Advances in mass spectrometry-based single-cell metabolite analysis

Cells with near-identical genomic DNA sequences may exhibit differing phenotypes and carry out distinct physiological functions. Such cell-to-cell variability widely exists in different organisms but is poorly understood. Providing the most sensitive reflection of cellular phenotype, metabolomics at the single -cell level may enable us to uncover the hidden world beneath such cellular heterogeneity. However, the limited analyte amount and rapid turnover rate of single-cell metabolome impose a huge challenge to the metabolomic techniques. Over the past decade, the advances in mass spectrometry have played a crucial role in driving the progress of single-cell metabolite profiling. Herein, in this article we focus on the latest advances in mass spectrometry-based single-cell metabolite analysis, highlighting the tech-nical innovations and their applications in biological studies.(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

Cells with similar genomic DNA sequences may exhibit different phenotypes and carry out distinct physiological functions. Single-cell metabolomics provides a sensitive reflection of cellular phenotype and helps uncover the hidden world beneath cellular heterogeneity. However, the limited analyte amount and rapid turnover rate of single-cell metabolome pose challenges to metabolomic techniques. In this article, the latest advances in mass spectrometry-based single-cell metabolite analysis are discussed, highlighting technical innovations and their applications in biological studies.