Volume 391, Number 5, 1871-1879, DOI: 10.1007/s00216-008-2147-0

Time-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging for intracellular pH sensing in living tissues

Carsten Hille, Maik Berg, Lena Bressel, Dorit Munzke, Philipp Primus, Hans-Gerd Löhmannsröben and Carsten Dosche

From the issue entitled "Focus on Bioanalysis"

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Abstract

pH sensing in living cells represents one of the most prominent topics in biochemistry and physiology. In this study we performed one-photon and two-photon time-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging with a laser-scanning microscope using the time-correlated single-photon counting technique for imaging intracellular pH levels. The suitability of different commercial fluorescence dyes for lifetime-based pH sensing is discussed on the basis of in vitro as well of in situ measurements. Although the tested dyes are suitable for intensity-based ratiometric measurements, for lifetime-based techniques in the time-domain so far only BCECF seems to meet the requirements of reliable intracellular pH recordings in living cells.

Keywords  Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy - Time domain - Two-photon excitation - Intracellular pH - pH sensors - BCECF - Salivary glands

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