Name: isolation and activation of murine lymphocytes
Uploaded: 2016-10-30T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation and Activation of Murine Lymphocytes at JoVE.com

The study is supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore (AcRF Tier1-RG40/13 and Tier2-MOE2013-T2-2-038). The manuscript was edited by Amy Sullivan from Obrizus Communications.

All mice are bred and maintained under specific pathogen-free conditions and all mouse protocols are conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
1. Preparation of Buffers and Reagents
<ol>
	<li>Prepare complete Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium (10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS), 2 mM L-glutamine, penicillin (100 IU/ml)/streptomycin (100 &#181;g/ml), 55 &#181;M 2-mercaptoethanol).</li>
	<li>Prepare 20x Balanced Salt ...

<ol>
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R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determination+of+lymphocyte+division+by+flow+cytometry.">Determination of lymphocyte division by flow cytometry.</a> J. Immunol. Methods. 171 (1), 131-137 (1994).</li><li>Cabatingan, M. S., Schmidt, M. R., Sen, R., Woodland, R. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Na&#239;ve+B+lymphocytes+undergo+homeostatic+proliferation+in+response+to+B+cell+deficit.">Na&#239;ve B lymphocytes undergo homeostatic proliferation in response to B cell deficit.</a> J. Immunol. 169 (12), 6795-6805 (2002).</li><li>Bedoya, S. K., Wilson, T. D., Collins, E. L., Lau, K., Larkin, J. <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+Th17+differentiation+of+na&#239;ve+CD4+lymphocytes.">Isolation and Th17 differentiation of na&#239;ve CD4 lymphocytes.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (79), e50765 (2013).</li><li>Su, I., 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=Ezh2+controls+B+cell+development+through+histone+h3+methylation+and+Igh+rearrangement.">Ezh2 controls B cell development through histone h3 methylation and Igh rearrangement.</a> Nat. Immunol. 4 (2), 124-131 (2003).</li><li>Mecklenbr&#228;uker, I., Saijo, K., Zheng, N., Leitges, M., Tarakhovsky, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Protein+kinase+C&#948;+controls+self-antigen-induced+B-cell+tolerance.">Protein kinase C&#948; controls self-antigen-induced B-cell tolerance.</a> Nature. 416 (6883), 860-865 (2002).</li><li>Rush, J. S., Hodgkin, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=B+cells+activated+via+CD40+and+IL-4+undergo+a+division+burst+but+require+continued+stimulation+to+maintain+division,+survival+and+differentiation.">B cells activated via CD40 and IL-4 undergo a division burst but require continued stimulation to maintain division, survival and differentiation.</a> Eur. J. Immunol. 31 (4), 1150-1159 (2001).</li><li>Quah, B. J. C., Warren, H. S., Parish, C. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Monitoring+lymphocyte+proliferation+in+vitro+and+in+vivo+with+the+intracellular+fluorescent+dye+carboxyfluorescein+diacetate+succinimidyl+ester.">Monitoring lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo with the intracellular fluorescent dye carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester.</a> Nat. Protoc. 2 (9), 2049-2056 (2007).</li><li>Quah, B. J. C., Parish, C. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=New+and+improved+methods+for+measuring+lymphocyte+proliferation+in+vitro+and+in+vivo+using+CFSE-like+fluorescent+dyes.">New and improved methods for measuring lymphocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo using CFSE-like fluorescent dyes.</a> J. Immunol. Methods. 379 (1-2), 1-14 (2012).</li><li>Hawkins, E. D., Hommel, M., Turner, M. L., Battye, F. L., Markham, J. F., Hodgkin, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Measuring+lymphocyte+proliferation,+survival+and+differentiation+using+CFSE+time-series+data.">Measuring lymphocyte proliferation, survival and differentiation using CFSE time-series data.</a> Nat. Protoc. 2 (9), 2057-2067 (2007).</li><li>Tomlinson, M. J., Tomlinson, S., Yang, X. B., Kirkham, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+separation:+Terminology+and+practical+considerations.">Cell separation: Terminology and practical considerations.</a> J. Tissue Eng. 4 (1), 1-14 (2013).</li></ol>

In this protocol, we demonstrate a procedure for purifying lymphocytes from lymphoid organs. Cell purification using magnetic bead sorting is a fast and simple method that yields viable, highly purified target cells.
Critical Steps within the Protocol
Cell viability and cell yield
Maintaining viability of hematopoietic lineage cells in vitro is critical to ensuring successful and reproducible experiments. Chemical ...

