Single cell functional genomics reveals the importance of mitochondria in cell-to-cell phenotypic variation

Yeast cells were stained with TMRE, which measures mitochondrial membrane potential, and were sorted onto four bins - HI,M1,M2 and LO, from TMRE vs cell-size plot. Total RNA was isolated from cells and RNA sequencing was done to compare transcriptome profile in sub-population of cells that differ in mitochondrial membrane potential. Cells with high potential showed repression of respiration genes, exhibited signs of DNA damage and iron deficiency. Transcriptome comparison of yeast sub-populations that differ in mitochondrial membrane potential mitochondrial membrane potential HI> M1> M2> LO bin T1=bin HI bin T2=bin M1 bin T3=bin M2 bin T4=bin LO