Apoptosis

Cellular energy produced during mitochondrial respiration is stored as an electrochemical gradient across the mitochondrial membrane, called delta-psi. This membrane potential enables the cell to drive the synthesis of ATP and its disruption is associated with a variety of cellular phenomena, including apoptosis.

There are several analysis compatible with tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester. Researchers use MitoShift (TMRE) to evaluate shifts in the delta-psi at the single mitochondrion level, by confocal microscopy. As the mitochondrial potential collapses, there is an outward flow of the dye along the altered pH gradient, leaving the mitochondria fluorescence free.

MitoShift can also be used in conventional fluorescence microscopy. The dye appears associated with mitochondria in healthy cells, generally in the perinuclear as a red-orange punctate fluorescence.

Finally, in late apoptotic cells or cells that have lost their cellular membrane integrity, the dye is released in the media and the fluorescence is lost. This feature allows the use of MitoShift with flow cytometry to discriminate necrotic or late apoptotic cells from healthy cells.

Features:	Simple. Just add MitoShift to media or reaction buffer . Unique Stabilizer Solution included for sensitive cells. Rapid. Takes a few minutes of hands-on-time.
Applications:	Flow cytometry Epifluorescence microscopy Confocal microscopy
Components:	Part #	Component	Size
	6305-100-01	MitoShift (1mM)	100 µl
	6305-100-02	Valinomycin	100 µl
Storage:	Store components at 4°C.