Mature lymphocytes generally exist in the resting state if there is no pre-existing infection or inflammation in the individual. Therefore, it is important to retain the na&#239;ve status of lymphocytes during the isolation process before performing in vitro or in vivo functional assays. The key to ensuring consistent and reproducible results is to limit any unnecessary manipulation of the cells. 
Magnetic cell sorting utilizes antibodies and microbeads to label cells so as to enrich the cell population of interest. With this approach, there are two purification strategies: positive enrichment and negative depletion. Positive enrichment enriches the cell population of interest using an antibody that binds to the target cells. Negative depletion, on the other hand, depletes non-target cells, leaving the cell population of interest. In our lab, we prefer negative depletion to positive enrichment because the binding of antibodies to the target cells could potentially alter cell features and behavior. In fact, many established cell surface markers suitable for the isolation of a particular cell population are also functional receptors. 
Magnetic cell sorting not only yields highly pure populations of viable target cells, it is also less time-consuming and avoids the cellular stress induced by high-pressure flow used in fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). By labeling the unwanted cell populations and depleting them using a magnetic separation column, we are able to perform rapid cell isolation without compromising the viability of the target cell population. In this protocol, we demonstrate the use of negative depletion strategies to purify na&#239;ve B cells or T cells.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Materials</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RPMI 1640 (without L-Glutamine)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>31870025</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Heat inactivated&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-glutamine</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>25030024</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin/Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140114</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-mercaptoethanol</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>21985023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-CD43 magnetic microbeads</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-049-801</td>
			<td>Mix well prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Streptavidin microbeads</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-048-101</td>
			<td>Mix well prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-Annexin V magnetic beads</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-090-201</td>
			<td>Mix well prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MACS LD&#160;</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-042-901</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96-well U-bottom sterile culture plate</td>
			<td>Greiner Bio-one</td>
			<td>650180</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96-well F-bottom sterile culture plate</td>
			<td>Greiner Bio-one</td>
			<td>655180</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>100 &#956;m cell strainer mesh</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>To sterilize using UV radiation prior use</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.2 &#956;m&#160; sterile disposable filter units</td>
			<td>Nalgene</td>
			<td>567-0020</td>
			<td>Can be substituted with any sterile filter device</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CellTrace Violet</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>C34557</td>
			<td>CTV for short; alternative to CFSE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CellTrace Yellow</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>C34567</td>
			<td>CTY for short; alternative to CFSE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CellTrace Far Red</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>C34564</td>
			<td>CTFR for short; alternative to CFSE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell Proliferation Dye eFluor 670</td>
			<td>eBioscience</td>
			<td>65-0840</td>
			<td>CPD670 for short; alternative to CFSE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PKH26</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>PKH26GL</td>
			<td>PKH26, alternative to CFSE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Name</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chemicals</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dextrose</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>G7021</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium phosphate monobasic</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P5655</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium phosphate dibasic</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>S5136</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phenol Red</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P0290</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Calcium chloride dihydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>C7902</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P5405</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium chloride</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>S7653</td>
			<td>Can use from other sources</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magnesium chloride hexahydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>M2393</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Magnesium sulfate</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>M2643</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>A9434</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-base</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dimethyl Sulfoxide</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich&#160;</td>
			<td>D8418</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>(5-(and 6-) carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE)</td>
			<td>Molecular Probes</td>
			<td>C-1157</td>
			<td>Reconstitute in DMSO</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PBDU, Phorbol ester)</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>P1269</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>A23187 (Calcium ionophore)</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>C7522</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Name</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalog Number</td>
			<td>Comments</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibodies and recombinant protein</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD11b biotin (clone m1/70)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>101204</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD11c biotin (clone N418)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>117304</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gr-1 biotin (clone RB6-8C5)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>108404</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ter119 biotin (clone Ter119)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>116204</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TCR-&#947;&#948; biotin (clone GL-3)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>118103</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD19 biotin (clone 6D5)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>115504</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>B220 biotin (clone RA3-6B2)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>103204</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD49b biotin (clone DX5)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>108904</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD4 biotin (clone GK1.5)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>100404</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CD8 biotin (clone 53-6.7)</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>100704</td>
			<td>T cell depletion cocktail</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>F(ab&#8217;)2 goat anti-mouse IgM (plate coated)</td>
			<td>Jackson ImmunoResearch&#160;</td>
			<td>115-006-075</td>
			<td>50 &#181;l/well for coating (96-well)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-mouse CD40 mAb (plate coated)</td>
			<td>Pharmingen&#160;</td>
			<td>553722</td>
			<td>50 &#181;l/well for coating (96-well)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant IL-4</td>
			<td>ProSpec&#160;</td>
			<td>Cyt-282</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LPS from E. coli Serotype 055:B5</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>L-4005</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-CD3 (clone clone OKT3) (plate coated)</td>
			<td>eBioscience&#160;</td>
			<td>16-0037-85</td>
			<td>50 &#181;l/well for coating (96-well)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-CD28 (clone clone 37.51 ) (plate coated)&#160;</td>
			<td>eBioscience&#160;</td>
			<td>16-0281-85</td>
			<td>50 &#181;l/well for coating (96-well)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant IL-2</td>
			<td>ProSpec</td>
			<td>Cyt-370</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Albumin from chicken egg white, Ovalbumin</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>A7641</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

