Cell-Penetrating Peptide Conjugated SERS Nanosensor for in Situ Intracellular pH Imaging of Single Living Cells during Cell Cycle

Anal Chem. 2019 Jul 2;91(13):8383-8389. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01191. Epub 2019 Jun 10.

Abstract

Intracellular pH is an important modulator of cell functions, and its subtle change may dramatically affect the cellular activities and cause diseases. A reliable imaging of the intracellular pH is still a great challenge. We imaged the intracellular pH during the cell cycle at the single living cell level using newly designed cell-penetrating peptide conjugated pH nanosensors on a home-built in situ microscopic cell culture platform. The conjugated cell-penetrating peptide greatly enhanced the uptake of nanosensors without sacrificing the pH response. We observed a gradual alkalization from interphase to prophase and rapid acidification from prometaphase to telophase, reflecting variation and consumption of the species related to the energy storage during cell cycle. We realized SERS-based pH and fluorescence dual-mode imaging when the pH sensor was further modified with fluorescence dye. The integration of SERS imaging with in situ microscopic cell culture system offers great opportunity for revealing the intracellular pH-related biological and pathological processes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Cell Cycle*
  • Cell Physiological Phenomena
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / chemistry*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman / methods*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Gold