We thank the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St Louis, MO, for the use of the High Speed Cell Sorter Core, which provided flow cytometry equipment and sorting services.  This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants R01 HL082549 and K02 HL084179 (NRY).  The Siteman Cancer Center is supported in part by an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA91842. 

<p class="jove_title">1. PREPARATION OF REAGENTS</p>
<ol>
<li> Prepare sterile 1000x stock solutions of Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT-3) ligand, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), thrombopoietin (TPO), interleukin (IL)-3, and IL-6 according to manufacturer's instructions.  Prepare sterile Retronectin stock solution (1mg/ml) also according to manufacturer's instructions.  Divide these stock solutions into small aliquots and keep at -20 &deg;C to avoid repeated freeze-thaw.</li>
<li> Prepare...

<ol>
	<li>Takeda, A., Goolsby, C., Yaseen, N. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=NUP98-HOXA9+induces+long-term+proliferation+and+blocks+differentiation+of+primary+human+CD34++hematopoietic+cells.">NUP98-HOXA9 induces long-term proliferation and blocks differentiation of primary human CD34+ hematopoietic cells.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Cancer Res</em>. , 66-6628 (2006).</li><li>Yassin, E. R., Abdul-Nabi, A. M., Takeda, A., Yaseen, N. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effects+of+the+NUP98-DDX10+oncogene+on+primary+human+CD34++cells:+role+of+a+conserved+helicase+motif.">Effects of the NUP98-DDX10 oncogene on primary human CD34+ cells: role of a conserved helicase motif.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Leukemia</em>. , (2010).</li><li>Yassin, E. R., Sarma, N. J., Abdul-Nabi, A. M., Dombrowski, J., Han, Y., Takeda, A., Yaseen, N. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dissection+of+the+transformation+of+primary+human+hematopoietic+cells+by+the+oncogene+NUP98-HOXA9.">Dissection of the transformation of primary human hematopoietic cells by the oncogene NUP98-HOXA9.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>PLoS One</em>. <b>4</b>, e6719-e6719 (2009).</li><li>Nissen-Druey, C., Tichelli, A., Meyer-Monard, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+hematopoietic+colonies+in+health+and+disease.">Human hematopoietic colonies in health and disease.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Acta Haematol</em>. <b>113</b>, 5-96 (2005).</li><li>Pereira, C., Clarke, E., Damen, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hematopoietic+colony-forming+cell+assays.">Hematopoietic colony-forming cell assays.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Methods Mol Biol</em>. <b>407</b>, 177-208 (2007).</li><li>Coulombel, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+hematopoietic+stem/progenitor+cells:+strength+and+drawbacks+of+functional+assays.">Identification of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells: strength and drawbacks of functional assays.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Oncogene</em>. <b>23</b>, 7210-7222 (2004).</li><li>Hogge, D. E., Lansdorp, P. M., Reid, D., Gerhard, B., Eaves, C. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enhanced+detection,+maintenance,+and+differentiation+of+primitive+human+hematopoietic+cells+in+cultures+containing+murine+fibroblasts+engineered+to+produce+human+steel+factor,+interleukin-3,+and+granulocyte+colony-stimulating+factor.">Enhanced detection, maintenance, and differentiation of primitive human hematopoietic cells in cultures containing murine fibroblasts engineered to produce human steel factor, interleukin-3, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.</a> <em style='font-style: italic'>Blood</em>. <b>88</b>, 3765-3773 (1996).</li></ol>