isolation and activation of murine lymphocytes

B and T cells, with their extremely diverse antigen-receptor repertoires, have the ability to mount specific immune responses against almost any invading pathogen1,2. Understandably, such intricate abilities are controlled by a large number of molecules involved in various cellular processes to ensure timely and spatially regulated immune responses3. Here, we describe experimental procedures that allow rapid isolation of highly purified murine lymphocytes using magnetic cell sorting technology. The resulting purified lymphocytes can then be subjected to various in vitro or in vivo functional assays, such as the determination of lymphocyte signaling capacity upon stimulation by immunoblotting4 and the investigation of proliferative abilities by 3H-thymidine incorporation or carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeling5-7. In addition to comparing the functional capacities of control and genetically modified lymphocytes, we can also determine the T cell stimulatory capacity of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in vivo, as shown in our representative results using transplanted CFSE-labeled OT-I T cells.

Magnetic cell purification of lymphocytes allows users to purify a target cell population in a relatively short amount of time. Using our depletion protocol, we were able to increase the percentage of CD8 T cells (OT-I in recombination-activating gene-1 (RAG-1)-deficient mice) from 72.8% (before purification) to 94.2% (after purification; Figure 1A)4,5. These purified lymphocytes can then be used for downstream functional assays to determine lymphocyte prolifer...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation and Activation of Murine Lymphocytes at JoVE.com

Isolation and Activation of Murine Lymphocytes

Lymphocytes are the major players in adaptive immune responses. Here, we present a lymphocyte purification protocol to determine the physiological functions of the desired molecules in lymphocyte activation in vitro and in vivo. The described experimental procedures are suitable for comparing functional capacities between control and genetically modified lymphocytes.

B and T cells, with their extremely diverse antigen-receptor repertoires, have the ability to mount specific immune responses against almost any invading ...

