Chinese Optics Letters, Volume. 8, Issue 10, 926(2010)

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of molecular rotors to map microviscosity in cells (Invited Paper)

James A. Levitt1, Marina K. Kuimova2, Gokhan Yahioglu2,3, Pei-Hua Chung1, Klaus Suhling1, and David Phillips2
Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Physics, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK
  • 2Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
  • 3PhotoBiotics Ltd., 21 Wilson Street, London EC2M 2TD, UK
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    Fluorescence liftime imaging (FLIM) of modified hydrophobic bodipy dyes that act as fluorescent molecular rotors shows that the fluorescence lifetime of these probes is a function of the microviscosity of their environment. Incubating cells with these dyes, we find a punctate and continuous distribution of the dye in cells. The viscosity value obtained in what appears to be endocytotic vesicles in living cells is around 100 times higher than that of water and of cellular cytoplasm.Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements also yield rotational correlation times consistent with large microviscosity values. In this way, we successfully develop a practical and versatile approach to map the microviscosity in cells based on imaging fluorescent molecular rotors.

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    James A. Levitt, Marina K. Kuimova, Gokhan Yahioglu, Pei-Hua Chung, Klaus Suhling, David Phillips. Fluorescence lifetime imaging of molecular rotors to map microviscosity in cells (Invited Paper)[J]. Chinese Optics Letters, 2010, 8(10): 926

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    Paper Information

    Received: Jun. 13, 2010

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Oct. 19, 2010

    The Author Email:

    DOI:10.3788/COL20100810.0926

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