Labeling Mitochondria with TMRM or TMRE
Adapted from Imaging: A Laboratory Manual (ed. Yuste). CSHL Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA, 2010.INTRODUCTION
TMRM (tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester) or the related TMRE (tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester) is extensively used for labeling and measuring the membrane potential (and the function) of mitochondria in living cells. Because of its optical and chemical properties, it has been one of the main dyes used for mitochondria studied with confocal microscopy to carry out time-resolved and spatially resolved analyses. Quantitative observation of mitochondrial membrane potential should be performed with confocal microscopy or spot photometry-based microscopy. This protocol describes labeling of mitochondria with TMRM or TMRE.
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