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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
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Single-cell Gene Expression Profiling Using FACS and qPCR with Internal Standards
Published on: February 25, 2017
Single-cell analysis of gene expression by fluorescence microscopy.
1Department of Physics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Methods in Enzymology
|July 5, 2007
Summary
Single-cell gene expression analysis reveals transcription distributions, moving beyond traditional population averages. This chapter details fluorescence microscopy methods for studying gene regulation in individual cells.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Traditional gene regulation studies rely on population-level averages.
- Single-cell analysis offers insights into expression heterogeneity.
- Two-component systems are key bacterial regulatory networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce single-cell measurement techniques for gene expression.
- To highlight the utility of fluorescence microscopy in this context.
- To explore gene regulation within bacterial populations at the individual cell level.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing fluorescent proteins as reporters for gene expression.
- Employing fluorescence microscopy for high-resolution imaging.
- Analyzing transcription data at the single-cell level to determine expression distributions.
Main Results:
- Demonstration of single-cell transcription measurement capabilities.
- Visualization of gene expression heterogeneity within cell populations.
- Characterization of gene regulation dynamics in individual bacterial cells.
Conclusions:
- Single-cell approaches provide a more comprehensive understanding of gene regulation.
- Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for dissecting transcriptional heterogeneity.
- This methodology complements traditional assays for studying two-component systems.
