Single-cell profiling of mitochondrial phenotyping-coupled mtDNA genotyping.

Abstract

Simultaneously profiling mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy and phenotypic variability at the single-cell level remains a challenge due to the absence of integrated methods that map mitochondrial genotypes alongside their functional states. We introduce human single-cell mitochondrial phenotype-coupled mtDNA sequencing (scMPCDS), a platform that quantifies mtDNA mutations and heteroplasmy together with mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species within individual cells. Unlike bulk sequencing or separate single-omics techniques, scMPCDS directly correlates mitochondrial genomic instability with functional outcomes. Using this approach, we demonstrate that DdCBE-mediated mtDNA editing induces cell-specific off-target mutations in the mitochondrial genome, which coincide with diverse phenotypic changes. Applying scMPCDS to HeLa cells and clear cell renal cell carcinoma tissues, we identify single-cell subpopulations exhibiting distinct mtDNA mutation burdens and altered bioenergetic profiles, implicating potential mitochondrial heterogeneity-driven tumor evolution. Overall, scMPCDS serves as a versatile tool to unravel mitochondrial genotype-phenotype relationships at the single-cell level in both normal and disease states, thereby advancing precise mitochondrial diagnostics and therapeutics.