Nucleoplasmic viscosity of living cells investigated by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Lifang Liang; Da Xing; Tongshen Chen; Yihui Pei

doi:10.1117/12.760226

8 January 2008 Nucleoplasmic viscosity of living cells investigated by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Lifang Liang, Da Xing, Tongshen Chen, Yihui Pei

Proceedings Volume 6826, Optics in Health Care and Biomedical Optics III; 68262T (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.760226
Event: Photonics Asia 2007, 2007, Beijing, China

Abstract

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a new kind of real-time, high-speed and single-molecule technique. It is used to detect the kinetic characteristics of fluorescent dye such as diffusion coefficient in the aqueous solution. Combined with confocal microscope optics, it has been now widely applied in cell biological research. Through a time correlation analysis of spontaneous intensity fluctuations, this technique with EGFP as a probe is capable of determining viscosity of fluids according to Stokes-Einstein equation. Nucleoplasmic viscosity is an important physical parameter to quantify the rheological characteristics of the nucleoplasm. Investigation on nucleoplasmic viscosity plays an important role in further understanding intranuclear environment. In this paper, FCS is introduced to noninvasively investigate nucleoplasmic viscosity of living cells. The results show that nucleoplasmic viscosity of lung adenocarcinoma (ASTC-a-1) cells is 2.55±0.61 cP and nucleoplasmic viscosity is larger than cytoplasmic viscosity at 37 °C (pH 7.4). In addition, significant changes in nucleoplasmic viscosity are detected by FCS when cells are exposed to hyper or hypotonic medium. Our study suggests that FCS can be used to detect the kinetic characteristics of biomolecules in living cells and thus helps to investigate the dynamic changes of the microenvironment in the cell.

Citation Download Citation

Lifang Liang, Da Xing, Tongshen Chen, and Yihui Pei "Nucleoplasmic viscosity of living cells investigated by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy", Proc. SPIE 6826, Optics in Health Care and Biomedical Optics III, 68262T (8 January 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.760226

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