Single-Cell Analysis Using Drop-on-Demand Inkjet Printing and Probe Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2016 Apr 19;88(8):4354-60. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b04749. Epub 2016 Apr 4.

Abstract

This study describes a novel method for single-cell analysis and lipid profiling by combining drop-on-demand inkjet cell printing and probe electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PESI-MS). Through inkjet sampling of a cell suspension, droplets with single cells were generated, precisely dripped onto a tungsten-made electrospray ionization needle, and immediately sprayed under a high-voltage electric field. Lipid fingerprints of single cells were obtained by a mass spectrometry (MS) detector. A homemade magnetic stirring device was applied to the cell suspension reservoir, which controlled the homogeneous distribution of cells in liquid and improved the single-cell-droplet percentage by 43.8%. Eight types of single cells were screened in our platform and further differentiated by principal component analysis based on cellular surface phospholipids. Thus, this study successfully provides a facile method for the direct MS profiling of single-cell lipids by PESI-MS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3T3 Cells
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Probes
  • Particle Size
  • Printing*
  • Single-Cell Analysis / instrumentation*
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / instrumentation*
  • Tungsten

Substances

  • Molecular Probes
  • Tungsten