Quantification of Intracellular Proteins in Single Cells Based on Engineered Picoliter Droplets

Langmuir. 2022 Jul 5;38(26):7929-7937. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00341. Epub 2022 Jun 24.

Abstract

Unlike conventional bulk measurements, single-cell protein analysis permits quantification of protein expression in individual cells. This has shed light on the cell-to-cell variation in heterogeneous biological systems, such as solid tumors, brain tissues, and developing embryos. Herein, a microfluidic method is developed to profile protein expression in individual cells by performing single-cell intracellular protein immunoassay in picoliter paired droplets. The high sensitivity of single-cell protein analysis on a chip is achieved by the confined reaction volume of picoliter droplets, efficient kinetic characteristics of the immunoassay through active mixing, and minimum single-cell protein loss by integrated operations. The abundance of an intracellular prostate specific antigen at the single-cell level is measured, and then the platform is applied to identify cell types and investigate heterogeneity within cell populations. Overall, a paired chip for single-cell immunoassay establishes a foundation for parallel, sensitive, and integrated protein quantification at the single-cell level and will find wide applications in the field of single-cell proteomics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Immunoassay / methods
  • Kinetics
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques* / methods
  • Microfluidics* / methods
  • Single-Cell Analysis