Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, Volume. 7, Issue 2, 1350058(2014)
From identification of fluorescent flavoproteins to mitochondrial redox indicators in intact tissues
Development of the use of flavin and nicotinamide-adenine nucleotide fluorescence in monitoring the redox state of the free mitochondrial NADH/NADt couple in cells, tissues and organs is reviewed. A break-through was the identification of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (FpL) as the major NAD-linked fluorescent flavoprotein of mitochondria. This mitochondrial matrix flavoprotein is in equilibrium with the free NADH/NAD+ pool and its mid-potential is sufficiently near to that of NADH/NAD+ so that its percentage reduction follows that of the latter. Possibilities of monitoring mitochondrial and cytosolic NADH depend on the population density of mitochondria and thus are tissue-dependent. Upon a shift toward reduction, fluorescence intensities of NADH and flavins swing to reciprocal directions, so that the NADH/flavin fluorescence ratio can be used to increase the sensitivity of redox monitoring. This method is attaining widening use in studies on metabolic regulation under normal and pathological conditions.
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Ilmo E. Hassinen. From identification of fluorescent flavoproteins to mitochondrial redox indicators in intact tissues[J]. Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, 2014, 7(2): 1350058
Received: Jul. 30, 2013
Accepted: Sep. 17, 2013
Published Online: Jan. 10, 2019
The Author Email: Hassinen Ilmo E. (ilmo.hassinen@oulu.fi)