MICROSPECTROPHOTOMETRY OF CYTOCHROMES IN THE SINGLE CELL AT ROOM AND LIQUID NITROGEN TEMPERATURES

By increasing further the sensitivity of microspectrophotometry, it is now possible to measure, under favorable conditions, the smaller absorption bands of the respiratory pigments of single cells in the visible region of the spectrum. A considerable aid in the distinction between cytochromes is afforded by liquid nitrogen microspectrophotometry. Under favorable conditions, the height of the peaks is increased over 8-fold at low temperatures. In diploid yeast, characteristically sharpened components not resolvable at room temperature are observed at low temperature; and in pentaploid yeast, a hitherto unrecognized pigment is observed at 583 mµ. These preliminary results indicate the feasibility and the value of low temperature microspectrophotometry of biological materials.