FTIR microscopic studies on normal and H-Ras transfected cultured mouse fibroblast cells

Infrared (IR) absorption spectra are well known for their selectivity and minutiae fingerprint of molecular structure. The biochemical changes in the sub-cellular levels developing in abnormal cells, including a majority of cancer forms, manifest themselves in different optical signatures, which can be detected in infrared spectroscopy. The molecular vibrational modes which are responsible for IR absorption spectra, are characteristic of the biochemistry of the cells and their sub-cellular components. We measured the infrared absorption spectra of monolayers of cultured normal and ras gene transformed mouse fibroblasts, using microscopic infrared system (micro-FTIR) technique. The absorption for normal cells was higher than the malignant ones in the spectral range 1000 - 1500 and 2800 - 3000 cm-1. The effect on phospholipid metabolism due to ras gene incorporation is also discussed.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.