Immunophenotyping and Cell Sorting of Human MKs from Human Primary Sources or Differentiated In Vitro from Hematopoietic Progenitors

Summary

Here, we present an immunophenotyping strategy for the characterization of megakaryocyte differentiation, and show how that strategy allows the sorting of megakaryocytes at different stages with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The methodology can be applied to human primary tissues, but also to megakaryocytes generated in culture in vitro.

Abstract

Megakaryocyte (MK) differentiation encompasses a number of endomitotic cycles that result in a highly polyploid (reaching even >64N) and extremely large cell (40-60 µm). As opposed to the fast-increasing knowledge in megakaryopoiesis at the cell biology and molecular level, the characterization of megakaryopoiesis by flow cytometry is limited to the identification of mature MKs using lineage-specific surface markers, while earlier MK differentiation stages remain unexplored. Here, we present an immunophenotyping strategy that allows the identification of successive MK differentiation stages, with increasing ploidy status, in human primary sources or in vitro cultures with a panel integrating MK specific and non-specific surface markers. Despite its size and fragility, MKs can be immunophenotyped using the above-mentioned panel and enriched by fluorescence-activated cell sorting under specific conditions of pressure and nozzle diameter. This approach facilitates multi-Omics studies, with the aim to better understand the complexity of megakaryopoiesis and platelet production in humans. A better characterization of megakaryopoiesis may pose fundamental in the diagnosis or prognosis of lineage-related pathologies and malignancy.

Introduction

Megakaryocytes (MKs) develop from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) following a complex process called megakaryopoiesis, which is orchestrated mainly by the hormone thrombopoietin (TPO). The classical view of megakaryopoiesis describes the cellular journey from HSCs through a succession of hierarchical stages of committed progenitors and precursor cells, leading ultimately to a mature MK. During maturation, MKs experience multiple rounds of endomitosis, develop an intricate intracellular demarcation membrane system (DMS), which provides enough membrane surface for platelet production, and efficiently produce and pack the plethora of factors that are contained in the dif....

Protocol

Whole blood and bone marrow samples were obtained and processed in accordance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. Whole blood samples were obtained from healthy donors after giving informed consent (ISPA), within a study approved by our institutional medical ethical committee (Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias -HUCA-). Bone marrow samples were obtained from bone marrow aspirate discard material of patients managed at the Dept. of Hematology of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (HCSC).

Discussion

Most of the research focusing on the study of megakaryopoiesis by flow cytometry is to date limited to the identification of MK subsets using only lineage-specific surface markers (i.e., CD42A/CD42B, CD41/CD61), while earlier MK differentiation stages have been poorly examined. In the present article we show an immunophenotyping strategy to address a comprehensive flow cytometry characterization of human megakaryopoiesis. Overall, we would like to highlight the utility of combining MK specific and non-specific s.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
130 micron Nozzle	BD	643943	required for MK sorting
5810R Centrifuge	Eppendorf		Cell isolation and washes
A-4-62 Swing Bucket Rotor	Eppendorf		Cell isolation and washes
Aerospray Pro Hematology Slide Stainer / Cytocentrifuge	ELITech Group		Automatized cytology devise, where slides are stained with Mat-Grünwald Giemsa
CO2 Incubator Galaxy 170 S	Eppendorf		Cell Incubation
Cytospin 4 Cytocentrifuge	Thermo Scientific		To prepare cytospins
FACSAria IIu sorter	BD		Lasers 488-nm and 633-nm
FACSCanto II flow cytometer	BD		Lasers 488-nm , 633-nm and 405-nm
Olympus Microscope BX 41	Olympus		Microphotographs
Olympus Microscope BX 61	Olympus		Microphotographs
Zoe Fluorescent Cell Imager	BioRad		Microphotographs
To obtain PBMCs
Lipids Cholesterol Rich from adult bovine serum	Sigma-Aldrich	L4646	or similar
Lymphoprep	Stem Cell Technologies	#07801	or similar
Penicillin-Streptomycin	Sigma-Aldrich	P4333	or similar
Recombinant human Erythropoietin (EPO)	R&D Systems	287-TC-500	or similar
Recombinant human stem cell factor (SCF)	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gibco™	PHC2115	or similar
Recombinant human thrombopoietin (TPO)	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Gibco™	PHC9514	or TPO receptor agonists
StemSpan SFEM	Stem Cell Technologies	#09650
Flow Cytometry Analyses
Bovine Serum Albumin	Merck	A7906-100G	or similar
BD CompBead Anti-Mouse Ig, κ/Negative Control Compensation Particles Set	BD	552843	Antibodies for human cells are generally from mouse.
BD Cytofix/Cytoperm	BD	554714	or similar
BD FACS Accudrop Beads	BD	345249
CD31 AF-647	BD	561654	Mouse anti-human
CD31 FITC	Immunostep	31F-100T
CD34 FITC	BD	555821	Mouse anti-human
CD41 PE	BD	555467	Mouse anti-human
CD41 PerCP-Cy5.5	BD	333148	Mouse anti-human
CD42A APC	Immunostep	42AA-100T	We observed unspecific binding... that needs to be assessed
CD42A PE	BD	558819	Mouse anti-human
CD42B PerCP	Biolegend	303910	Mouse anti-human
CD49B PE	BD	555669	Mouse anti-human
CD61 FITC	BD	555753	Mouse anti-human
CD71 APC-Cy7	Biolegend	334109	Mouse anti-human
Hoechst 33342	Thermo Fisher Scientific	H3570
Human BD Fc Block	BD	564219	Fc blocking - control
KIT PE-Cy7	Biolegend	313212	Mouse anti-human
Lineage Cocktail 2 FITC	BD	643397	Mouse anti-human
RNAse	Merck	R6513	or similar
Triton X-500	Merck	93443-500ML	or similar
Cell strainers for sorting
CellTrics Filters 100 micrometers	Sysmex	04-004-2328	Cell strainers
Note: we do not specify general reagents/chemicals (PBS, EDTA, etc) or disposables (tubes, etc), or reagents specified in previous published and standard protocols  - unless otherwise specified.