posted on 2023-11-30, 15:34authored byQiang Zhang, Ling Lin, Xizhen Yi, Tianze Xie, Gaowa Xing, Yuxuan Li, Xiaorui Wang, Jin-Ming Lin
Precise sampling of undissolved chemical components from
subcellular
regions of living single cells is a prerequisite for their in-depth
analysis, which could promote understanding of subtle early stage
physiological or pathological processes. Here we report a microfluidic
method to extract undissolved components from subcellular regions
for MS analysis. The target single cell was isolated by the microchamber
beneath the microfluidic probe and washed by the injected biocompatible
isotonic glucose aqueous solution (IGAS). Then, the sampling solvent
was injected to extract undissolved components from the expected subcellular
region of the living single cell, where the position and size of the
sampling region could be controlled. The components immobilized by
undissolved cellular structures were proven to be successfully extracted.
Since unextracted subcellular regions were protected by IGAS, the
single cell could survive after a tiny part was extracted, providing
the possibility of repetitive sampling of the same living cell. Phospholipids
extracted from the subcellular regions were successfully identified.
The results demonstrated the feasibility of our method for subcellular
sampling and analysis.