Quantitative analysis of the redox states of cytochromes in a living L929 (NCTC) cell by resonance Raman microspectroscopy

Raman spectra and images of a living L929 (NCTC) cell have been measured with 532 nm excitation. Both reduced and oxidized forms of cytochromes b and c (cyt b and cyt c) have been observed in situ without any pretreatment. The redox states of cyts b and c have been assessed quantitatively with a spectral analysis. It has been found that reduced cyt c is more abundant than oxidized cyt c, while oxidized cyt b is slightly more abundant than reduced cyt b in a living cell.