Name: murine dermal fibroblast isolation by facs
Uploaded: 2016-01-07T10:00:01
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Murine Dermal Fibroblast Isolation by FACS at JoVE.com

This work was supported in part by a grant from NIH grant R01 GM087609 (to H.P.L.), a Gift from Ingrid Lai and Bill Shu in honor of Anthony Shu (to H.P.L.), NIH grant U01 HL099776 (to M.T.L.), the Hagey Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and The Oak Foundation (to M.T.L., G.C.G. and H.P.L.). G.G.W. was supported by the Stanford School of Medicine, the Stanford Medical Scientist Training Program, and NIGMS training grant GM07365. Z.N.M. was supported by the Plastic Surgery Foundation Research Fellowship Grant and the Hagey Family Fund. M.S.H. was supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Clinical Fellow training grant TG2-01159, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS)/Maxillofacial Surgeons Foundation (MSF) Research Grant Award, and the Transplant and Tissue Engineering Fellowship Award.

This protocol follows methods approved by the Stanford University Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care.
1. Digestion of Murine Dermis
<ol>
	<li>Euthanize mice by cervical dislocation after anesthesia with an intraperitoneal injection of ketamine 100 mg/kg + xylazine 20 mg/kg + acepromazine 3 mg/kg. 
	Note: Various ages and backgrounds can be used.</li>
	<li>Shave and depilate the dorsal skin. Approximately 100,000 cells can be isolated from a piece of dorsal skin 60 mm x 100 m...