<p class="jove_content">No conflicts of interest declared.</p>

<p class="jove_content">The CFC assay has been used extensively to determine the proliferation and differentiation patterns of hematopoietic progenitors and to study the effects of oncogenes (4, 5).  It has the advantage over liquid cultures of being a clonal assay, such that the colonies represent the progeny of a single progenitor and can be individually removed for further analysis.  The limitation of the CFC assay is that it is not adequate for the detection of more immature progenitors or hematopoietic stem cells; such cells are detected u...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>IMDM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Life Technologies</td>
<td>12440</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>FBS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>06150</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>L-Glutamine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Life Technologies</td>
<td>25030</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Penicillin/Streptomycin (PS)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Life  Technologies</td>
<td>15140</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>FLT-3 ligand</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Peprotech</td>
<td>300-19</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>GM-CSF</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Peprotech</td>
<td>300-03</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>SCF</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Peprotech</td>
<td>300-07</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>TPO</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Peprotech</td>
<td>300-18</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>IL3</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Peprotech</td>
<td>200-03</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>IL6</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Peprotech</td>
<td>200-06</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Bovine Serum Albumin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma- Aldrich</td>
<td>A7030</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>EDTA</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>BP118</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Retronectin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Takara Bio Inc</td>
<td>T100A</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>HBSS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Life Technologies</td>
<td>14175</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>PBS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Life Technologies</td>
<td>14200</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Trypan Blue solution (0.4%)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>T8154</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Methocult GF+ H4435</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>04445</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Human Methylcellulose Enriched Media</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>R &amp; D Systems</td>
<td>HSC005</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Wright/ Giemsa stain</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Harleco</td>
<td>64571</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Phosphate Buffer Solution, pH 6.4 - Giordano formula</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Ricca Chemical Company</td>
<td>1450</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Methanol</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>A412-4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Cytoseal 60</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>8310</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Normal Mouse Serum </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Rockland Immunochemicals</td>
<td>D208</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Human CD11b phycoerythrin-conjugated</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>555388</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Human CD33 allophycocyanin-conjugated</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>551378</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Human CD45 phycoerythrin-Cy7-congjugated</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>557748</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Human CD71 phycoerythrin-conjugated</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>555537</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Human CD235a allophycocyanin-conjugated</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>551336</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Human CD45 phycoerythrin-Cy7-congjugated</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>557748</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>24-well non-treated tissue culture plates</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>35-1147</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>30 mm non-treated dish</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>27150 </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>100 mm tissue culture dish </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>08-757-12</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Gridded scoring dishes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>27500</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>15 ml centrifuge tubes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>35-2097</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>50 ml centrifuge tubes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>BD Biosciences</td>
<td>35-2070</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Syringes 3 ml </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>28240</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>16 gauge blunt-end, 1&frac12; inch needle </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>StemCell Technologies</td>
<td>28110</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>50 &mu;m CellTrics cell filter</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Partec</td>
<td>04-004-2327</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Hemocytometer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>0267110</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>TPX sample chambers</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>A78710018</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Fisherbrand Superfrost/Plus Microscope Slides, Precleaned</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>12-550-15</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Shandon filter cards</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>5991022</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Shandon cytospin slide holder</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>59920063</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Shandon Complete Staining Assembly 100</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>100</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Kimwipes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Kimberly-Clark Corporation</td>
<td>34155</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>1 &mu;m filter paper</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>VWR</td>
<td>28307-134</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Inverted microscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Nikon</td>
<td>Diaphot</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Microscope camera</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Nikon</td>
<td>DS-F11</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Microscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Olympus</td>
<td>BX51 </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Microscope camera</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Olympus</td>
<td>DP71</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Scanner</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Microtek</td>
<td>Scanmaker 4</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Vortex mixer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
<td>12-812</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Tissue culture incubator</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sanyo</td>
<td>MCO-18AIC</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Cytospin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Shandon</td>
<td>Cytospin 2</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Bench-top centrifuge</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Eppendorf</td>
<td>5810-R</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Water purification system</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Barnstead</td>
<td>Nanopure-Diamond</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>
	

colony forming cell (cfc) assay for human hematopoietic cells

<p class="jove_content">Human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells are usually obtained from bone marrow, cord blood, or peripheral blood and are used to study hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. They have the capacity to differentiate into lymphoid and myeloid lineages. The colony forming cell (CFC) assay is used to study the proliferation and differentiation pattern of hematopoietic progenitors by their ability to form colonies in a semisolid medium.  The number and the morphology of the colonies formed by a fixed number of input cells provide preliminary information about the ability of progenitors to differentiate and proliferate.  Cells can be harvested from individual colonies or from the whole plate to further assess their numbers and differentiation states using flow cytometry and morphologic evaluation of Giemsa-stained slides.   This assay is useful for assessing myeloid but not lymphoid differentiation.  The term myeloid in this context is used in its wider sense to encompass granulocytic, monocytic, erythroid, and megakaryocytic lineages.</p>

<p class="jove_content">We have used this assay to assess the effects of oncogenes on the differentiation of primary human CD34+ cells derived from peripheral blood.  For this purpose cells are transduced with either control retroviral construct or a construct expressing the oncogene of interest, in this case NUP98-HOXA9.  We employ a commonly used retroviral vector, MSCV-IRES-GFP, that expresses a bicistronic mRNA that produces the gene of interest and a GFP marker.  Cells are pre-activated by growing in the presence of cytokines for two days prior to retroviral transduction.  After another two days, GFP+ cells are isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and mixed with a methylcellulose-containing semisolid medium supplemented with cytokines and incubated till colonies appear on the surface, typically 14 days.  The number and morphology of the colonies are documented.  Cells are then removed from the plates, washed, counted, and subjected to flow cytometry and morphologic examination.  Flow cytometry with antibodies specific to the cell surface markers expressed during hematopoiesis provides information about lineage and maturation stage.  Morphological studies of individual cells under a microscope after Wright- Giemsa staining provide further information with regard to lineage and maturation. Comparison of cells transduced with control empty vector to those transduced with an oncogene reveals the effects of the oncogene on hematopoietic differentiation.</p>

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Colony Forming Cell CFC Assay for Human Hematopoietic Cells at JoVE.com

Colony Forming Cell CFC Assay for Human Hematopoietic Cells

<p class="jove_content">The colony forming cell (CFC) assay is an in vitro assay in which hematopoietic progenitors form colonies in a semi-solid medium.  A combination of colony morphology, cell morphology, and flow cytometry are used to assess the ability of the progenitors to proliferate and differentiate along the different hematopoietic lineages.</p>

Colony Forming Cell (CFC) Assay for Human Hematopoietic Cells

Human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells are usually obtained from bone marrow, cord blood, or peripheral blood and are used to study hematopoiesis and ...

colony-forming-cell-cfc-assay-for-human-hematopoietic-cells

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

35.4K vistas.  Washington University School of Medicine. La formación de colonias de células (CFC) de ensayo es un ensayo in vitro en progenitores hematopoyéticos que forman colonias en un medio semi-sólido. Una combinación de la morfología de la colonia, la morfología celular y citometría de flujo se utilizan para evaluar la capacidad de los progenitores para proliferar y diferenciarse a lo largo de los diferentes linajes hematopoyéticos.