ANALYSIS OF SINGLE CELLS BY CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS WITH ON COLUMN DERIVATIZATION AND LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE DETECTION

On-column derivatization of single mammalian cells with capillary elec trophoretic separation and laser-induced fluorescence detection is des cribed. individual cells are electrophorectically injected into the fr ont end of the separation capillary, which is used as a chamber to lys e the cell and derivatize its contents for subsequent separation and d etection. Reagents to lyse the cell and derivatize its contents are el ectrophoretically injected into the front end of the capillary (2.7 mm , 600-pL volume for a 17-mu m-i.d. capillary) after the cell has been injected. Dopamine and five amino acids have been quantitatively deter mined in individual rat pheochromocytoma cells after on-column derivat ization with naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde and CN-. Average values of compounds determined in these cells range from 180 +/- 110 amol/ ce ll for aspartic acid to 5.1 +/- 1.5 fmol/cell for taurine.