Dual-function nanographene-peptide conjugates enable super-resolution mitochondria imaging and targeted DNA delivery in plants

Plant mitochondria influence key agricultural traits through their role in cellular energy production, yet remain challenging to study and engineer due to limited imaging probes and inefficient organelle-specific DNA delivery. To overcome these limitations, we developed a dual-purpose peptide-nanographene conjugate combining a plant mitochondria-targeting peptide with a precisely structured, membrane-permeable, self-blinking nanographene. This peptide-nanographene conjugate achieved dual functionality: high-fidelity mitochondrial labeling in fixed root tissues, enabling ∼120 nm resolution imaging with single-molecule localization microscopy; and efficient transport of plasmid DNA through plant cell walls and multiple membrane barriers via ionic complexes formation in living plants. The conjugate increased mitochondrial transgene expression up to three-fold compared to peptide-based delivery systems, underscoring nanographene’s crucial role in overcoming biological barriers. This dual-functional platform can be utilized for understanding organelle function and improving crops through precise mitochondrial imaging and engineering.