assay can report on simple uptake, or a pH indicator can be used to monitor stages in the pathway. We have no-wash assays labeled with pHrodo Red or Green (Cat. Nos. A10010, P35361, P35364, P35365, P35366, and P35367) and no-wash assays for whole blood (Cat. Nos. A10025, A10026, P35381, and P35382), all suitable for flow cytometry.
-pH changes: Sensitive pH determinations can be made in a physiological range using either fluorescent intensity or ratiometric measurements. pHrodo dyes (Cat. Nos. P35373 and P35372) provide signal intensity modulation from pH 2 to pH 9 and with a choice of fluorescent wavelengths. Tracking internalization of fluorescent dextran is a routine method for analyzing pH changes in cellular compartments. Dextran conjugates of pHrodo dyes (Cat. Nos. P35368 and P10361) provide the most complete solution by allowing discrimination of vesicles from early endosomes to lysosomes, with no quench or wash required.
-Reactive oxygen species: Cells that are environmentally stressed usually contain greatly increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). CellROX reagents are fluorogenic probes developed for the detection and quantitation of ROS in live cells. These cell-permeant reagents are non-fluorescent or very weakly fluorescent in the reduced state; however, when oxidized, they become brightly fluorescent and remain localized within the cell. We offer CellROX Green (Cat. No. C10492), CellROX Orange (Cat. No. C10493), and CellROX Deep Red (Cat. No. C10491) Assay Kits validated for flow cytometry.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Cell Analysis Support Center.