Skip to main content

Novel Methods for Measuring the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Mitochondrial Medicine

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1264))

Abstract

The mitochondrial membrane potential is a critical parameter for understanding mitochondrial function, but it is challenging to quantitate with current methodologies which are based on the accumulation of cation indicators. Recently we have introduced a new methodology based on the redox poise of the b-hemes of the bc 1 complex. Here we describe the thermodynamic framework and algorithms necessary to calculate the membrane potential from the measured oxidation states of the b-hemes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nicholls DG (1974) The influence of respiration and ATP hydrolysis on the proton-electrochemical gradient across the inner membrane of rat-liver mitochondria as determined by ion distribution. Eur J Biochem 50(1):305–315

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kamo N, Muratsugu M, Hongoh R, Kobatake Y (1979) Membrane potential of mitochondria measured with an electrode sensitive to tetraphenyl phosphonium and relationship between proton electrochemical potential and phosphorylation potential in steady state. J Membr Biol 49(2):105–121

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Nicholls DG, Lindberg O (1972) Inhibited respiration and ATPase activity of rat liver mitochondria under conditions of matrix condensation. FEBS Lett 25(1):61–64

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Rottenberg H, Wu S (1998) Quantitative assay by flow cytometry of the mitochondrial membrane potential in intact cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 1404(3):393–404

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang H, Huang HM, Carson RC, Mahmood J, Thomas HM, Gibson GE (2001) Assessment of membrane potentials of mitochondrial populations in living cells. Anal Biochem 298(2):170–180

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Gerencser AA, Chinopoulos C, Birket MJ, Jastroch M, Vitelli C, Nicholls DG, Brand MD (2012) Quantitative measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential in cultured cells: calcium-induced de- and hyperpolarization of neuronal mitochondria. J Physiol 590(Pt 12):2845–2871

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kim N, Ripple MO, Springett R (2012) Measurement of the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and pH Gradient from the Redox Poise of the Hemes of the bc1 Complex. Biophys J 102(7):1194–1203

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Shinkarev VP, Crofts AR, Wraight CA (2001) The electric field generated by photosynthetic reaction center induces rapid reversed electron transfer in the bc1 complex. Biochemistry 40(42):12584–12590

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hendler RW, Westerhoff HV (1992) Redox interactions in cytochrome c oxidase: from the “neoclassical” toward “modern” models. Biophys J 63(6):1586–1604

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Press HW, Flannery BP, Teukolsky SA, Vetterling WT (1992) Numerical recipes in C: the art of scientific computing, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  11. Moser CC, Farid TA, Chobot SE, Dutton PL (2006) Electron tunneling chains of mitochondria. Biochim Biophys Acta 1757(9–10):1096–1109

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roger Springett .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Springett, R. (2015). Novel Methods for Measuring the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential. In: Weissig, V., Edeas, M. (eds) Mitochondrial Medicine. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1264. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2257-4_18

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2257-4_18

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2256-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2257-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics