Raman spectroscopic signature of life in a living yeast cell

Abstract We have discovered a Raman spectroscopic signature that sharply reflects the metabolic activity of a mitochondrion in a living yeast cell. Raman mapping experiments on a GFP‐labeled yeast cell showed that this signature originated exclusively from mitochondria. Addition of KCN caused a rapid decrease and subsequent disappearance of the signature followed by gradual changes of the phospholipid Raman bands, indicating that respiration was first inhibited by KCN and then lowered metabolic activity gradually deteriorated the double‐membrane structure of a mitochondrion. We can now monitor the life and death of a single cell by time‐ and space‐resolved Raman spectroscopy. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.