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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
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Single-cell Gene Expression Profiling Using FACS and qPCR with Internal Standards
Published on: February 25, 2017
Nuclear origins of cell-to-cell variability
1Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology
|March 31, 2011
Summary
Cell-to-cell variability in gene expression, or transcriptome heterogeneity, arises from nuclear sources. Understanding these sources is crucial for cell function and clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Genetically identical cells exhibit transcriptome variation even in uniform environments.
- This cell-to-cell variability plays a key role in stem cell differentiation and chemotherapy resistance.
- Heterogeneity in messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance per cell necessitates understanding its nuclear origins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nuclear contributions to transcriptome heterogeneity.
- To assess the impact of transcription, nuclear architecture, and gene copy number on mRNA variability.
- To review methods for quantifying single-cell mRNA abundance.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of transcription regimes.
- Evaluation of nuclear architecture dynamics.
- Assessment of RNA polymerase elongation and gene copy number variations.
Main Results:
- Multiple nuclear factors contribute significantly to transcriptome heterogeneity.
- Specific transcription patterns and nuclear organization influence mRNA abundance.
- Gene copy number variations can exacerbate expression variability.
Conclusions:
- Nuclear processes are fundamental drivers of cell-to-cell gene expression variability.
- Quantifying single-cell mRNA levels is essential for dissecting these mechanisms.
- Further research into these nuclear sources will advance our understanding of cell function and disease.
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