Compositional diversity is a fundamental property in cell populations. Single‐cell analysis promises new insight into this cellular heterogeneity on the genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic levels. Mass spectrometry (MS) is a label‐free technique that enables the multiplexed analysis of proteins, peptides, lipids, and metabolites in individual cells. The abundances of these molecular classes are correlated with the physiological states and environmental responses of the cells. In this Minireview, we discuss recent advances in single‐cell MS techniques with an emphasis on sampling and ionization methods developed for volume‐limited samples. Strategies for sample treatment, separation methods, and data analysis require special considerations for single cells. Ongoing analytical challenges include subcellular heterogeneity, non‐normal statistical distributions of cellular properties, and the need for high‐throughput, high molecular coverage and minimal perturbation.

中文翻译：

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单细胞质谱方法探索细胞异质性

组成多样性是细胞群体的基本属性。单细胞分析有望在基因组，转录组学，蛋白质组学和代谢组学水平上获得对这种细胞异质性的新见解。质谱（MS）是一种无标记技术，可对单个细胞中的蛋白质，肽，脂质和代谢产物进行多重分析。这些分子种类的丰度与细胞的生理状态和环境反应相关。在此Minireview中，我们讨论了单细胞MS技术的最新进展，重点是针对体积受限的样品开发的采样和电离方法。对于单细胞，样品处理，分离方法和数据分析的策略需要特别考虑。持续的分析挑战包括亚细胞异质性，