Multiplexed protein maps link subcellular organization to cellular states

TLDR

Multiplexed subcellular protein maps, enabled by immunofluorescence microscopy, have been pivotal for visualizing protein localizations within cells and tissues. The authors present a high‑throughput method that detects more than 40 proteins across multiple spatial scales. The method simultaneously quantifies expression levels in thousands of single cells, maps detailed subcellular distributions to compartments and organelles, and situates this information within a multicellular context. The resulting scale‑crossing dataset allows AI‑based computer vision algorithms to comprehensively profile intracellular protein maps, assess responses to multicellular, cellular, and pharmacological contexts, and uncover new cellular states. Gut et al., Science, this issue p.

Abstract

Making multiplexed subcellular protein maps Being able to visualize protein localizations within cells and tissues by means of immuno-fluorescence microscopy has been key to developments in cell biology and beyond. Gut et al. present a high-throughput method that achieves the detection of more than 40 different proteins in biological samples across multiple spatial scales. This allows the simultaneous quantification of their expression levels in thousands of single cells; captures their detailed subcellular distribution to various compartments, organelles, and cellular structures within each of these single cells; and places all this information within a multicellular context. Such a scale-crossing dataset empowers artificial intelligence–based computer vision algorithms to achieve a comprehensive profiling of intracellular protein maps to measure their responses to different multicellular, cellular, and pharmacological contexts, and to reveal new cellular states. Science , this issue p. eaar7042