International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Vol.14, No.1, 1952-1963, 2013
pH Dependence of the Fluorescence Lifetime of FAD in Solution and in Cells
We have studied physiological parameters in a living cell using fluorescence lifetime imaging of endogenous chromophores. In this study, pH dependence of the fluorescence lifetime of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), that is a significant cofactor exhibiting autofluorescence, has been investigated in buffer solution and in cells. The fluorescence lifetime of FAD remained unchanged with pH 5 to 9 in solution. However, the fluorescence lifetime in HeLa cells was found to decrease with increasing intracellular pH, suggesting that pH in a single cell can be estimated from the fluorescence lifetime imaging of FAD without adding exogenous fluorescent probes.
Keywords:FAD;autofluorescence;living cell;fluorescence lifetime imaging;intracellular pH;fluorescence decay