Use of a potentiometric vital dye to determine the effect of the herbicide bromoxynil octanoate on mitochondrial bioenenergetics in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Background: The aims of the present study were to validate a vital mitochondrial potentiometric staining method in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and to utilise this method to examine the effect of the herbicide bromoxynil octanoate on mitochondrial potential in this species. A range of stains was investigated, including Rhodamine 123, DASPMI, Mitotracker Green, Mitotracker Orange and JC-1.

Results: Rhodamine 123 (R123) had the highest utility of several candidate stains.