Inducing and monitoring mitochondrial pH changes with an iridium(iii) complex via two-photon lifetime imaging

Abstract

Real-time monitoring of mitochondrial dynamic changes plays a key role in the development of mitochondria-targeted anticancer theranostic agents. In this work, a pH-responsive and mitochondria-targeted cyclometalated iridium(III) complex MitoIr-NH has been explored as a novel anticancer agent. MitoIr-NH displayed pH-responsive phosphorescence intensity and lifetime, accumulated in mitochondria, showed higher antiproliferative activity and induced a series of mitochondria-related events. Moreover, MitoIr-NH could simultaneously induce mitophagy and quantitatively monitor mitochondrial pH changes through two-photon phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (TPPLIM) in a real-time manner.