Stochastic protein expression in individual cells at the single molecule level

Long Cai, Nir Friedman and X. Sunney Xie ()
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Long Cai: Harvard University
Nir Friedman: Harvard University
X. Sunney Xie: Harvard University

Nature, 2006, vol. 440, issue 7082, 358-362

Abstract: Single-Gene Biochemistry A central assumption of molecular biology is that cells work by transcribing DNA into messenger RNA, which is then translated into protein. That's familiar enough and uncontroversial. But gene expression has not been directly observed in real time in a live cell on a single-molecule basis. A new live-cell assay system has now been developed that makes such single-molecule observations possible, and can reveal the working of gene expression in live cells. The assay, tested in Escherichia coli, yeast and mouse embryonic stem cells, shows that protein molecules are produced in bursts. The distribution of molecules in each burst is a measure of gene expression levels, which can be compared under different conditions. This has the potential to take the sensitivity of gene expression profiling well beyond that possible today.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/nature04599

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