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Quantitative characterization of single cells by use of immunocytochemistry combined with multiplex LA-ICP-MS

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Abstract

Actual research demonstrates that LA-ICP-MS is capable of being used as an imaging tool with cellular resolution. The aim of this investigation was the method development for LA-ICP-MS to extend the versatility to quantitative and multiplexing imaging of single eukaryotic cells. For visualization of individual cells selected, lanthanide-labeled antibodies were optimized for immuno-imaging of single cells with LA-ICP-MS. The molar content of the artificial introduced labels per cell was quantified using self-made nitrocellulose-coated slides for matrix-matched calibration and calculated amounts were in the range of 3.1 to 17.8 atmol per cell. Furthermore, the quantification strategy allows a conversion of 2D intensity profiles based on counts per second (cps) to quantitative 2D profiles representing the molar amount of the artificial introduced elemental probes per pixel for each individual cell.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Heike Traub and Andreas Schulz from the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) for the support at the LA-ICP-MS system. The project was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (WA 3459/1-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Larissa Mueller, Antje J. Herrmann, Sandra Techritz, Ulrich Panne & Norbert Jakubowski

  2. Institut für Chemie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Straße 2, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    Antje J. Herrmann & Ulrich Panne

Authors
  1. Larissa Mueller
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  2. Antje J. Herrmann
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Correspondence to Norbert Jakubowski.

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Mueller, L., Herrmann, A.J., Techritz, S. et al. Quantitative characterization of single cells by use of immunocytochemistry combined with multiplex LA-ICP-MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 409, 3667–3676 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-017-0310-1

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