The overall goal of this experiment is to study the functional capacities of purified murine lymphocytes using various in vitro ad in-vivo functional assays. This method can help answer key questions in the fields of Immunology and Molecular Biology. Such as investigating function of a protein of interest in gene deficient lymphocytes.The main advantage of this technique is the ability to quickly purify lymphocytes with minimal manipulation and environmental stress. To purify B cells re-suspend up to one times ten to the eighth red blood cell liced whole spleen cells in 300 microliters of balanced salt solution or BSS supplemented with FBS. Then add 50 microliters of anti-CD43 magnetic micro beads.To remove the dead cells, add 30 microliters of Annexin five magnetic beads for 30 minutes at four degrees celsius. Flick the cell suspension at 15 minute intervals to ensure even labeling of cells. At the end of the incubation was the B labeled cells with 14 milliliters of BSS supplemented with FBS.After centrifugation, remove the supernatant, flick the tube and re-suspend the pellet in one to three milliliters of room temperature BSS supplemented with FBS. During the centrifugation load a separation column onto a magnetic rack and attach a sterile 21 gauge needle to the tip of the column to reduce the flow rate. Equilibrate the column with two milliliters of room temperature BSS.After re-suspending the pellet in one to three milliliters of room temperature BSS place the collection tube under the needle then load the B labeled cells onto the equilibrated column. Collect the flow through in a 15 milliliter conical tube. Then rinse the column with one milliliter of fresh BSS supplemented with FBS.Pooling the wash with the collected target cells reload the column with the target cell containing aluet, collecting the flow through in the same 15 milliter tube. And wash the column three times with one milliliter of BSS supplemented with FBS, continuing to pool the washes with a target cell suspension. After the third wash, remove the column from the magnet and load it with five milliliters of BSS supplemented with FBS.Using the column plunger to flush the magnetically labeled non target cells into a new 15 milliliter tube. Then, check the purity of the separated cells by flow cytometry. To re-use a separation column, after flushing the magnetic bead labeled cells wash the column three times from the top with five milliliters of PBS per wash and three times with five milliliters of distilled water per wash.Next, wash the column with five milliliters of 70 percent ethanol in the same way and use an air tap to thoroughly dry the column before storage. To re-use the column in a new purification experiment re-wash the column from the bottom up with five milliliters of 70 percent ethanol followed by two five milliliter PBS washes. Then load the top of the column with five milliliters of PBS for one final wash.And equilibrate the column with two milliliters of room temperature BSS. The column can then be loaded with the experimental cell population. To label the B purified cells with CFSE wash the cells two times with freshly prepared labeling solution in a 15 milliliter conical tube.Re-suspending the second pellet at two times 10 to the seventh cells per milliliter concentration in fresh 37 degrees celsius labeling solution. Each time, centrifuge the samples remove the supernatant and flick the tubes. Then label the cells at a one part cell suspension to one part freshly prepared 10 micromolar CFSE solution ratio in the dark for 10 minutes at 37 degrees celsius.Inverting the tube every two minutes to ensure an even distribution of the dye. Caution should be taken to ensure that the cell pellet is thoroughly suspended in a labeling solution. Cell clumps can affect the homogeneity of the CFSE labeling.At the end of the incubation add RPMI medium to quench CFSE and wash the cells two times in several volumes of ice cold complete RPMI medium. If the cells have been successfully labeled the pellet will be yellow in color. Next, wash a 96 well flat bottom plate coated with the appropriate stimulus two times in PBS.For CFSE labeled B cells, re-suspend to three times 10 the sixth B cells per milliliter and complete RPMI medium and seed 100 microliters of B cells per well onto the coated plate in triplicate for 72 hours. By this depletion method the purity of the bead isolated OT1-CD8 T cells can be increased from 72.8 percent to 94.2 percent. The cells can then be labeled with CFSE as just demonstrated and adoptively transferred into recipient animals for analysis of their in-vivo proliferation.In addition, anti-CD45.1 antibody labeling can be used to further confirm the identity of the CFSE expressing cells as the adoptively transferred donor CD-45.1 positive OT1-CD8 T cells in the lymphoid organs of recipient mice. Alternatively, the purified T cells can be stimulated in vitro and their proliferation can be assessed by tritiated Thymidine incorporation. A significant increase in splenic B cell purity is also achieved by this method.Facilitating similar opportunities for downstream functional analysis of the purified B cells. Once mastered, this technique can be completed in two hours. By performing this procedure, it is important to keep your CI suspension on ice at all times except during purification and CFSE labeling.Purified lymphocytes can also be used in other functional assays such as immunoblotting to the terminus signaling capacity of genetically modified lymphocytes. After watching this video you should have a better idea of how to purify B and T cells and how to use the cells for various in vitro and in vivo functional assays.