<ol>
	<li>Sorrell, J. M., Caplan, A. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fibroblasts-a+diverse+population+at+the+center+of+it+all.">Fibroblasts-a diverse population at the center of it all.</a> International review of cell and molecular biology. 276, 161-214 (2009).</li><li>Wynn, T. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cellular+and+molecular+mechanisms+of+fibrosis.">Cellular and molecular mechanisms of fibrosis.</a> The Journal of pathology. 214, 199-210 (2008).</li><li>Powell, D. 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=Myofibroblasts.+I.+Paracrine+cells+important+in+health+and+disease.">Myofibroblasts. I. Paracrine cells important in health and disease.</a> The American journal of physiology. 277, C1-C9 (1999).</li><li>Wilson, M. S., Wynn, T. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pulmonary+fibrosis:+pathogenesis,+etiology+and+regulation.">Pulmonary fibrosis: pathogenesis, etiology and regulation.</a> Mucosal immunology. 2, 103-121 (2009).</li><li>Hinz, 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+myofibroblast:+one+function,+multiple+origins.">The myofibroblast: one function, multiple origins.</a> The American journal of pathology. 170, 1807-1816 (2007).</li><li>Li, B., Wang, 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=Fibroblasts+and+myofibroblasts+in+wound+healing:+force+generation+and+measurement.">Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in wound healing: force generation and measurement.</a> J Tissue Viability. 20, 108-120 (2011).</li><li>Wong, 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=Wound+healing+in+oral+mucosa+results+in+reduced+scar+formation+as+compared+with+skin:+evidence+from+the+red+Duroc+pig+model+and+humans.">Wound healing in oral mucosa results in reduced scar formation as compared with skin: evidence from the red Duroc pig model and humans.</a> Wound repair and regeneration : official publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society. 17, 717-729 (2009).</li><li>Szpaderska, A. M., Zuckerman, J. D., DiPietro, L. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Differential+injury+responses+in+oral+mucosal+and+cutaneous+wounds.">Differential injury responses in oral mucosal and cutaneous wounds.</a> Journal of dental research. 82, 621-626 (2003).</li><li>Hantash, B. M., Zhao, L., Knowles, J. A., Lorenz, H. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Adult+and+fetal+wound+healing.">Adult and fetal wound healing.</a> Frontiers in bioscience : a journal and virtual library. 13, 51-61 (2008).</li><li>Buchanan, E. P., Longaker, M. T., Lorenz, H. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fetal+skin+wound+healing.">Fetal skin wound healing.</a> Advances in clinical chemistry. 48, 137-161 (2009).</li><li>Gurtner, G. C., Werner, S., Barrandon, Y., Longaker, M. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Wound+repair+and+regeneration.">Wound repair and regeneration.</a> Nature. 453, 314-321 (2008).</li><li>Dvorak, H. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tumors:+wounds+that+do+not+heal.+Similarities+between+tumor+stroma+generation+and+wound+healing.">Tumors: wounds that do not heal. Similarities between tumor stroma generation and wound healing.</a> The New England journal of medicine. 315, 1650-1659 (1986).</li><li>Dumont, N., 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=Breast+fibroblasts+modulate+early+dissemination,+tumorigenesis,+and+metastasis+through+alteration+of+extracellular+matrix+characteristics.">Breast fibroblasts modulate early dissemination, tumorigenesis, and metastasis through alteration of extracellular matrix characteristics.</a> Neoplasia. 15, 249-262 (2013).</li><li>Servais, C., Erez, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=From+sentinel+cells+to+inflammatory+culprits:+cancer-associated+fibroblasts+in+tumour-related+inflammation.">From sentinel cells to inflammatory culprits: cancer-associated fibroblasts in tumour-related inflammation.</a> The Journal of pathology. 229, 198-207 (2013).</li><li>Orimo, A., Weinberg, R. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Stromal+fibroblasts+in+cancer:+a+novel+tumor-promoting+cell+type.">Stromal fibroblasts in cancer: a novel tumor-promoting cell type.</a> Cell cycle. 5, 1597-1601 (2006).</li><li>Li, X., 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=Targeting+the+cancer-stroma+interaction:+a+potential+approach+for+pancreatic+cancer+treatment.">Targeting the cancer-stroma interaction: a potential approach for pancreatic cancer treatment.</a> Current pharmaceutical design. 18, 2404-2415 (2012).</li><li>Sorrell, J. M., Caplan, A. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fibroblast+heterogeneity:+more+than+skin+deep.">Fibroblast heterogeneity: more than skin deep.</a> Journal of cell science. 117, 667-675 (2004).</li><li>Cormack, D. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Ham's Histology. , 450-474 (1987).</li><li>Jahoda, C. A., Reynolds, A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dermal-epidermal+interactions.+Adult+follicle-derived+cell+populations+and+hair+growth.">Dermal-epidermal interactions. Adult follicle-derived cell populations and hair growth.</a> Dermatologic clinics. 14, 573-583 (1996).</li><li>Jahoda, C. A., Reynolds, A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hair+follicle+dermal+sheath+cells:+unsung+participants+in+wound+healing.">Hair follicle dermal sheath cells: unsung participants in wound healing.</a> Lancet. 358, 1445-1448 (2001).</li><li>Sorrell, J. M., Baber, M. A., Caplan, A. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Construction+of+a+bilayered+dermal+equivalent+containing+human+papillary+and+reticular+dermal+fibroblasts:+use+of+fluorescent+vital+dyes.">Construction of a bilayered dermal equivalent containing human papillary and reticular dermal fibroblasts: use of fluorescent vital dyes.</a> Tissue engineering. 2, 39-49 (1996).</li><li>Harper, R. A., Grove, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Human+skin+fibroblasts+derived+from+papillary+and+reticular+dermis:+differences+in+growth+potential+in+vitro.">Human skin fibroblasts derived from papillary and reticular dermis: differences in growth potential in vitro.</a> Science. 204, 526-527 (1979).</li><li>Schafer, I. A., Pandy, M., Ferguson, R., Davis, B. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparative+observation+of+fibroblasts+derived+from+the+papillary+and+reticular+dermis+of+infants+and+adults:+growth+kinetics,+packing+density+at+confluence+and+surface+morphology.">Comparative observation of fibroblasts derived from the papillary and reticular dermis of infants and adults: growth kinetics, packing density at confluence and surface morphology.</a> Mechanisms of ageing and development. 31, 275-293 (1985).</li><li>Sorrell, J. M., Baber, M. A., Caplan, A. I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Site-matched+papillary+and+reticular+human+dermal+fibroblasts+differ+in+their+release+of+specific+growth+factors/cytokines+and+in+their+interaction+with+keratinocytes.">Site-matched papillary and reticular human dermal fibroblasts differ in their release of specific growth factors/cytokines and in their interaction with keratinocytes.</a> Journal of cellular physiology. 200, 134-145 (2004).</li><li>Sharon, Y., Alon, L., Glanz, S., Servais, C., Erez, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+of+normal+and+cancer-associated+fibroblasts+from+fresh+tissues+by+Fluorescence+Activated+Cell+Sorting+(FACS).">Isolation of normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts from fresh tissues by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS).</a> Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. , e4425 (2013).</li><li>Walmsley, G. G., 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=Live+Fibroblast+Harvest+Reveals+Surface+Marker+Shift+in+vitro.">Live Fibroblast Harvest Reveals Surface Marker Shift in vitro.</a> Tissue engineering. Part C, Methods. , (2014).</li><li>Rinkevich, Y., Walmsley, G. G., Hu, M. S., Maan, Z. N., Newman, A. M., Drukker, M., Januszyk, M., Krampitz, G. W., Gurtner, G. C., Lorenz, H. P., Weissman, I. L., Longaker, M. 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H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Isolation+and+short-term+culture+of+primary+keratinocytes,+hair+follicle+populations+and+dermal+cells+from+newborn+mice+and+keratinocytes+from+adult+mice+for+in+vitro+analysis+and+for+grafting+to+immunodeficient+mice.">Isolation and short-term culture of primary keratinocytes, hair follicle populations and dermal cells from newborn mice and keratinocytes from adult mice for in vitro analysis and for grafting to immunodeficient mice.</a> Nature protocols. 3, 799-810 (2008).</li><li>Klein, M., Fitzgerald, L. 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The protocol described in this manuscript offers a means to isolate fibroblasts by FACS-based sorting, in comparison to existing methods, which either select for a subpopulation or require time in cell culture before subsequent analyses. The time required from harvesting of the skin to sorting of fibroblasts is approximately 6 hr; however, the number of mice used in the harvest will influence this estimate.
Several points in the protocol require particular care. The first is limiting adipocyte...

