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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.
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.
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 different granules inherited by mature platelets1,2,3. As a result, mature MKs are large cells (40-60 µm) characterized by a highly polyploid nucleus (reaching even >64N). Recent studies suggest alternative routes by which HSCs differentiate into MKs bypassing traditional lineage commitment checkpoints in response to certain physio-pathological conditions4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. These findings highlight that hematopoietic differentiation towards the mature MK is a continuum and adaptive process that responds to biological needs.
With the increasing knowledge on the cell biology and the molecular aspects characterizing megakaryopoiesis12, most of the research dedicated to the study of the process by flow cytometry are limited to the identification of mature MKs using lineage-specific surface markers (i.e., CD42A/B, CD41/CD61), while earlier MK differentiation stages remain unexplored. We previously documented a strategy to stage megakaryopoiesis in mouse bone marrow and bone marrow-derived MK cultures13,14, which we have adapted and applied to humans15. In the present article we show an immunophenotyping strategy that allows the characterization of megakaryopoiesis, from HSCs to mature MKs, in human primary sources (bone marrow -BM- and peripheral blood -PB-) or in vitro cultures using a panel integrating MK specific and non-specific surface markers (CD61, CD42B, CD49B, CD31, KIT and CD71, amongst others). Despite its large size and fragility, MKs can be immunophenotyped using the above-mentioned cell surface markers and enriched by fluorescence-activated cell sorting under specific conditions of pressure and nozzle diameter to minimize cell rupture and/or damage. This technique facilitates multi-Omics approaches, with the aim to better understand the complexity of megakaryopoiesis and platelet production in human health and disease. Noteworthy, it will pose as a useful tool to aid diagnosis and prognosis in a clinical context of growing demand.
In this manuscript we document a strategy to stage human megakaryopoiesis with a panel integrating MK-specific and non-specific surface markers from primary sources or generated in vitro. Additionally, we provide a protocol to sort, with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, the preferred fractions and mature MKs (Figure 1). This step is not popular, as it is technically difficult due to the large size and fragility of MKs. However, it has been employed both in mouse and human bone marrow samples previously, and due to technological advancement, with a better result each time16,17,18. Human primary sources where MKs or MK precursors can be studied include bone marrow, cord blood and peripheral blood, amongst other. The proper sample processing to isolate the relevant cell fraction for analysis on each sample is of importance. Standard procedures are incorporated, with some considerations to take into account when aiming at the study of megakaryopoiesis.
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).
Figure 1: Schematic representation of the protocol documented in this manuscript. The primary human sources or primary cultures where MK differentiation can be staged by using immunophenotyping are indicated. This immunophenotyping strategy can be applied to the study of the process in different lineage-related pathologies or malignancy in primary sources. In addition, it makes possible the cell sorting of MKs and precursors with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, which allows further analysis of enriched fractions. Images used are part of Servier Medical Art (SMART) by Servier and are licensed under CC BY 3.0. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
1. Whole blood and bone marrow processing prior to immunophenotyping
2. In vitro MK differentiation from PBMCs
NOTE: MKs can be differentiated in vitro from earlier precursors, such as CD34+ cells, present in different primary sources (i.e., WB/PBMCs, cord blood, bone marrow) and from iPSCs. There are different protocols that have been applied to this end. Here, we use a culture method developed by us that allows MK differentiation from PBMCs, without the need of enriching for CD34+ precursors15,19,20,21,22.
Figure 2: Schematic representation of the PBMC-derived MK culture method. PBMCs from healthy donors were cultured according to the three-phase protocol developed by us to generate MK in vitro (scheme adapted from Salunkhe et al).15 Pictures taken at day 10 and day 13 of culture are shown. Pictures are taken with a 20X objective. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
3. Immunophenotyping of MK differentiation - incubation with a panel of tagged-antibodies
Table 1: Notes on cell surface markers of the megakaryocytic lineage Please click here to download this Table.
Table 2: Antibody panels Please click here to download this Table.
4. Ploidy analysis combined with 6-color panels
5. MK differentiation analysis
NOTE: We have seen that the combination of CD31/CD71 allows to set a number of gates which correspond to different stages of MK differentiation. Further back-gating with MK-specific markers allows the separation of mature and immature MKs. Furthermore, in fresh samples, back-gating to verify the presence of other markers used, or to place the populations in the Forward/Side Scatter axes, refines the assessment of MK differentiation stages and allows to discard other cell types that could be present on the same populations.
6. MK and MK precursor cell sorting
NOTE: The stained cells were analyzed and sorted on a fluorescence-activated cell sorter FACS Aria IIu equipped with 488-nm and 633-nm standard solid-state lasers using FACSDiva software; data were additionally analyzed and presented using FlowJo software and Cytobank (viSNE analysis). Purity of sorted fractions was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis of each of the sorted fractions (purity above 85%).
Figure 3: Schematic representation of the principle of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The particles go through the 130 µm-nozzle and are forced to break up into a stream of regular droplets due to the application of vibration to the nozzle. Next, the droplets are interrogated by the laser (point of analysis) and the signals are processed to give the ''sort decision" by applying a charge to those droplets. When a charge droplet passes through a high voltage electrostatic field (detection plate), it is deflected and collected into the corresponding collection tube. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
7. Post-sort sample preparation
Bone Marrow and Ploidy
In Figure 4, we show a representative immunophenotyping analysis of megakaryopoiesis in BM samples (aspiration) from patients. When plotting the cellular fraction against CD71 and CD31, we have gated six main populations: CD31- CD71- (red), CD31- CD71+ (blue), CD31+ CD71- (orange), CD31+ CD71mid (light green), CD31+ CD71+...
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...
Audiovisual material production was supported by BD Biosciences.
We thank Marcos Pérez Basterrechea, Lorena Rodríguez Lorenzo and Begoña García Méndez (HUCA) and Paloma Cerezo, Almudena Payero and María de la Poveda-Colomo (HCSC) for technical support. This work was partially supported by Medical Grants (Roche SP200221001) to A.B., an RYC fellowship (RYC-2013-12587; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain) and an I+D 2017 grant (SAF2017-85489-P; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spain and Fondos FEDER) to L.G., a Severo Ochoa Grant (PA-20-PF-BP19-014; Consejería de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades del Principado de Asturias, Spain) to P.M.-B. and an intramural postdoctoral grant 2018 (Fundación para la Investigación y la Innovación Biosanitaria de Asturias - FINBA, Oviedo, Spain) to A.A.-H. We thank Reinier van der Linden for sharing his knowledge (and time), especially his wise advice on multi-color tagged-antibody panel mix and single-color bead control preparation.
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. |
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