isolation-and-activation-of-murine-lymphocytes

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

Murine Model of CD40-activation of B cells

Research on B cells has shown that CD40 activation improves their antigen presentation capacity. When stimulated with interleukin-4 and CD40 ligand (CD40L), human B cells can be expanded without difficulties from small amounts of peripheral blood within 14 days to very large amounts of highly-pure CD40-B cells (&gt;109 cells per patient) from healthy donors as well as cancer patients1-4. CD40-B cells express important lymph node homing molecules and can attract T cells in vitro5. Furthermore they efficiently take up, process and present antigens to T cells6,7. CD40-B cells were shown to not only prime na&iacute;ve, but also expand memory T cells8,9. Therefore CD40-activated B cells (CD40-B cells) have been studied as an alternative source of immuno-stimulatory antigen-presenting cells (APC) for cell-based immunotherapy1,5,10. In order to further study whether CD40-B cells induce effective T cell responses in vivo and to study the underlying mechanism we established a cell culture system for the generation of murine CD40-activated B cells. Using splenocytes or purified B cells from C57BL/6 mice for CD40-activation, optimal conditions were identified as follows: Starting from splenocytes of C57BL/6 mice (haplotype H-2b) lymphocytes are purified by density gradient centrifugation and co-cultured with HeLa cells expressing recombinant murine CD40 ligand (tmuCD40L HeLa)11. Cells are recultured every 3-4 days and key components such as CD40L, interleukin-4, -Mercaptoethanol and cyclosporin A are replenished. In this protocol we demonstrate how to obtain fully activated murine CD40-B cells (mCD40B) with similar APC-phenotype to human CD40-B cells (Fig 1a,b). CD40-stimulation leads to a rapid outgrowth and expansion of highly pure (&gt;90%) CD19+ B cells within 14 days of cell culture (Fig 1c,d). To avoid contamination with non-transfected cells, expression of the murine CD40 ligand on the transfectants has to be controlled regularly (Fig 2). Murine CD40-activated B cells can be used to study B-cell activation and differentiation as well as to investigate their potential to function as APC in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, they represent a promising tool for establishing therapeutic or preventive vaccination against tumors and will help to answer questions regarding safety and immunogenicity of this approach12.

In this video, we demonstrate the procedure of CD40-activation and expansion of murine B cells from splenocytes of C57BL/6 mice, which can be used as a model antigen-presenting cell (APC) to study induction of immunity.

Research on B cells has shown that CD40 activation improves their antigen presentation capacity. When stimulated with interleukin-4 and CD40 ligand ...

Isolation of Lymphocytes from Mouse Genital Tract Mucosa

Mucosal surfaces, including in the gastrointestinal, urogenital, and respiratory tracts, provide portals of entry for pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria 1. Mucosae are also inductive sites in the host to generate immunity against pathogens, such as the Peyers patches in the intestinal tract and the nasal-associated lymphoreticular tissue in the respiratory tract. This unique feature brings mucosal immunity as a crucial player of the host defense system. Many studies have been focused on gastrointestinal and respiratory mucosal sites. However, there has been little investigation of reproductive mucosal sites. The genital tract mucosa is the primary infection site for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), including bacterial and viral infections. STDs are one of the most critical health challenges facing the world today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 19 million new infectious every year in the United States. STDs cost the U.S. health care system $17 billion every year 2, and cost individuals even more in immediate and life-long health consequences. In order to confront this challenge, a greater understanding of reproductive mucosal immunity is needed and isolating lymphocytes is an essential component of these studies. Here, we present a method to reproducibly isolate lymphocytes from murine female genital tracts for immunological studies that can be modified for adaption to other species. The method described below is based on one mouse.&#x2003;

An efficient way to isolate lymphocytes from mouse genital tract is described. This method takes advantage of enzyme digestion and Percoll gradient separation to allow efficient isolation. This technique is also adaptable to for use in other species

Mucosal surfaces, including in the gastrointestinal, urogenital, and respiratory tracts, provide portals of entry for pathogens, such as viruses and ...

Isolating And Immunostaining Lymphocytes and Dendritic Cells from Murine Peyer's Patches

Peyer's patches (PPs) are integral components of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) and play a central role in intestinal immunosurveillance and homeostasis. Particulate antigens and microbes in the intestinal lumen are continuously sampled by PP M cells in the follicle-associated epithelium (FAE) and transported to an underlying network of dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, and lymphocytes. In this article, we describe protocols in which murine PPs are (i) dissociated into single cell suspensions and subjected to flow cytometry and (ii) prepared for cryosectioning and immunostaining. For flow cytometry, PPs are mechanically dissociated and then filtered through 70 &mu;m membranes to generate single cell suspensions free of epithelial cells and large debris. Starting with 20-25 PPs (from four mice), this quick and reproducible method yields a population of &gt;2.5 x 106 cells with &gt;90% cell viability. For cryosectioning, freshly isolated PPs are immersed in Optimal Cutting Temperature (OCT) medium, snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and then sectioned using a cryomicrotome. Tissue sections (5-12 &mu;m) are air-dried, fixed with acetone or methanol, and then subjected to immunolabeling.

There is an increasing interest in understanding the immunological functions of specific subpopulations of cells in Peyer's patches (PPs), the primary inductive sites of gut-associated lymphoid tissues. Here we outline parallel protocols for preparing PP single cell preparations for flow cytometric analysis and PP cryosections for immunostaining.

Peyer's  patches (PPs) are integral components of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues  (GALT) and play a central role in intestinal immunosurveillance and ...

Isolation, Processing and Analysis of Murine Gingival Cells

We have developed a technique to precisely isolate and process murine gingival tissue for flow cytometry and molecular studies. The gingiva is a unique and important tissue to study immune mechanisms because it is involved in host immune response against oral biofilm that might cause periodontal diseases. Furthermore, the close proximity of the gingiva to alveolar bone tissue enables also studying bone remodeling under inflammatory conditions. Our method yields large amount of immune cells that allows analysis of even rare cell populations such as Langerhans cells and T regulatory cells as we demonstrated previously 1. Employing mice to study local immune responses involved in alveolar bone loss during periodontal diseases is advantageous because of the availability of various immunological and experimental tools. Nevertheless, due to their small size and the relatively inconvenient access to the murine gingiva, many studies avoided examination of this critical tissue. The method described in this work could facilitate gingival analysis, which hopefully will increase our understating on the oral immune system and its role during periodontal diseases.

This study describes an efficient technique to isolate and process gingival tissues from the mouse oral cavity in order to produce a single-cell culture. The resulting cells can be further used for flow cytometry analysis and molecular studies.

We have developed a technique to precisely isolate and process murine gingival tissue for flow cytometry and molecular studies. The gingiva is a unique ...

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Na&iuml;ve CD4 T Lymphocytes

Th17 cells are a distinct subset of T cells that have been found to produce interleukin 17 (IL-17), and differ in function from the other T cell subsets including Th1, Th2, and regulatory T cells. Th17 cells have emerged as a central culprit in overzealous inflammatory immune responses associated with many autoimmune disorders. In this method we purify T lymphocytes from the spleen and lymph nodes of C57BL/6 mice, and stimulate purified CD4+ T cells under control and Th17-inducing environments. The Th17-inducing environment includes stimulation in the presence of anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies, IL-6, and TGF-&#946;. After incubation for at least 72 hours and for up to five days at 37 &#176;C, cells are subsequently analyzed for the capability to produce IL-17 through flow cytometry, qPCR, and ELISAs. Th17 differentiated CD4+CD25- T cells can be utilized to further elucidate the role that Th17 cells play in the onset and progression of autoimmunity and host defense. Moreover, Th17 differentiation of CD4+CD25- lymphocytes from distinct murine knockout/disease models can contribute to our understanding of cell fate plasticity.

Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Na&#239;ve CD4 T Lymphocytes

With effector functions distinct from other T cell subsets, Th17 cells have been centrally implicated in inflammatory autoimmunity. This in vitro Th17 differentiation protocol provides a means to determine whether na&#239;ve CD4+ T lymphocytes can differentiate into Th17 cells, and to further examine their role in autoimmunity and host response.

Th17 cells are a distinct subset of T cells that have been found to produce interleukin 17 (IL-17), and differ in function from the other T cell subsets ...

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes

T lymphocyte adhesion is required for multiple T cell functions, including migration to sites of inflammation and formation of immunological synapses with antigen presenting cells. T cells accomplish regulated adhesion by controlling the adhesive properties of integrins, a class of cell adhesion molecules consisting of heterodimeric pairs of transmembrane proteins that interact with target molecules on partner cells or extracellular matrix. The most prominent T cell integrin is lymphocyte function associated antigen (LFA)-1, composed of subunits &#945;L and &#946;2, whose target is the intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. The ability of a T cell to control adhesion derives from the ability to regulate the affinity states of individual integrins. Inside-out signaling describes the process whereby signals inside a cell cause the external domains of integrins to assume an activated state. Much of our knowledge of these complex phenomena is based on mechanistic studies performed in simplified in&#160;vitro model systems. The T lymphocyte adhesion assay described here is an excellent tool that allows T cells to adhere to target molecules, under static conditions, and then utilizes a fluorescent plate reader to quantify adhesiveness. This assay has been useful in defining adhesion-stimulatory or inhibitory substances that act on lymphocytes, as well as characterizing the signaling events involved. Although described here for LFA-1 - ICAM-1 mediated adhesion; this assay can be readily adapted to allow for the study of other adhesive interactions (e.g.&#160;VLA-4 - fibronectin).

Static adhesion assay is a powerful tool that can be used to model the interactions between T lymphocytes and other cell types. Interactions are generated by injecting labeled T cells into wells coated with adhesion molecules, while a plate reader is used to quantify the number of adherent cells following serial washes.

T lymphocyte adhesion is required for multiple T cell functions, including migration to sites of inflammation and formation of immunological synapses with ...

Isolation of Murine Lymph Node Stromal Cells

Secondary lymphoid organs including lymph nodes are composed of stromal cells that provide a structural environment for homeostasis, activation and differentiation of lymphocytes. Various stromal cell subsets have been identified by the expression of the adhesion molecule CD31 and glycoprotein podoplanin (gp38), T zone reticular cells or fibroblastic reticular cells, lymphatic endothelial cells, blood endothelial cells and FRC-like pericytes within the double negative cell population. For all populations different functions are described including, separation and lining of different compartments, attraction of and interaction with different cell types, filtration of the draining fluidics and contraction of the lymphatic vessels. In the last years, different groups have described an additional role of stromal cells in orchestrating and regulating cytotoxic T cell responses potentially dangerous for the host. 
Lymph nodes are complex structures with many different cell types and therefore require a appropriate procedure for isolation of the desired cell populations. Currently, protocols for the isolation of lymph node stromal cells rely on enzymatic digestion with varying incubation times; however, stromal cells and their surface molecules are sensitive to these enzymes, which results in loss of surface marker expression and cell death. Here a short enzymatic digestion protocol combined with automated mechanical disruption to obtain viable single cells suspension of lymph node stromal cells maintaining their surface molecule expression is proposed.

