Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Assay Kit (I) #12664

Mitochondria function as the main cellular powerhouse and play important roles in other processes, such as steroid metabolism, calcium homeostasis, apoptosis, and cellular proliferation. Mitochondrial membrane potential is a key indicator of mitochondrial function and cell health (1,2). The dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential is considered an early indicator of apoptosis (3).

JC-1 (5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide) is a cell membrane permeable, cationic dye. In normal cells, JC-1 concentrates in mitochondria to form aggregates in response to relatively high membrane potential. Decreased mitochondrial membrane potential results in dispersal of mostly monomeric JC-1 throughout the cell. When excited at 490 nm, JC-1 monomers emit a green fluorescence with a maximum at ~520 nm. Aggregates of JC-1 emit an orange-red fluorescence with a maximum at ~590 nm. Therefore, the fluorescence intensity of the orange-red emission and the ratio of orange-red fluorescence to green fluorescence can be used to measure mitochondrial membrane potential and serve as an indicator of overall cell health (4).