CellReporterXpress Image Acquisition and Analysis Software

Mitochondrial function, a key indicator of cell health, can be assessed by monitoring changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP)1,2. Mitochondrial depolarization is an early signal for hypoxic damage or oxidative stress. Cationic fluorescent dyes are commonly used tools to assess MMP. We performed a short-term (60 min) compound treatment with two known inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation, Antimycin A and CCCP.

Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms.1,2 Biochemical events lead to characteristic changes in cell morphology and cell death. Morphological changes include cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, chromosomal DNA fragmentation, and mRNA decay. Apoptosis is a highly regulated process that can be initiated via the intrinsic pathway as a response to various stressors including starvation, infection, hypoxia, oxidative stress, etc. Mitochondria damage plays an important role in the initiation of apoptosis. In the extrinsic pathway, apoptosis is initiated by external signals, including tumor necrosis factor receptor family-mediated signaling. Both pathways induce cell death by activating caspase enzymes.

Autophagy is a highly regulated process of degrading and recycling damaged proteins and organelles in response to cellular stress.1, 2 It is mediated by a unique vesicle called the autophagosome, which is assembled by the formation of a double membrane around the cellular component marked for destruction.1 The autophagosome vesicle then fuses with the lysosome to deliver its contents for degradation by lysosomal hydrolases.