ZeptoCTC - Sensitive Protein Analysis of True Single Cell Lysates using Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA)

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are commonly analyzed through genomic profiling, which does not capture posttranslational and functional alterations of encoded proteins. To address this limitation, we developed ZeptoCTC, a single-cell protein analysis workflow that combines established technologies for single-cell isolation and sensitive Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA) analysis to assess multiple protein expression and activation in individual CTCs. The workflow involves single cell labeling, isolation, lysis, and printing of the true single cell lysates onto a ZeptoChip using a modified micromanipulator CellCelectorTM. Subsequently, the printed lysates undergo fluorescence immunoassay RPPA protein detection using a ZeptoReader followed by signal quantification with Image J software. ZeptoCTC was successfully optimized, beginning with the measurement of EpCAM protein expression--a standard marker for CTC detection. As expected, mean fluorescence signals for EpCAM levels were significantly higher in single MCF-7 cells compared to MDA-MB-231 cells. Next, Capivasertib-treated MCF-7 cells exhibited an approximately 2-fold increase in the pAkt/Akt ratio compared to non-treated control cells. This finding was consistent with a co-performed western blot analysis of pooled MCF-7 cells. Application of ZeptoCTC to the analysis of single CTCs derived from a metastasized breast cancer (MBC) patient indicated a significantly higher level of pAkt, accompanied by a corresponding increase in pErk level when compared to patient-matched WBC. Finally, the current workflow successfully indicated the detectable pAkt and Akt signal difference in CTCs from two MBC patients: one with an Akt1 wild-type genotype, and the other harboring approximately 80% Akt1(E17K) mutated CTCs. The mutated CTCs revealed clearly elevated pAkt levels (1.8-fold), along with an even more strongly elevated total Akt (3.4-fold) when compared to the respective signals measured in wild-type CTCs. In conclusion, ZeptoCTC is a highly sensitive method for measuring the expression and phosphorylation of treatment-relevant proteins in key cancer-driving signaling pathways from true single cell samples.