Fibroblasts are frequently defined morphologically as spindle-shaped cells that adhere to plastic substrates. Fibroblasts are the principle cell type responsible for synthesizing and remodeling the extracellular matrix in embryonic and adult organs1. Fibroblasts are thus critical to mammalian development and contribute substantially to the extracellular milieu that influences the behavior of neighboring cell types present in each tissue and organ.
Fibroblasts are also the principal cell type behind a diverse set of medical conditions that cause enormous clinical burden. Pathologic fibroblast activity impairs normal tissue function and includes tissue and organ fibrosis (such as the lung and liver), scarring following cutaneous wound healing, atherosclerosis, systemic sclerosis, and formation of atheromatous plaques after blood vessel injury2-5. Wound healing in particular, both acutely and chronically, involves deposition of scar tissue that neither resembles nor functions like the normal tissue surrounding it, and leads to significant morbidity across diverse pathologic states. Following injury, there is a transition of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts, which then secrete structural ECM components, exert paracrine effects on neighboring cell types, and restore mechanical stability by depositing scar tissue6.
In cutaneous tissues there exists significant variation in the quality of wound repair across developmental time and between anatomic sites. In the first two trimesters of life the fetus heals without scarring; however, from the third trimester on and throughout adulthood, humans heal with a scar. Site-specific, in addition to age-specific, differences in wound healing exist. Wounds in the oral cavity remodel with minimal scar formation7,8, while scar tissue deposition within cutaneous wounds is significant9. Controversy persists concerning the relative influence of the environment versus the intrinsic properties of local fibroblasts on the outcome of wound healing in regards to both age and location10,11. Given the significant differences in the healing of mouse oral vs. cutaneous dermis and earlier embryonic (E15) vs. later embryonic (E18) dermis, it is likely that intrinsic differences in the populations of fibroblasts at certain developmental ages and among various anatomic sites exist.
In 1986, Harold F. Dvorak posited tumors are wounds that do not heal12. Dvorak concluded that tumors behave like wounds in the body and induce their stroma by activating the wound healing response of the host. Numerous studies have since investigated the contribution of fibroblasts to the progression of carcinomas13-15, but as in the case of wound healing, the identity and embryonic origin of the fibroblasts that contribute to the stromal compartment of cutaneous carcinomas has not been adequately defined. The answer to this question bears medical relevance given recent studies exposing the tumor-associated fibroblast as a potentially effective target for anti-cancer therapy16.
Identifying and prospectively isolating the fibroblast lineages endowed with fibrogenic potential in vivo is an essential step towards effectively manipulating their response to injury across a wide range of acute and chronic disease states. In 1987, Cormack demonstrated two subpopulations of fibroblasts, one residing within the papillary and one within the reticular dermis17,18. A third subpopulation was found associated with hair follicles in the dermal papilla region of the follicle19,20. When cultured, these fibroblast subtypes exhibit differences in growth potential, morphology, and growth factor/cytokines profiles21-24.
To date, studies examining fibroblast heterogeneity have largely failed to adequately characterize developmental and functional diversity among fibroblasts in vivo. This is, in part, is a result of a reliance on cultured fibroblast populations and the homogenizing effect of cell culture or positive selection on the basis of a self surface receptor not expressed by all fibroblasts25. A recent study from our lab demonstrated a profound surface marker and transcriptional shift in cultured vs. uncultured fibroblasts isolated by the FACS-based isolation methodology presented in this manuscript26.
Subsequently, we identified a specific fibroblast lineage within the murine dorsal dermis and determined that this lineage, defined by embryonic expression of Engrailed-1, is primarily responsible for connective tissue deposition in the dorsal skin. The lineage functions during both acute and chronic forms of fibrosis including wound healing, cancer stroma formation, and radiation induced fibrosis27. The characterization of distinct fibroblast lineages has critical implications for therapies aimed at modulating fibrogenic behavior.
Rather than using existing protocols that rely upon in vitro manipulation to achieve cell isolation28,29, the harvest protocol (Figure 1) detailed here will help yield informative analyses of fibroblasts that more accurately capture phenotype and behavior in vivo.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1000">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:369px;">Surgical Forceps</td>
			<td style="width:369px;">Kent Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:108px;">INS650916</td>
			<td style="width:155px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Micro-scissors</td>
			<td>Kent Scientific</td>
			<td>INS600127</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Povidone Iodine Prep Solution</td>
			<td>Dynarex</td>
			<td>1415</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Nair (depilatory cream)</td>
			<td>Church and Dwight Co.</td>
			<td>22600267058</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Collagenase IV</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>17104-019</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Elastase</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab95133</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">DMEM</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>A14430-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;">Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>16000-044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Ammonium-Chloride-Potassium (ACK) lysing buffer</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>A10492-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">40 micron filters</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-771-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">70 micron filters</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-771-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">100 micron filters</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-771-19</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">CD31</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>102421</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">CD45</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>103125</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Tie2</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>124005</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="17">
			<td height="17" style="height:17px;">Ter-119</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>116233</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">EpCAM (CD326)</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>48-5791</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">DAPI</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>D3571</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">propidium iodide (PI viability stain)</td>
			<td>BioLegend</td>
			<td>421301</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

murine dermal fibroblast isolation by facs

Fibroblasts are the principle cell type responsible for secreting extracellular matrix and are a critical component of many organs and tissues. Fibroblast physiology and pathology underlie a spectrum of clinical entities, including fibroses in multiple organs, hypertrophic scarring following burns, loss of cardiac function following ischemia, and the formation of cancer stroma. However, fibroblasts remain a poorly characterized type of cell, largely due to their inherent heterogeneity. Existing methods for the isolation of fibroblasts require time in cell culture that profoundly influences cell phenotype and behavior. Consequently, many studies investigating fibroblast biology rely upon in vitro manipulation and do not accurately capture fibroblast behavior in vivo. To overcome this problem, we developed a FACS-based protocol for the isolation of fibroblasts from the dorsal skin of adult mice that does not require cell culture, thereby preserving the physiologic transcriptional and proteomic profile of each cell. Our strategy allows for exclusion of non-mesenchymal lineages via a lineage negative gate (Lin-) rather than a positive selection strategy to avoid pre-selection or enrichment of a subpopulation of fibroblasts expressing specific surface markers and be as inclusive as possible across this heterogeneous cell type.

The validity of this approach (Figure 1) has been verified in a number of ways, which can be examined in detail in our recent publication27. These include immunocytochemistry of sorted cells and mass cell and single cell transcriptional analysis of freshly sorted cells. Sorting fibroblasts directly rather than relying on culture more accurately captures their in vivo phenotype. Using a lineage negative depletion approach (Figure 2A) rather than a positive selection approach avoids pre-sel...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Murine Dermal Fibroblast Isolation by FACS at JoVE.com

Murine Dermal Fibroblast Isolation by FACS

Fibroblast behavior underlies a spectrum of clinical entities, but they remain poorly characterized, largely due to their inherent heterogeneity. Traditional fibroblast research relies upon in vitro manipulation, masking in vivo fibroblast behavior. We describe a FACS-based protocol for the isolation of mouse skin fibroblasts that does not require cell culture.

Fibroblasts are the principle cell type responsible for secreting extracellular matrix and are a critical component of many organs and tissues. Fibroblast ...

The overall goal of this procedure is to isolate fibroblasts using FACS, thereby foregoing in vitro culture, which has been shown to cause a phenotypic change in these cells. This method can help answer key questions in developmental biology and wound healing, such as how to identify fibroblast subtypes involved in scarring and fibrosis. The main advantage of this technique is that in vitro experiments are avoided as adherence to plastic, male to the phenotype of the fibroblast.Not only can this method provide insights into dermal fibroblasts, but it can also be applied to other systems, such as peritoneal fibroblasts and abdominal adhesions. Begin by shaving and depilating the dorsal skin of the mouse of interest. Then, submerge the denuded mouse in 70%ethanol and place the animal on a clean, sterile surface to dry.Next, starting at the base of the tail, use forceps to tent the skin and make a transverse cut with dissecting scissors. Then, dissect along the suprafascial plane to harvest the dorsal tissue. When a 60 by 100 millimeter piece of skin has been removed, use the blunt edge of a scalpel to carefully remove any subcutaneous fat.Then, rinse the harvested skin in betadine, followed by five PBS washes on ice. Using razorblades and dissecting scissors, mince the pieces of dermis in a sterile dish until the samples are uniformly approximately two to three millimeters in size. Then, transfer tissue fragments from up to five mice into the appropriate number of individual 50 milliliter conical tubes containing 20 milliliters of collagenase 4 in dmem.Agitate the samples vigorously at 37 degrees Celsius. After one hour, transfer the tubes to a sterile hood and pass the tissue flurries through a needless 10 milliliter syringe three to five times. Return the samples to the shaker for another 30 minutes, followed by another three to five pipettes with a 10 milliliter syringe.Then, filter the samples through a 100 micron strainer into a new 50 milliliter tube and wash the mesh with 20 milliliters of dmem, supplemented with FBS to bring the total volume up to 40 milliliters. Next, spin down the cells and use a sterile glass pipette to aspirate the upper fat layer. When the contaminating adipose sites have been removed, use a new glass pipette to remove the rest of the supernatant and resuspend the pellets in 20 milliliters of dmem plus FBS.Now, filter the cells through a 75 micron strainer and rinse the mesh with 10 milliliters of dmem plus FBS. Then, spin down the cells again and remove the fat and supernatant as just demonstrated. Resuspend the pellet in 20 milliliters of FACS buffer, setting aside a five milliliter aliquot for the unstained control.Then, spin down the remaining sample, discard the supernatant and place the pellet on ice. To isolate the fibroblasts by FACS, resuspend the pellets in 500 microliters of lineage antibody incubation mix on ice. After 20 minutes, gently mix five milliliters of FACS buffer, supplemented with DNase with the cells and spin them down.Wash the pellet in a second five milliliters of DNase. Then, resuspend the cells in 500 microliters of FACS buffer and DNase, reserving a 50 microliter aliquot of cells for the viability dye control. Finally, add viability dye to the remaining sample and sort the cells according to the diagram.Using a lineage negative depletion approach rather than a positive selection approach avoids pre-selecting for particular subpopulations. Pull transcriptome microarray analysis reveals that cultured fibroblasts isolated by the live harvest and tissue explant methodologies have a high degree of similarity at a transcriptome wide level with a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of 0.92. By comparison, cultured fibroblasts differed significantly from a live harvested uncultured fibroblast, establishing the importance of analyzing live harvested fibroblasts over cultured fibroblasts.After it's development, this technique paved the way for researchers in the field of developmental biology and wound healing to confirm fibroblasts heterogeneity and identify subpopulations responsible for scarring and other forms of fibroses.

murine-dermal-fibroblast-isolation-by-facs

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

Generating Primary Fibroblast Cultures from Mouse Ear and Tail Tissues

Primary cells are derived directly from tissue and are thought to be more representative of the physiological state of cells in vivo than established cell lines. However, primary cell cultures usually have a finite life span and need to be frequently re-established. Fibroblasts are an easily accessible source of primary cells. Here, we discuss a simple and quick experimental procedure to establish primary fibroblast cultures from ears and tails of mice. The protocol can be used to establish primary fibroblast cultures from ears stored at RT for up to 10 days. When the protocol is carefully followed, contaminations are unlikely to occur despite the use of non-sterile tissue stored for extended time in some cases. Fibroblasts proliferate rapidly in culture and can be expanded to substantial numbers before undergoing replicative senescence.

We describe a simple and quick experimental procedure for generating primary fibroblasts from the ears and tails of mice. The procedure does not require special animal training and can be used for the generation of fibroblast cultures from ears stored at RT for up to 10 days.

Primary cells are derived directly from tissue and are thought to be more representative of the physiological state of cells in vivo than established cell ...

Isolation of CD 90+ Fibroblast/Myofibroblasts from Human Frozen Gastrointestinal Specimens

Fibroblasts/myofibroblasts (MFs) have been gaining increasing attention for their role in pathogenesis and their contributions to both wound healing and promotion of the tumor microenvironment. While there are currently many techniques for the isolation of MFs from gastrointestinal (GI) tissues, this protocol introduces a novel element of isolation of these stromal cells from frozen tissue. Freezing GI tissue specimens not only allows the researcher to acquire samples from worldwide collaborators, biobanks, and commercial vendors, it also permits the delayed processing of fresh samples. The described protocol will consistently yield characteristic spindle-shaped cells with the MF phenotype that express the markers CD90, &#945;-SMA and vimentin. As these cells are derived from patient samples, the use of primary cells also confers the benefit of closely mimicking MFs from disease states-namely cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases. This technique has been validated in gastric, small bowel, and colonic MF primary culture generation. Primary MF cultures can be used in a vast array of experiments over a number of passage and their purity assessed by both immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry analysis.

Here, a protocol to isolate and establish primary fibroblast/myofibroblast (MF) cultures from frozen gastric, small intestinal, and colonic tissue-yielding cells with a MF phenotype-is presented. These cells express CD90, &#945;-SMA and vimentin. MFs can be used for a variety of functional assays including enzymatic activity and cytokine production.


Fibroblasts/myofibroblasts (MFs) have been gaining increasing attention for their role in pathogenesis and their contributions to both wound healing and ...

Methods to Study Mrp4-containing Macromolecular Complexes in the Regulation of Fibroblast Migration

Multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette family of membrane transporters and is an endogenous efflux transporter of cyclic nucleotides. By modulating intracellular cyclic nucleotide concentration, MRP4 can regulate multiple cyclic nucleotide-dependent cellular events including cell migration. Previously, we demonstrated that in the absence of MRP4, fibroblast cells contain higher levels of intracellular cyclic nucleotides and can migrate faster. To understand the underlying mechanisms of this finding, we adopted a direct yet multifaceted approach. First, we isolated potential interacting protein complexes of MRP4 from a MRP4 over-expression cell system using immunoprecipitation followed by mass-spectrometry. After identifying unique proteins in the MRP4 interactome, we utilized Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to explore the role of these protein-protein interactions in the context of signal transduction. We elucidated the potential role of the MRP4 protein complex in cell migration and identified F-actin as a major mediator of the effect of MRP4 on cell migration. This study also emphasized the role of cAMP and cGMP as key players in the migratory phenomena. Using high-content microscopy, we performed cell-migration assays and observed that the effect of MRP4 on fibroblast migration is completely abolished by disruption of the actin cytoskeleton or inhibition of cAMP-dependent kinase A (PKA). To visualize signaling modulations in a migrating cell in real time, we utilized a FRET-based sensor for measuring PKA activity and found, the presence of more polarized PKA activity near the leading edge of migrating Mrp4-/- fibroblast, compared to Mrp4+/+fibroblasts. This in turn increased cortical actin formation and augmented the process of migration. Our approach enables identification of the proteins acting downstream to MRP4 and provides us with an overview of the mechanism involved in MRP4-dependent regulation of fibroblast migration.

MRP4 regulates various cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling events including a recently elucidated role in cell migration. We describe a direct, but multifaceted approach to unravel the downstream molecular targets of MRP4 resulting in identification of a unique MRP4 interactome that plays key roles in the fine-tuned regulation of fibroblast migration.

Multidrug resistance protein 4 (MRP4) is a member of the ATP-binding cassette family of membrane transporters and is an endogenous efflux transporter of ...

Isolation of Murine Embryonic Hemogenic Endothelial Cells

The specification of hemogenic endothelial cells from embryonic vascular endothelium occurs during brief developmental periods within distinct tissues, and is necessary for the emergence of definitive HSPC from the murine extra embryonic yolk sac, placenta, umbilical vessels, and the embryonic aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region. The transient nature and small size of this cell population renders its reproducible isolation for careful quantification and experimental applications technically difficult. We have established a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-based protocol for simultaneous isolation of hemogenic endothelial cells and HSPC during their peak generation times in the yolk sac and AGM. We demonstrate methods for dissection of yolk sac and AGM tissues from mouse embryos, and we present optimized tissue digestion and antibody conjugation conditions for maximal cell survival prior to identification and retrieval via FACS. Representative FACS analysis plots are shown that identify the hemogenic endothelial cell and HSPC phenotypes, and describe a methylcellulose-based assay for evaluating their blood forming potential on a clonal level.

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) derive from specialized (hemogenic) endothelial cells during development, yet little is known about the process by which some endothelial cells specify to become blood forming. We demonstrate a flow-cytometry based method allowing simultaneous isolation of hemogenic endothelial cells and HSPC from murine embryonic tissues.

The specification of hemogenic endothelial cells from embryonic vascular endothelium occurs during brief developmental periods within distinct tissues, ...

Direct Lineage Reprogramming of Adult Mouse Fibroblast to Erythroid Progenitors

Erythroid cell commitment and differentiation proceed through activation of a lineage-restricted transcriptional network orchestrated by a group of cell fate determining and maturing factors. We previously set out to define the minimal set of factors necessary for instructing red blood cell development using direct lineage reprogramming of fibroblasts into induced erythroid progenitors/precursors (iEPs). We showed that overexpression of Gata1, Tal1, Lmo2, and c-Myc (GTLM) can rapidly convert murine and human fibroblasts directly to iEPs that resemble bona fide erythroid cells in terms of morphology, phenotype, and gene expression. We intend that iEPs will provide an invaluable tool to study erythropoiesis and cell fate regulation. Here we describe the stepwise process of converting murine tail tip fibroblasts into iEPs via transcription factor-driven direct lineage reprogramming (DLR). In this example, we perform the reprogramming in fibroblasts from erythroid lineage-tracing mice that express the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) under the control of the erythropoietin receptor gene (EpoR) promoter, enabling visualization of erythroid cell fate induction upon reprogramming. Following this protocol, fibroblasts can be reprogrammed into iEPs within five to eight days. 
While improvements can still be made to the process, we show that GTLM-mediated reprogramming is a rapid and direct process, yielding cells with properties of bona fide erythroid progenitor and precursor cells.

Here we present our protocol for producing induced erythroid progenitors (iEPs) from mouse adult fibroblasts using transcription factor-driven direct lineage reprogramming (DLR).

Erythroid cell commitment and differentiation proceed through activation of a lineage-restricted transcriptional network orchestrated by a group of cell ...

Isolation of Murine Spermatogenic Cells using a Violet-Excited Cell-Permeable DNA Binding Dye

Isolation of meiotic spermatocytes is essential to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying meiosis and spermatogenesis. Although there are established cell isolation protocols using Hoechst 33342 staining in combination with fluorescence-activated cell sorting, it requires cell sorters equipped with an ultraviolet laser. Here we describe a cell isolation protocol using the DyeCycle Violet (DCV) stain, a low cytotoxicity DNA binding dye structurally similar to Hoechst 33342. DCV can be excited by both ultraviolet and violet lasers, which improves the flexibility of equipment choice, including a cell sorter not equipped with an ultraviolet laser. Using this protocol, one can isolate three live-cell subpopulations in meiotic prophase I, including leptotene/zygotene, pachytene, and diplotene spermatocytes, as well as post-meiotic round spermatids. We also describe a protocol to prepare single-cell suspension from mouse testes. Overall, the procedure requires a short time to complete (4-5 hours depending on the number of needed cells), which facilitates many downstream applications.

Here we present a simple and efficient method to isolate live meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells from adult mouse testes. Using a low-cytotoxicity, violet-excited DNA binding dye and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, one can isolate highly enriched spermatogenic cell populations for many downstream applications.

Isolation of meiotic spermatocytes is essential to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying meiosis and spermatogenesis. Although there are established ...

Isolation of Murine Retinal Endothelial Cells for Next-Generation Sequencing

Recent improvements in next-generation sequencing have advanced researchers&#39; knowledge of molecular and cellular biology, with several studies revealing novel paradigms in vascular biology. Applying these methods to models of vascular development requires the optimization of cell isolation techniques from embryonic and postnatal tissues. Cell yield, viability, and purity all need to be maximal to obtain accurate and reproducible results from next-generation sequencing approaches. The neonatal mouse retinal vascularization model is used by researchers to study mechanisms of vascular development. Researchers have used this model to investigate mechanisms of angiogenesis and arterial-venous fate specification during blood vessel formation and maturation. Applying next-generation sequencing techniques to study the retinal vascular development model requires optimization of a method for the isolation of retinal endothelial cells that maximizes cell yield, viability, and purity. This protocol describes a method for murine retinal tissue isolation, digestion, and purification using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The results indicate that the FACS-purified CD31+/CD45- endothelial cell population is highly enriched for endothelial cell gene expression and exhibits no change in viability for 60 min post-FACS. Included are representative results of next-generation sequencing approaches on endothelial cells isolated using this method, including bulk RNA sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing, demonstrating that this method for retinal endothelial cell isolation is compatible with next-generation sequencing applications. This method of retinal endothelial cell isolation will allow for advanced sequencing techniques to reveal novel mechanisms of vascular development.

This protocol describes a method for the isolation of murine postnatal retinal endothelial cells optimized for cell yield, purity, and viability. These cells are suitable for next-generation sequencing approaches.

Recent improvements in next-generation sequencing have advanced researchers&#39; knowledge of molecular and cellular biology, with several studies ...

Microdissection and Dissociation of the Murine Oviduct: Individual Segment Identification and Single Cell Isolation

Mouse model systems are unmatched for the analysis of disease processes because of their genetic manipulability and the low cost of experimental treatments. However, because of their small body size, some structures, such as the oviduct with a diameter of 200-400 &#956;m, have proven to be relatively difficult to study except by immunohistochemistry. Recently, immunohistochemical studies have uncovered more complex differences in oviduct segments than were previously recognized; thus, the oviduct is divided into four functional segments with different ratios of seven distinct epithelial cell types. The different embryological origins and ratios of the epithelial cell types likely make the four functional regions differentially susceptible to disease. For example, precursor lesions to serous intraepithelial carcinomas arise from the infundibulum in mouse models and from the corresponding fimbrial region in the human fallopian tube. The protocol described here details a method for microdissection to subdivide the oviduct in such a way to yield a sufficient amount and purity of RNA necessary for downstream analysis such as reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Also described is a mostly non-enzymatic tissue dissociation method appropriate for flow cytometry or single cell RNAseq analysis of fully differentiated oviductal cells. The methods described will facilitate further research utilizing the murine oviduct in the field of reproduction, fertility, cancer, and immunology.