Isolation of lymph node stromal cells is a multistep procedure including enzymatic digestion and mechanical disaggregation to obtain fibroblastic reticular cells, lymphatic and blood endothelial cells. In the described procedure, a short digestion is combined with automated mechanical disaggregation to minimize surface marker degradation of viable lymph node stromal cells.

Secondary lymphoid organs including lymph nodes are composed of stromal cells that provide a structural environment for homeostasis, activation and ...

Isolation and Transplantation of Different Aged Murine Thymic Grafts.

The mechanisms that regulate the efficacy of thymic selection remain ill-defined. The method presented here allows in vivo analyses of the development and selection of T cells specific for self and foreign antigens. The approach entails implantation of thymic grafts derived from various aged mice into immunodeficient scid recipients. Over a relatively short period of time the recipients are fully reconstituted with T cells derived from the implanted thymus graft. Only thymocytes seeding the thymus at the time of isolation undergo selection and develop into mature T cells. As such, changes in the nature and specificity of the engrafted T cells as a function of age-dependent thymic events can be assessed. Although technical expertise is required for successful thymic transplantation, this method provides a unique strategy to study in vivo a wide range of pathologies that are due to or a result of aberrant thymic function and/or homeostasis.

This report provides a detailed description of transplanting murine thymi from different aged donor mice under the kidney capsule of immunodeficient mouse recipients. The goal of this approach is to model T cell development and thymic selection events in vivo.

The mechanisms that regulate the efficacy of thymic selection remain ill-defined. The method presented here allows in vivo analyses of the development and ...

Efficient Isolation Protocol for B and T Lymphocytes from Human Palatine Tonsils

Tonsils form a part of the immune system providing the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens. Usually the term &#8220;tonsils&#8221; refers to the palatine tonsils situated at the lateral walls of the oral part of the pharynx. Surgically removed palatine tonsils provide a convenient accessible source of B and T lymphocytes to study the interplay between foreign pathogens and the host immune system. This video protocol describes the dissection and processing of surgically removed human palatine tonsils, followed by the isolation of the individual B and T cell populations from the same tissue sample. We present a method, which efficiently separates tonsillar B and T lymphocytes using an antibody-dependent affinity protocol. Further, we use the method to demonstrate that human adenovirus infects specifically the tonsillar T cell fraction. The established protocol is generally applicable to efficiently and rapidly isolate tonsillar B and T cell populations to study the role of different types of pathogens in tonsillar immune responses.

Palatine tonsils are a rich source of B and T lymphocytes. Here we provide an easy, efficient and rapid protocol to isolate B and T lymphocytes from human palatine tonsils. The method described has been specifically adapted for studies of the viral etiology of tonsil inflammation known as tonsillitis.

Tonsils form a part of the immune system providing the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens. Usually the term &#8220;tonsils&#8221; refers to ...

Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes

The intestines &#8212; which contain the largest number of immune cells of any organ in the body &#8212; are constantly exposed to foreign antigens, both microbial and dietary. Given an increasing understanding that these luminal antigens help shape the immune response and that education of immune cells within the intestine is critical for a number of systemic diseases, there has been increased interest in characterizing the intestinal immune system. However, many published protocols are arduous and time-consuming. We present here a simplified protocol for the isolation of lymphocytes from the small-intestinal lamina propria, intraepithelial layer, and Peyer&#39;s patches that is rapid, reproducible, and does not require laborious Percoll gradients. Although the protocol focuses on the small intestine, it is also suitable for analysis of the colon. Moreover, we highlight some aspects that may need additional optimization depending on the specific scientific question. This approach results in the isolation of large numbers of viable lymphocytes that can subsequently be used for flow cytometric analysis or alternate means of characterization.

There is growing interest in the quantitative characterization of intestinal lymphocytes owing to increasing recognition that these cells play a critical role in a variety of intestinal and systemic diseases. In this protocol, we describe how to isolate single cell populations from different small-intestinal compartments for subsequent flow cytometric characterization.

The intestines &#8212; which contain the largest number of immune cells of any organ in the body &#8212; are constantly exposed to foreign antigens, both ...