Single-Cell Chemical Proteomics (SCCP) Interrogates the Timing and Heterogeneity of Cancer Cell Commitment to Death

Anal Chem. 2022 Jul 5;94(26):9261-9269. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00413. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Abstract

Chemical proteomics studies the effects of drugs upon a cellular proteome. Due to the complexity and diversity of tumors, the response of cancer cells to drugs is also heterogeneous, and thus, proteome analysis at the single-cell level is needed. Here, we demonstrate that single-cell proteomics techniques have become quantitative enough to tackle the drug effects on target proteins, enabling single-cell chemical proteomics (SCCP). Using SCCP, we studied here the time-resolved response of individual adenocarcinoma A549 cells to anticancer drugs methotrexate, camptothecin, and tomudex, revealing the early emergence of cellular subpopulations committed and uncommitted to death. As a novel and useful approach to exploring the heterogeneous response to drugs of cancer cells, SCCP may prove to be a breakthrough application for single-cell proteomics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Camptothecin / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms*
  • Proteome / metabolism
  • Proteomics

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Proteome
  • Camptothecin