TY - GEN A1 - Schreiber, Frank T1 - Correlative imaging of gene expression and metabolic activity by combining single-molecule mRNA FISH and nanometer-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry N2 - Populations of genetically identical cells that share the same environment can differ markedly in their phenotypes. This phenomenon has been termed phenotypic heterogeneity. While a few molecular mechanisms that lead to heterogeneity in gene expression have been elucidated, it remains unclear how heterogeneity in gene expression is transmitted to heterogeneity in activity; especially in metabolism. Metabolic activity of single bacterial cells can be quantified by labeling the substrate with stable isotopes and by measuring label uptake with nanometer-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS). Here we combined NanoSIMS with single-molecule mRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) to link heterogeneity in gene expression and metabolism in nitrogen fixing bacteria. We find that gene expression and metabolic activity are decoupled in single cells. However, heterogeneity in gene expression is correlated with heterogeneity in metabolic activity on the population level. Gene expression kinetics can provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that lead to heterogeneity in metabolism. T2 - 22nd International Workshop on “Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Super-resolution Microscopy in the Life Sciences” CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 14.09.2016 KW - mRNA-FISH KW - NanoSIMS KW - Stable isotopes PY - 2016 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-bam/frontdoor/index/index/docId/37757 AN - OPUS4-37757 AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany