Mutations in fumarate hydratase (FH) lead to the accumulation of fumarate, considered to be an ‘oncometabolite’ due to the wide-ranging consequences of its accumulation in the cell. Here, we demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy (RS) can detect and map fumarate in living cells. We highlight the presence of three main peaks at 1281±2cm-1, 1403±2cm-1 and 1657±2cm-1. In live cells, we measure an average fumarate concentration of 10 mM in FH-proficient cells compared to 23 mM for FH-deficient cells, in agreement with prior mass spectrometry measurements. Future studies will focus on enhancing sensitivity using coherent or surface enhanced Raman methods.
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