An integrated chip for immunofluorescence and its application to analyze lysosomal storage disorders

Lab Chip. 2012 Jan 21;12(2):317-24. doi: 10.1039/c1lc20845d. Epub 2011 Nov 28.

Abstract

Immunofluorescence (IF) is a common method to observe protein distribution and localization at the single-cell level through wide-field fluorescence or confocal microscopy. Conventional protocol for IF staining of cells typically requires a large amount of reagents, especially antibodies, and noticeable investment in both labor and time. Microfluidic technologies provide a cost-effective alternative: it can evaluate and optimize experimental conditions, and perform automatic and high-throughput IF staining on-chip. We employed this method to analyze lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) based on the expression and morphological distribution of LAMP1 and LC3 in starving cells. With pneumatic valves integrated on-chip, the parallel staining process can be completed within a few hours. The total consumption of each antibody solution for the whole experiment is merely 0.3 μL. This device provides a promising tool for automated high-throughput molecular imaging at cell level that can be applied for diagnostic analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / chemistry
  • Antibodies / immunology
  • Autophagy
  • Cell Line
  • Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate / chemistry
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique / instrumentation*
  • Lysosomal Storage Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Lysosomal Storage Diseases / metabolism
  • Lysosomal Storage Diseases / pathology
  • Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1 / immunology
  • Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / immunology
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / metabolism
  • Rats

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • LC3 protein, rat
  • Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate