This work was supported by the US National Institutes of Health grants (R01HL109102, P01HL107202, U19CA179512, F31HL131361), a Leukemia &amp; Lymphoma Society scholar award (K.M.A.), and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Medical Scientist Training Program (Grant #T32GM007618) (M.M.).

This protocol adheres to UCSF&#39;s guidelines for human research ethics.
1. Preparation of T Cell Culture, Isolation of CD4+ T Cells, and Th17 Polarization
<ol>
	<li>On Day 0, coat 6-well tissue culture plates with 1.5 mL per well of anti-human CD3 (2 &#181;g/mL) and anti-human CD28 (4 &#181;g/mL) in PBS with calcium and magnesium for at least 2 h at 37 &#176;C.
	<ol>
		<li>Alternatively, coat the plates overnight at 4 &#176;C. Wrap plates in parafilm.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Prepare the cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) by density gradient centrifugation per manufacturer&#39;s instructions. 
	CAUTION: Work carefully and ensure proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn when handling human blood to avoid any risk of exposure to blood-borne pathogens.</li>
	<li>Once the mononuclear cells have been isolated and washed, perform human CD4+ T cell isolation by negative selection using a commercial Human CD4+ T cell kit. 
	NOTE: If there is red blood cell contamination after mononuclear cell isolation, an optional red blood cell lysis may be performed prior to the CD4+ T cell isolation steps. Resuspend the mononuclear cells in 1 mL of isolation buffer (2% FBS in PBS). Add 5 mL of 1x lysing solution. Incubate for 15 min at room temperature. Then add 5 mL of isolation buffer and centrifuge at 300 x g for 5 min at 4 &#176;C to pellet the cells.
	<ol>
		<li>Resuspend the mononuclear cells at a density of 50 x 106 per 500 &#181;L in the isolation buffer in a new 5 mL tube.</li>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;L of FBS and 100 &#181;L of the Antibody Mix per tube then incubate each tube at 4 &#176;C for 20 min on an orbital shaker to mix well.</li>
		<li>After the incubation, add 3-4 mL of isolation buffer to wash the cells. Centrifuge the cells at 300 x g for 8 min at 4 &#176;C to pellet the cells. Carefully aspirate the supernatant.</li>
		<li>During this spin, pre-wash the magnetic beads. Transfer the desired amount of magnetic beads into a new tube (used at 1:1 with the cells) and add an equal volume of isolation buffer to wash the beads. Mix well&#160;using a 1 mL micropipette and then place the tube in the magnet for at least 1 min. Carefully aspirate the supernatant. Resuspend the magnetic beads in the same volume initially transferred prior to the wash.</li>
		<li>Resuspend the cells in each tube with 500 &#181;L of the isolation buffer and add 500 &#181;L of pre-washed magnetic beads.</li>
		<li>Incubate the cells with the magnetic beads for 15 min on an orbital shaker at room temperature (18 &#176;C to 25 &#176;C) to mix well.</li>
		<li>After the incubation, thoroughly pipet the cells using a 1 mL micropipette at least 10 times. Then add 3-4 mL of isolation buffer and place each tube in the magnet for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Carefully transfer the negatively selected CD4+ T cells that are in the supernatant to a new tube.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Once CD4+ T cell isolation is completed, count the cells with a hemocytometer and keep the cells on ice.</li>
	<li>Wash the antibody-coated plates two times with PBS. Then add 1.5 mL of 2x mix of Th17-polarizing media to each well: anti-human IFN&#947; (20 &#181;g/mL), anti-human IL-4 (20 &#181;g/mL), human TGF&#946; (10 ng/mL), human IL-1&#946; (40 ng/mL), human IL-23 (40 ng/mL), human IL-6 (50 ng/mL) all diluted in a serum-free base media (supplemented with&#160;2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100 &#181;g/mL streptomycin, 10 mM HEPES, 1 mM sodium pyruvate and 100 &#181;M 2-mercaptoethanol). 
	NOTE: Transfection and RNA interference does work in serum-containing media. The purpose of using serum-free media with this protocol is to achieve better IL-17A production.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the human CD4+ T cells at 500 x g for 5 min at 4 &#176;C to pellet cells. Carefully aspirate the supernatant. Then resuspend the cells in serum-free base media and plate the cells at a density of 3 x 106 in 1.5 mL per well so that the final volume is 3 mL per well and polarizing cytokines are now at a 1x final concentration.
	<ol>
		<li>Place the plates in 5% CO2, 37 &#176;C incubator for two days.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
2. Electroporation of In Vitro Polarized Human Th17 Cells
<ol>
	<li>On Day 2, coat 48-well tissue culture plates with 250 &#181;L per well of anti-human CD3 (2 &#181;g/mL) and anti-human CD28 (4 &#181;g/mL) in PBS with calcium and magnesium for at least 2 h at 37 &#176;C.
