An Ultraviolet Micro-Raman Spectrometer: Resonance Raman Spectroscopy within Single Living Cells

Abstract

Ultraviolet-excited resonance Raman spectra have been obtained for the first time for microsamples of dAMP deoxymononucleotide and DNA and for the nuclear DNA of a single living T47D cultured cell. The spectral variations observed in changing the excitation wavelength reflect the dramatic variations of the Raman cross sections of the various DNA compounds in the ultraviolet region. Many of the spectral features of the single-cell nuclear DNA excited by 257-nm radiation essentially arise from cellular purines, although a contribution from the protein amide I band and from the tryptophan residues is probably observed in the 1600–1700 cm⁻¹ spectral region.