D.E. and M.B.D. are members of a multidisciplinary research platform (MRP) of Ghent University, and the Ghent Researchers on Unfolded Proteins in Inflammatory Disease (GROUP-ID) consortium.

In this study, adult (6-8 weeks) female C57Bl/6 mice were used. Mice were housed and bred according to the guidelines of the Ghent University vivarium. All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Ethics Committee.
1. Preparation of Mononuclear Cells (MNCs) from Mouse Spleen
<ol>
	<li>Sacrifice the mouse by cervical dislocation.</li>
	<li>Place the mouse back down on the dissecting board and fix the hind and forelegs with pins.</li>
	<li>Sterilize the skin-surface...

<ol>
	<li>Bendelac, A., Rivera, M. N., Park, S. H., Roark, J. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mouse+CD1-specific+NK1+T+cells:+development,+specificity,+and+function.">Mouse CD1-specific NK1 T cells: development, specificity, and function.</a> Annu Rev Immunol. 15, 535-562 (1997).</li><li>Kronenberg, M., Gapin, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+unconventional+lifestyle+of+NKT+cells.">The unconventional lifestyle of NKT cells.</a> Nat Rev Immuno. 2, 557-568 (2002).</li><li>Park, S. H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mouse+CD1d-restricted+repertoire+is+dominated+by+a+few+autoreactive+T+cell+receptor+families.">The mouse CD1d-restricted repertoire is dominated by a few autoreactive T cell receptor families.</a> J Exp Med. 193, 893-904 (2001).</li><li>Zhou, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lysosomal+glycosphingolipid+recognition+by+NKT+cells.">Lysosomal glycosphingolipid recognition by NKT cells.</a> Science. 306, 1786-1789 (2004).</li><li>Cardell, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CD1-restricted+CD4++T+cells+in+major+histocompatibility+complex+class+II-deficient+mice.">CD1-restricted CD4+ T cells in major histocompatibility complex class II-deficient mice.</a> J Exp Med. 182, 993-1004 (1995).</li><li>Kawano, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CD1d-restricted+and+TCR-mediated+activation+of+valpha14+NKT+cells+by+glycosylceramides.">CD1d-restricted and TCR-mediated activation of valpha14 NKT cells by glycosylceramides.</a> Science. 278, 1626-1629 (1997).</li><li>Drennan, M. B., Aspeslagh, S., Elewaut, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Invariant+natural+killer+T+cells+in+rheumatic+disease:+a+joint+dilemma.">Invariant natural killer T cells in rheumatic disease: a joint dilemma.</a> Nat Rev Rheumatol. 6, 90-98 (2010).</li><li>Terabe, M., Berzofsky, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=NKT+cells+in+immunoregulation+of+tumor+immunity:+a+new+immunoregulatory+axis.">NKT cells in immunoregulation of tumor immunity: a new immunoregulatory axis.</a> Trends Immunol. 28, 491-496 (2007).</li><li>Molling, J. W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+and+sustained+expansion+of+mouse+spleen+invariant+NKT+cell+lines+with+preserved+cytokine+releasing+capacity.">Generation and sustained expansion of mouse spleen invariant NKT cell lines with preserved cytokine releasing capacity.</a> J Immunol Methods. 322, 70-81 (2007).</li><li>Chiba, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+and+reliable+generation+of+invariant+natural+killer+T-cell+lines+in+vitro.">Rapid and reliable generation of invariant natural killer T-cell lines in vitro.</a> Immunology. 128, 324-333 (2009).</li><li>Gumperz, J. 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B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Diverse+TCRs+recognize+murine+CD1.">Diverse TCRs recognize murine CD1.</a> J Immunol. 162, 161-167 (1999).</li><li>Watarai, H., Nakagawa, R., Omori-Miyake, M., Dashtsoodol, N., Taniguchi, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Methods+for+detection,+isolation+and+culture+of+mouse+and+human+invariant+NKT+cells.">Methods for detection, isolation and culture of mouse and human invariant NKT cells.</a> Nature protocols. 3, 70-78 (2008).</li><li>Houtz, B., Trotter, J., Sasaki, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> BD FACService TECHNOTES. 9 (4), (2004).</li><li>Osborne, G. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+method+of+quantifying+cell+sorting+yield+in+'real+time'.">A method of quantifying cell sorting yield in 'real time'.</a> Cytometry. Part A : the journal of the International Society for Analytical Cytology. 77, 983-989 (2010).</li><li>Drennan, M. B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+thymic+microenvironment+differentially+regulates+development+and+trafficking+of+invariant+NKT+cell+sublineages.">The thymic microenvironment differentially regulates development and trafficking of invariant NKT cell sublineages.</a> J Immunol. 193, 5960-5972 (2014).</li></ol>