	<ol>
		<li>Alternatively, coat the plates overnight at 4 &#176;C. Wrap plates in parafilm.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Prepare small RNAs for transfection. For each transfection, aliquot 1 &#181;L of a 5 &#181;M stock solution of siRNA into a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube. Include appropriate chemistry-matched small RNA control. Keep all tubes on ice.</li>
	<li>Wash the antibody-coated plates two times with PBS. Then add 500 &#181;L of 1X Th17-polarizing media to each well: anti-human IFN&#947; (10 &#181;g/mL), anti-human IL-4 (10 &#181;g/mL), human TGF&#946; (5 ng/mL), human IL-1&#946; (20 ng/mL), human IL-23 (20 ng/mL), human IL-6 (25 ng/mL) all diluted in a serum-free base media (supplemented with&#160;2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/mL penicillin, 100 &#181;g/mL streptomycin, 10 mM HEPES, 1 mM sodium pyruvate and 100 &#181;M 2-mercaptoethanol).</li>
	<li>After the culture plates and transfection reagents are prepared, resuspend the cells with a 1 mL micropipette, pipetting gently but ensuring that all the cells are detached from the bottom of the wells. Pool the cells into a conical tube and centrifuge at 500 x g for 5 min at 4 &#176;C. 
	NOTE: For culture periods longer than the four-day protocol presented herein, the cells should be transfected approximately every 3 days using this same protocol. Step 2.4 should be modified however since the cells treated with different small RNAs should not be pooled. All of the conditions being tested must be collected, counted, and transfected separately.</li>
	<li>Carefully aspirate the supernatant, and then resuspend the cells in at least 1 mL of PBS to wash. Count the live Th17 cells (e.g. with a hemocytometer using Trypan Blue exclusion to assess viability) and then transfer the cells to a microcentrifuge tube.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge at 500 x g for 5 min at room temperature to pellet the cells.</li>
	<li>Carefully aspirate the supernatant, and then resuspend the cells using the provided resuspension buffer from the transfection system 10 &#181;L kit at a density of 2.5-4 x 107 cells per mL. Keep cells at room temperature. 
	NOTE: As a guideline, try to prepare only as many cells as can be transfected within 30 min. Multiple batches can be compared.</li>
	<li>Add 9 &#181;L of cells to 1 &#181;L of small RNA in each microcentrifuge tube. Pipet once to mix the cells and small RNAs for transfection then load into the provided pipette electrode tip. 
	NOTE: Typically, add 9.5 &#181;L of cell suspension to ensure there is enough of the mixture to prevent creating bubbles in the pipet electrode tip prior to transfection.</li>
	<li>Fill the provided cuvette with 3 mL of room temperature Electrolytic Buffer E. Place the cuvette inside the pipette station and then place the pipette into position inside the cuvette.</li>
	<li>Immediately electroporate each 10 &#181;L mix of cells and small RNA using the following parameters: pulse voltage 1,500-1,550 V, pulse width 10 ms, and 3 pulses total on the transfection device.</li>
	<li>After the electroporation is complete, directly add the cell mixture to 500 &#181;L of 1X Th17-polarizing media in prepared wells of a culture plate. Place plates in a 5% CO2, 37 &#176;C incubator for two more days. 
	NOTE: Wash the pipette electrode tip by pipetting up and down in PBS in between each transfection.</li>
</ol>
3. Harvesting Human Th17 Cells
<ol>
	<li>Resuspend the cells in culture media with a micropipette, pipetting gently but ensuring that all the cells are detached from the bottom of the wells. Prepare the cells for functional and/or gene expression assays. 
	NOTE: Routinely, enough cells are yielded from a single well of transfected Th17 cells to be used for flow cytometric analysis of surface marker and intracellular cytokine and transcription factor staining or for preparation of RNA for gene expression analysis.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Zhu, J., Yamane, H., Paul, W. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Differentiation+of+Effector+CD4+T+Cell+Populations*.">Differentiation of Effector CD4 T Cell Populations*.</a> Ann Rev Immunol. 28 (1), 445-489 (2010).</li><li>Korn, T., Bettelli, E., Oukka, M., Kuchroo, V. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=IL-17+and+Th17+Cells.">IL-17 and Th17 Cells.</a> Ann Rev Immunol. 27 (1), 485-517 (2009).</li><li>Gaffen, S. L., Jain, R., Garg, A. V., Cua, D. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+IL-23-IL-17+immune+axis:+from+mechanisms+to+therapeutic+testing.">The IL-23-IL-17 immune axis: from mechanisms to therapeutic testing.</a> Nature. 14 (9), 585-600 (2014).</li><li>Romagnani, S., Maggi, E., Liotta, F., Cosmi, L., Annunziato, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Properties+and+origin+of+human+Th17+cells.">Properties and origin of human Th17 cells.</a> Mol Immunol. 47 (1), 3-7 (2009).</li><li>Acosta-Rodriguez, E. V., 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=Surface+phenotype+and+antigenic+specificity+of+human+interleukin+17-producing+T+helper+memory+cells.">Surface phenotype and antigenic specificity of human interleukin 17-producing T helper memory cells.</a> Nature Immunol. 8 (6), 639-646 (2007).