A method for microdissection of the mouse oviduct that allows collection of the individual segments while maintaining RNA integrity is presented. In addition, non-enzymatic oviductal cell dissociation procedure is described. The methods are appropriate for subsequent gene and protein analysis of the functionally different oviductal segments and dissociated oviductal cells.

Mouse model systems are unmatched for the analysis of disease processes because of their genetic manipulability and the low cost of experimental ...

FACS-Isolation and Culture of Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors and Muscle Stem Cells from Unperturbed and Injured Mouse Skeletal Muscle

Fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells (FAPs) are a population of skeletal muscle-resident mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) capable of differentiating along fibrogenic, adipogenic, osteogenic, or chondrogenic lineage. Together with muscle stem cells (MuSCs), FAPs play a critical role in muscle homeostasis, repair, and regeneration, while actively maintaining and remodeling the extracellular matrix (ECM). In pathological conditions, such as chronic damage and muscular dystrophies, FAPs undergo aberrant activation and differentiate into collagen-producing fibroblasts and adipocytes, leading to fibrosis and intramuscular fatty infiltration. Thus, FAPs play a dual role in muscle regeneration, either by sustaining MuSC turnover and promoting tissue repair or contributing to fibrotic scar formation and ectopic fat infiltrates, which compromise the integrity and function of the skeletal muscle tissue. A proper purification of FAPs and MuSCs is a prerequisite for understanding the biological role of these cells in physiological as well as in pathological conditions. Here, we describe a standardized method for the simultaneous isolation of FAPs and MuSCs from limb muscles of adult mice using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The protocol describes in detail the mechanical and enzymatic dissociation of mononucleated cells from whole limb muscles and injured tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. FAPs and MuSCs are subsequently isolated using a semi-automated cell sorter to obtain pure cell populations. We additionally describe an optimized method for culturing quiescent and activated FAPs and MuSCs, either alone or in coculture conditions.

The precise identification of fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells (FAPs) and muscle stem cells (MuSCs) is critical to studying their biological function in physiological and pathological conditions. This protocol provides guidelines for the isolation, purification, and culture of FAPs and MuSCs from adult mouse muscles.

Fibro-adipogenic progenitor cells (FAPs) are a population of skeletal muscle-resident mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) capable of differentiating along ...

Satellite Cell Isolation from Mouse Limb Muscles and Flow Cytometry Analysis

An Efficient Protocol for CUT&amp;RUN Analysis of FACS-Isolated Mouse Satellite Cells

Genome-wide analyses with small cell populations are a major constraint for studies, particularly in the stem cell field. This work describes an efficient protocol for the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) isolation of satellite cells from the limb muscle, a tissue with a high content of structural proteins. Dissected limb muscles from adult mice were mechanically disrupted by mincing in medium supplemented with dispase and type I collagenase. Upon digestion,&#160;the homogenate was filtered through cell strainers, and cells were suspended in FACS buffer. Viability was determined with fixable viability stain, and immunostained satellite cells were isolated by FACS. Cells were lysed with Triton X-100 and released nuclei were bound to concanavalin A magnetic beads. Nucleus/bead complexes were incubated with antibodies against the transcription factor or histone modifications of interest. After washes, nucleus/bead complexes were incubated with protein A-micrococcal nuclease, and chromatin cleavage was initiated with CaCl2. After DNA extraction, libraries were generated and sequenced, and the profiles for genome-wide transcription factor binding and covalent histone modifications were obtained by bioinformatic analysis. The peaks obtained for the various histone marks showed that the binding events were specific for satellite cells. Moreover, known motif analysis unveiled that the transcription factor was bound to chromatin via its cognate response element. This protocol is therefore adapted to study gene regulation in adult mice limb muscle satellite cells.

Author Spotlight: Cistrome Analysis in Mouse Muscle Stem Cells 

Presented here is an efficient protocol for the fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) isolation of mouse limb muscle satellite cells adapted to the study of transcription regulation in muscle fibers by cleavage under targets and release using nuclease (CUT&amp;RUN).

Genome-wide analyses with small cell populations are a major constraint for studies, particularly in the stem cell field. This work describes an efficient ...