Three-Dimensional Cellular Raman Analysis: Evidence of Highly Ordered Lipids Within Cell Nuclei.

Striking levels of spatial organization exist among and within interphase cell chromosomes, raising the possibility that other nuclear molecular components may also be organized in ways that facilitate nuclear function. To further examine molecular distributions and organization within cell nuclei, we utilized Raman spectroscopy to map distributions of molecular components, with a focus on cellular lipids. Although the vast majority of cellular lipids are associated with membranes, mapping the 2870/2850 cm lipid peak ratios revealed that the most highly ordered lipids within interphase cells are found within cell nuclei.