Mechanical Dissociation of Tissues for Single Cell Analysis Using a Motorized Device

Summary

A general protocol for the combined enzymatic and semi-automated mechanical dissociation of tissues to generate single-cell suspensions for downstream analyses, such as flow cytometry, is provided. Instructions for the fabrication, assembly, and operation of the low-cost mechanical device developed for this protocol are included.

Abstract

Being able to isolate and prepare single cells for the analysis of tissue samples has rapidly become crucial for new biomedical discoveries and research. Manual protocols for single-cell isolations are highly time-consuming and prone to user variability. Automated mechanical protocols are able to reduce processing time and sample variability but aren't easily accessible or cost-effective in lower-resourced research settings. The device described here was designed for semi-automated tissue dissociation using commercially available materials as a low-cost alternative for academic laboratories. Instructions to fabricate, assemble, and operate the device design have been provided. The dissociation protocol reliably produces single-cell suspensions with comparable cell yields and sample viability to manual preparations across multiple mouse tissues. The protocol provides the ability to process up to 12 tissue samples simultaneously per device, making studies requiring large sample sizes more manageable. The accompanying software also allows for customization of the device protocol to accommodate varying tissues and experimental constraints.

Introduction

Single-cell analysis has rapidly become crucial for new biomedical discoveries, whether for applications such as flow cytometry, identifying different cell types, single-cell sequencing, or for identifying genomic or transcriptomic variations between cells¹. Performing such cell isolations from tissues of interest requires mincing dissected tissues and pushing them through a fine cell strainer to filter out connective tissue from the desired cells (Figure 1A). Isolating adherent cell types, such as dendritic cells or macrophages, or cells from particularly fibrous tissues, requires additional mechanical or enz....

Protocol

This protocol was approved by the UMD Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Tissues from 7 to 9-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were used for these studies. The animals were obtained from a commercial source (see Table of Materials).

1. Manual dissociation

NOTE: This step is adapted from Maisel K. et al.⁷.

1. Remove dissected tissue and place it in cold cell culture media with 5% fetal b.......

Discussion

This device was designed for easy assembly in the research setting to provide single-cell suspensions from whole tissues for subsequent single-cell analysis. The features, while basic, are sufficient to meet the needs of researchers in academic settings and beyond. A key benefit of using this device is its potential to improve the preparation of single-cell suspensions by reducing variability. Additionally, the ability to process 12+ samples simultaneously could enhance sample-to-sample consistency, which may be aff.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
¼ inch acrylic sheet  12" x 24"	Acrylic Mega Store	N/A
½ inch acrylic sheet 12" x 12"	SimbaLux	SL-AS13-12x12
12 G stainless steel wire (for tension arms)	Everbilt	1000847413
16 G electrical wire (stranded)	Best Connections	N/A
2 x 3 mm magnet	SU-CRO0587	N/A
2-channel relay board (to reverse polarity of current to motors)	AEDIKO	AE06233
37 mm Diameter DC Motors (12 V, 200 rpm) x 12	Greartisan	N/A	Rated Torque: 2.2 Kg.cm Reduction Ratio: 1:22 Rated Current: 0.1 A D Shaped Output Shaft Size: 6 x 14mm (0.24" x 0.55") (D x L) Gearbox Size: 37 x 25 mm (1.46" x 0.98") (D x L) Motor Size: 36.2 x 33.3 mm (1.43" x 1.31") (D x L) Mounting Hole Size: M3 (not included)
AC/C Power Adapter with variable voltage controller   (5 Amps, 3-12 volts)	Mo-gu	J19091-2-MG-US
AC-DC 5 V 1 A Precision buck converter step down transformer	Walfront	1A	(power adapter for powering Arduino Nano)
Arduino Nano   (Lafvin)	LAFVIN	8541582500
Buttons	Awpeye	Push-button
C57BL6/J mice	Jackson Laboratory
Collagenase 4	Worthington	CLS4 LS004188
Collagenase D	Roche	11088866001
DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium)	Corning	10-013-CV
DNAse	Roche	11284932001
Double sided foam tape	SANKA	N/A
Double Sided prototyping circuit board	deyue	N/A
EDTA	Sigma- Aldrich	E7889
Electrical solder and soldering iron	LDK	1002P
Electrical Tape	3M	03429NA
FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum)	Gibco	16140089
gentleMACS C Tubes	Miltenyi	130-093-237
Graphpad Prism	GraphPad, La Jolla, CA		Graphing and statistical analysis software
Hall effect sensor Dimensions : 0.79 x 0.79x 0.39 inches	SunFounder	43237-2
Hex Coupler 6 mm Bore Motor Brass x 2 x 12	Uxcell	N/A
Hex head bolts (M4-.70 X 12 Hex Head Cap Screw) x 12	FAS	N/A
Jumper wires (for Arduino Nano)	ELEGOO	EL-CP-004
LCD screen	JANSANE	N/A
M3 Hex Socket Head Cap Screws x 12	Shenzhen Baishichuangyou Technology co.Ltd	310luosditaozhuang
M3 Stainless SteelMachine screws Flat Head Hex Socket Cap Screws (30 mm) x 36	Still Awake	a52400001
Quick disconnect terminal connectors	IEUYO	22010064
Red Blood Cell Lysis Buffer (10x)	Cell Signaling	46232
Terminal adapter shield Expansion board for Arduino Nano  12" x 24"	Shenzhen Weiyapuhua Technology	60-026-3