Flow Cytometric Analysis of Mitophagy in Murine Pancreatic β-Cells Using the Genetically Encoded mt-Keima Reporter

To assess mitophagy in murine pancreatic beta cells using the genetically encoded mitophagy reporter, culture pancreatic islets isolated from wild type and Mt-Keima mice overnight at 37 degrees Celsius. The following day, add 100 islets into a six centimeter Petri dish containing two milliliters of islet medium for each experimental condition used in this protocol. Next, to dissociate the eyelets into single cells and stain with FluoZin-3-AM and DAPI as demonstrated previously for the Mt-Phagy dye based approach.

Then proceed with the flow cytometric analysis of the samples. Adjust the forward scatter or FSC and side scatter or SSC voltages to attain an even distribution of cells on an SSCA versus FSCA plot. To select single cells and exclude multiplets, add a rectangular gate on FSC height versus FSC width, followed by SSC height versus SSE width.

The multiplets are excluded due to their higher width signal values. Then set up a DAPI negative gate to exclude dead cells. After that, set up FluoZin-3-AM positive gates to filter for live beta cells.

Set up a triangle gating scheme using the Mt-Keima positive sample to identify acidic and neutral cell populations. Once the primary and fluorescence gates were established, assess mitophagy flux using basal and valinomycin-induced changes in Mt-Keima fluorescence.