The authors have no competing interests to disclose.

Critical steps in the current protocol include the isolation and subsequent enrichment of CD5+ lymphocytes (Section 1 &#38; 2), FACS sorting (Section 3) and the initial plating of iNKT cells (Section 4). Of the steps performed in Section 1, remember to carefully layer the splenic cellular suspension over the density gradient medium such that a distinct cellular interphase is generated following centrifugation. The subsequent enrichment for CD5+ lymphocytes by magnetic cell separation (Section 2) min...

Murine invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a distinct population of innate T lymphocytes selected in the thymus by CD1d-expressing cortical thymocytes 1,2. iNKT cells express a T cell receptor (TCR) comprised of an invariant V&#945;14-J&#945;18 TCR chain paired with either V&#946;8, V&#946;7 or V&#946;2 TCRs 3, which is capable of recognizing endogenous as well as foreign lipid antigens in the context of CD1d. For example, murine iNKT cells recognize and are activated by an endogenous lipid antigen called isoglobotrihexosylceramide (iGb3) 4, as well as &#945;-galactosylceramide (&#945;GalCer) 5,6, a glycolipid isolated from marine sponges. TCR-dependent activation of iNKT cells promotes the priming of adaptive immune responses, and as a result, iNKT cells have been shown to be functionally involved in the amelioration or development of a range of pathologies including rheumatic disease 7 and cancer 8. Currently, synthetic iNKT cell ligands constitute promising new vaccine adjuvants that may be capable of regulating a number of immunopathological conditions.
It has previously been demonstrated that iNKT cells can be generated in vitro following isolation from mouse tissue however; many of these studies employ the use of primary antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and/or cell lines 9, V&#945;14 TCR transgenic (Tg) mice 10, or thymomas for the generation of iNKT cell-derived hybridomas 11,12. Furthermore, large numbers of mice, high volumes of reagents such as &#945;GalCer-loaded CD1d dimers, and lengthy culture times make some published protocols less ethically and economically appealing 9,13.
In this report we describe an adapted method for the isolation and in vitro expansion of iNKT cells from mouse spleen. More specifically, the protocol describes a method for enriching iNKT cells from mouse spleen which reduces the mice, reagents and time required for FACS cell sorting, and proposes an optimized approach for expanding sorted splenic iNKT cells in vitro.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Material</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>recombinant murine IL-2</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>14-8021</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>recombinant murine IL-12</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>39-8122-65</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>recombinant murine IL-7</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>14-8071</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>purified anti-mouse CD3e (145-2C11)</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>16-0032-86</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>purified anti-mouse CD28 (37.51)</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>16-0281-85</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>e450-conjugated anti-mouse CD19 (eBio1D3)</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>48-0193-82</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>e450-conjugated anti-mouse CD8&#945; (53-6.7)</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>48-0081-82</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FITC-conjugated anti-mouse CD5 (53-7.3)</td>
			<td>eBiosciences</td>
			<td>11-0051-81</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>V500-conjugated anti-mouse CD3&#949; (500A2)</td>
			<td>BD biosciences</td>
			<td>560771</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-mouse CD5 (Ly-1) microbeads</td>
			<td>Macs Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-049-301</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>purified anti-mouse CD16/32 (2.4G2)</td>
			<td>Macs Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-092-575</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MACS MS Columns</td>
			<td>Macs Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-042-201</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trypan Blue, 0.4% (wt/vol)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15250-061</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RPMI 1640 medium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>12633-020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1x PBS</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10010-056</td>
			<td>[Ca2+/Mg2+ - free]</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal calf serum</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10270</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-Glutamine</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>25030-123</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-streptomycin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P4458-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine serum albumin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>A7906-100MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#946;-Mercaptoethanol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>M3148</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>EDS-1KG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ficoll-Paque plus</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare</td>
			<td>71-7167-00 AF</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Equipment</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96-well plate F-bottom</td>
			<td>Greiner-bio one</td>
			<td>657-160</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>24-well plate</td>
			<td>Greiner-bio one</td>
			<td>665-180</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-well plate</td>
			<td>Greiner-bio one</td>
			<td>655-180</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 ml falcon tube</td>
			<td>Greiner-bio one</td>
			<td>188-271</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50 ml falcon tube</td>
			<td>Greiner-bio one</td>
			<td>227-261</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70 &#181;m filter</td>
			<td>Greiner-bio one</td>
			<td>542-070</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>30 &#181;m filter</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>SVGP01050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MiniMACS separator</td>
			<td>Macs Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-042-102</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MS Columns</td>
			<td>Macs Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-042-201</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Water-jacketed CO2 incubator</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hemocytometer</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dissection Kit</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD FACSAria III</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

