A mitochondria-targeted derivative of ascorbate: MitoC.

Mitochondrial oxidative damage contributes to a wide range of pathologies. One therapeutic strategy to treat these disorders is targeting antioxidants to mitochondria by conjugation to the lipophilic triphenylphosphonium (TPP) cation. To date only hydrophobic antioxidants have been targeted to mitochondria; however, extending this approach to hydrophilic antioxidants offers new therapeutic and research opportunities.

Using exomarkers to assess mitochondrial reactive species in vivo.

Background: The ability to measure the concentrations of small damaging and signalling molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo is essential to understanding their biological roles. While a range of methods can be applied to in vitro systems, measuring the levels and relative changes in reactive species in vivo is challenging.

Scope Of Review: One approach towards achieving this goal is the use of exomarkers.

Mitochondrial accumulation of a lipophilic cation conjugated to an ionisable group depends on membrane potential, pH gradient and pK(a): implications for the design of mitochondrial probes and therapies.

Mitochondria play key roles in a broad range of biomedical situations, consequently there is a need to direct bioactive compounds to mitochondria as both therapies and probes. A successful approach has been to target compounds to mitochondria by conjugation to lipophilic cations, such as triphenylphosphonium (TPP), which utilize the large mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ(m), negative inside) to drive accumulation. This has proven effective both in vitro and in vivo for a range of bioactive compounds and probes.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe for assessing mitochondrial phospholipid peroxidation within living cells.

Mitochondrial oxidative damage contributes to a wide range of pathologies, and lipid peroxidation of the mitochondrial inner membrane is a major component of this disruption. However, despite its importance, there are no methods to assess mitochondrial lipid peroxidation within cells specifically. To address this unmet need we have developed a ratiometric, fluorescent, mitochondria-targeted lipid peroxidation probe, MitoPerOx.