MitoDAN: A Mitochondria-Targeted Cationic Fluorophore for Sensing of Polarity and Molecular Crowding in Living Cells
Posted by Ernesto on Monday, 28 September 2026
Autores:
Marcela Díaz 1 , Andrés Cabrera 2 3 , Bruno Pannunzio 1 4 , Paula Céspedes 1 , Germán Gunther 5 , Leonel Malacrida 1 6 , Horacio Gómez-Machuca 5
Revista (o libro):
ACS Sens
Año:
2026
Mes-dia:
0828
issue, vol, paginas, etc:
28;11(8):7256-7263
doi:
10.1021/acssensors.6c01544
PMID:
42687306
Abstract:
Mitochondria are cell-dynamic physicochemical compartments whose internal microenvironment (defined by parameters such as local polarity and molecular crowding) undergoes distinct microenvironmental responses under oxidative stress. Here we report MitoDAN, a cationic DAN-based fluorophore designed for preferential mitochondrial accumulation, whose intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) character confers inherent dual sensitivity to local polarity and molecular crowding. Comprehensive photophysical characterization (including steady-state solvatochromism, Lippert-Mataga analysis, and time-resolved fluorescence measurements) confirms strong ICT-dependent environmental sensitivity and multiexponential excited-state dynamics. Benchmarking in lipid membrane models and macromolecular crowding systems establishes the spectral phasor response of MitoDAN to distinct physicochemical variables. Colocalization and spectral phasor analyses support predominant mitochondrial localization in live U2OS and HeLa cells. HSI and FLIM phasor analyses reveal that sodium arsenite-induced oxidative stress decreases molecular crowding while increasing local polarity. MitoDAN also detects infection-associated crowding changes in Neospora caninum-infected HeLa cells, extending its application to biologically induced host-cell remodeling.
Afiliaciones:
1 Unidad Bioimagenología Avanzada, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Universidad de la República, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo11400, Uruguay.
2 Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero-Patógeno, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Universidad de la República, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo11400, Uruguay.
3 Unidad Académica de Parasitología y Micología, Instituto de Higiene, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República,Av. Alfredo Navarro 3051, Montevideo11600, Uruguay.
4 Unidad Académica de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Av. General Flores 2125, Montevideo11800, Uruguay.
5 Departamento de Química Orgánica y Fisicoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Olivos 1007, Independencia, Santiago8380494, Chile.
6 Unidad Académica de Fisiopatología, Hospital de Clínicas "Dr. Manuel Quintela", Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Av. Italia s/n, Montevideo11600, Uruguay.
Enlace pubmed:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42769299/
Enlace full text:
https://pubs.acs.org/ascefj/article-lookup/doi/10.1021/acssensors.6c01544
Cita:
Díaz M, Cabrera A, Pannunzio B, Céspedes P, Gunther G, Malacrida L, Gómez-Machuca H. MitoDAN: A Mitochondria-Targeted Cationic Fluorophore for Sensing of Polarity and Molecular Crowding in Living Cells. ACS Sens. 2026 Aug 28;11(8):7256-7263. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.6c01544. PMID: 42687306.