Articles
Measuring Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Using The FLUOstar Omega Microplate Reader
March 30, 2009
•Application Note: Measuring Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Using The FLUOstar Omega Microplate Reader
By Heather Mortiboys and Oliver Bandmann, University Of Sheffield
The ability to accurately measure mitochondrial membrane potential can give invaluable information about the general health and function of the mitochondria, in particular of the overall function of the respiratory chain and the potential of the mitochondria to generate ATP and provide energy for other cellular components.
The number of factors which can influence this potential are vast and include many cellular components outside the mitochondria, for example interactions with the activity of the proteasome. In addition, the ability of a cell to maintain its mitochondrial membrane potential can mean the difference between survival of the cell, entry into an apoptotic cell death or a necrotic cell death process.4 Intact mitochondrial membrane potential is also required for the cell to enter apoptosis.
Mitochondrial membrane potential is usually measured using non-invasive cationic dyes. These dyes are sequestered into the mitochondrial matrix in amounts directly proportional to the membrane potential and can then be measured using standard fluorescent techniques, including fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry or using a microplate reader for high through put assays. BMG LABTECH's FLUOstar Omega microplate reader was used in a high throughput screening assay measuring mitochondrial membrane potential in human cells. The results presented here were gained using primary human fibroblast cells from controls.
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