title: A simple metal staining procedure for identification and visualization of single cells by LA-ICP-MS.
abstract: High lateral resolution of metal detection in single cells by use of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) demands powerful staining methods. In this work different staining procedures for the single cell analysis with LA-ICP-MS were optimized. An iridium intercalator was utilized to stain the cell nuclei whereas the whole cell was stained by the use of maleimido-mono-amide-DOTA (mDOTA) complexing lanthanide(iii) ions. The content of the artificially introduced metals per cell was quantified using a matrix matched calibration approach based on cellulose membranes onto which standards were spotted by a microarray spotter. Absolute metal stain amounts in the range of 2.34 to 9.81 femtomole per cell were determined. The metal staining procedures allow direct identification and visualization of single cells and their cell compartments by element microscopy without the use of bright field images of the sample.
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 1.1 Inorganic Trace Analysis, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. antje.hermann@bam.de and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Chemistry, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5225-1683
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 1.1 Inorganic Trace Analysis, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. antje.hermann@bam.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Techritz
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 1.1 Inorganic Trace Analysis, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. antje.hermann@bam.de.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jakubowski
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Chemical and Product Safety, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Department of Chemical and Product Safety, Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luch
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 1.1 Inorganic Trace Analysis, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. antje.hermann@bam.de and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Chemistry, Brook-Taylor-Str. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Panne
authors.affiliation: Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 1.1 Inorganic Trace Analysis, Richard-Willstätter-Str. 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany. antje.hermann@bam.de.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mueller