Single cell technologies for monitoring protein secretion heterogeneity

Abstract

Cell-to-cell heterogeneity presents challenges across various fields, from biomedicine to bioproduction, where precise cellular responses are vital. While single cell technologies have significantly enhanced our understanding of population heterogeneity, the predominant focus has been on monitoring intracellular compounds. Recognizing the added complexity introduced by the secretion system, in this review, we first provide a systematic overview of the distinct steps necessary for driving protein secretion. We discuss the various sources of noise acting from the synthesized preprotein to the secretory protein released based on a Gram-positive cellular system as a model. We next explore the applicability of single cell technologies for monitoring protein secretion throughout these functional stages. We also emphasize the importance of applying these single cell technologies for monitoring protein secretion during bioproduction.

Keywords: biological noise; phenotypic heterogeneity; population control; protein secretion; stochasticity.