title: Chemical and biological differentiation of three human breast cancer cell types using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry.
abstract: We use time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to image and classify individual cells on the basis of their characteristic mass spectra. Using statistical data reduction on the large data sets generated during TOF-SIMS analysis, similar biological materials can be differentiated on the basis of a combination of small changes in protein expression, metabolic activity and cell structure. We apply this powerful technique to image and differentiate three carcinoma-derived human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, and MDA-MB-231). In homogenized cells, we show the ability to differentiate the cell types as well as cellular compartments (cytosol, nuclear, and membrane). These studies illustrate the capacity of TOF-SIMS to characterize individual cells by chemical composition, which could ultimately be applied to detect and identify single aberrant cells within a normal cell population. Ultimately, we anticipate characterizing rare chemical changes that may provide clues to single cell progression within carcinogenic and metastatic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Biosciences Directorate and Chemistry and Material Sciences Directorate, P.O. Box 808, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA. kulp2@llnl.gov
authors.forename: Kristen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kulp
authors.forename: Elena S F
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Knize
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Shattuck
authors.forename: Erik J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Ligang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Felton
authors.forename: Kuang Jen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D018629:Spectrometry, Mass, Secondary Ion / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D011506:Proteins