Dynamics of the elementary steps of excited state proton transfer of pyranine (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate, HPTS) in a live cell is studied by picosecond time resolved confocal microscopy. We have compared a normal lung cell (WI38) with a lung cancer cell (A549). The location of the HPTS probe inside lysosome is confirmed by staining the cell with a lysotracker dye. It is observed that the initial proton transfer process in a normal cell (40 ps) is slower compared to that (20 ps) in a cancer cell. This suggests that the local polarity inside the lysosome of a normal cell is lower than that of the cancer cell. The recombination of the ion pair is faster (25 ps) in the normal cell than that (50 ps) in a cancer cell. The time constant of the dissociation of the geminate ion pair is similar in a normal and a cancer cell.

Excited state proton transfer in a live lung cell: Normal and cancer cell

248th National Meeting (2014)

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