an optimized method for isolating and expanding invariant natural killer t cells from mouse spleen

The ability to rapidly secrete cytokines upon stimulation is a functional characteristic of the invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell lineage. iNKT cells are therefore characterized as an innate T cell population capable of activating and steering adaptive immune responses. The development of improved techniques for the culture and expansion of murine iNKT cells facilitates the study of iNKT cell biology in in vitro and in vivo model systems. Here we describe an optimized procedure for the isolation and expansion of murine splenic iNKT cells.
Spleens from C57Bl/6 mice are removed, dissected and strained and the resulting cellular suspension is layered over density gradient media. Following centrifugation, splenic mononuclear cells (MNCs) are collected and CD5-positive (CD5+) lymphocytes are enriched for using magnetic beads. iNKT cells within the CD5+ fraction are subsequently stained with &#945;GalCer-loaded CD1d tetramer and purified by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). FACS sorted iNKT cells are then initially cultured in vitro using a combination of recombinant murine cytokines and plate-bound T cell receptor (TCR) stimuli before being expanded in the presence of murine recombinant IL-7. Using this technique, approximately 108 iNKT cells can be generated within 18-20 days of culture, after which they can be used for functional assays in vitro, or for in vivo transfer experiments in mice.

Isolation of splenic mononuclear cells using a density gradient takes approximately 1 hr and eliminates the use of reagents required to lyse red blood cells (RBCs). A high yield of viable cells is obtained using this method and debris generated during straining of the organ is removed. Typically, the frequency of iNKT cells within the splenic lymphocyte pool ranges between 1 and 5% of total T lymphocytes however, this can vary depending on the age, sex and health status of the animals used. Approximately 106 i...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about An Optimized Method for Isolating and Expanding Invariant Natural Killer T Cells from Mouse Spleen at JoVE.com

An Optimized Method for Isolating and Expanding Invariant Natural Killer T Cells from Mouse Spleen

Here we present an adapted protocol that can be used to generate a large number of murine invariant natural killer T cells from mouse spleen. The protocol outlines an approach by which splenic iNKT cells can be enriched for, isolated and expanded in vitro using a limited number of animals and reagents.

The ability to rapidly secrete cytokines upon stimulation is a functional characteristic of the invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell lineage. iNKT cells ...

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Immunology and Infection

11.8K vistas.  Ghent University Hospital. Here we present an adapted protocol that can be used to generate a large number of murine invariant natural killer T cells from mouse spleen. The protocol outlines an approach by which splenic iNKT cells can be enriched for, isolated and expanded in vitro using a limited number of animals and reagents. 