Mitochondrial autophagy, known as mitophagy, is a vital
cellular
process that involves the selective degradation of damaged or dysfunctional
mitochondria through autophagy, which is critical to the functional
integrity of the entire mitochondrial network and determines the survival
and death of cells. An abnormal pH may lead to an imbalance in mitochondrial
homeostasis and the occurrence of mitochondrial autophagic acidification
and dysfunction. SCN– is also an important anion
in cellular metabolism, and its abnormal concentration may lead to
mitochondrial damage. However, so far, there are few reports on the
simultaneous realization of pH and SCN– detection
in mitochondria. Therefore, to complement the blank in this area,
we developed the polysiloxane-based fluorescent probe P0-CMN that is capable of simultaneously visualizing pH and SCN– fluctuation levels in mitochondria. The probe P0-CMN has the desired mitochondrial-targeting properties and sensitivity
to pH and SCN–. It is able to simultaneously monitor
pH and SCN– changes in mitochondria in a dual-channel
mode. In addition, probe P0-CMN can visualize pH changes
during mitochondrial autophagy. This work provides an effective strategy
for the design of dual-responsive fluorescent probes and further broadens
the application of polysiloxane fluorescent materials.