</li><li>Annunziato, F., 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=Phenotypic+and+functional+features+of+human+Th17+cells.">Phenotypic and functional features of human Th17 cells.</a> J Exp Med. 204 (8), 1849-1861 (2007).</li><li>Du, C., 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=MicroRNA+miR-326+regulates+TH-17+differentiation+and+is+associated+with+the+pathogenesis+of+multiple+sclerosis.">MicroRNA miR-326 regulates TH-17 differentiation and is associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.</a> Nature Immunol. 10 (12), 1252-1259 (2009).</li><li>Escobar, T. M., 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=miR-155+Activates+Cytokine+Gene+Expression+in+Th17+Cells+by+Regulating+the+DNA-Binding+Protein+Jarid2+to+Relieve+Polycomb-Mediated+Repression.">miR-155 Activates Cytokine Gene Expression in Th17 Cells by Regulating the DNA-Binding Protein Jarid2 to Relieve Polycomb-Mediated Repression.</a> Immunity. 40 (6), 865-879 (2014).</li><li>Wang, H., 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=Negative+regulation+of+Hif1a+expression+and+TH17+differentiation+by+the+hypoxia-regulated+microRNA+miR-210.">Negative regulation of Hif1a expression and TH17 differentiation by the hypoxia-regulated microRNA miR-210.</a> Nature Immunol. 15 (4), 393-401 (2014).</li><li>Kim, T. K., Eberwine, 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=Mammalian+cell+transfection:+the+present+and+the+future.">Mammalian cell transfection: the present and the future.</a> Anal bioanal chem. 397 (8), 3173-3178 (2010).</li><li>Steiner, D. F., 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=MicroRNA-29+Regulates+T-Box+Transcription+Factors+and+Interferon-&amp;gamma;+Production+in+Helper+T+Cells.">MicroRNA-29 Regulates T-Box Transcription Factors and Interferon-&amp;gamma; Production in Helper T Cells.</a> Immunity. 35 (2), 169-181 (2011).</li><li>Simpson, L. J., 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=A+microRNA+upregulated+in+asthma+airway+T+cells+promotes+TH2+cytokine+production.">A microRNA upregulated in asthma airway T cells promotes TH2 cytokine production.</a> Nature Immunol. 15 (12), 1162-1170 (2014).</li><li>Pua, H. H., 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=MicroRNAs+24+and+27+Suppress+Allergic+Inflammation+and+Target+a+Network+of+Regulators+of+T+Helper+2+Cell-Associated+Cytokine+Production.">MicroRNAs 24 and 27 Suppress Allergic Inflammation and Target a Network of Regulators of T Helper 2 Cell-Associated Cytokine Production.</a> Immunity. 44 (4), 821-832 (2016).</li><li>Flaherty, S., Reynolds, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mouse+Na&#239;ve+CD4++T+Cell+Isolation+and+In+vitro+Differentiation+into+T+Cell+Subsets.">Mouse Na&#239;ve CD4+ T Cell Isolation and In vitro Differentiation into T Cell Subsets.</a> J Vis Exp. (98), (2015).</li><li>Schumann, K., 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=Generation+of+knock-in+primary+human+T+cells+using+Cas9+ribonucleoproteins.">Generation of knock-in primary human T cells using Cas9 ribonucleoproteins.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 112 (33), 10437-10442 (2015).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

This protocol provides an improved method for the delivery of small RNAs into human Th17 cells. Although human Th17 cells were used here, this method of electroporation with small RNAs can be used with other primary human T helper subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Tregs. It has not worked well for na&#239;ve CD4+ T cells so the cells must be activated in culture prior to transfection. For this protocol, we first optimized the in vitro culture system for better IL-17A production. The biggest factor was ba...

CD4+ T cells are crucial orchestrators of the adaptive immune response. Na&#239;ve CD4+ T cells are capable of developing into several different effector T cells (e.g. Th1, Th2, Th17, etc.), each with their own set of characteristic cytokines and transcription factors, depending upon the local microenvironment1. The lineage decisions that T cells make are critical for both protective immunity and tolerance to self. Th17 cells are one subset of T cells known to combat extracellular bacteria and fungi, but their improper responses are also implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and psoriasis2,3. Human Th17 cells can be generated from na&#239;ve CD4+ T cells in vitro by providing them with an appropriate polarizing environment4. Various combinations of the cytokines IL-1&#946;, IL-23, TGF&#946;, and IL-6 have been used for the development of human Th17 cells. Human Th17 cells express CCR6, a chemokine receptor that is commonly used to identify this cell population and are defined by the expression of their principal transcription factor, ROR&#947;t (encoded by RORC)5,6. Th17 cells have the ability to express multiple cytokines, but IL-17A is the lineage-defining effector cytokine produced by these cells. We examined the expression of all three Th17-associated markers (CCR6, ROR&#947;t, IL-17A) to assess the robustness of our human Th17 in vitro differentiation assay. Additionally, we cultured human CD4+ T cells under non-polarizing conditions, where no cytokines or blocking antibodies were added to the culture media to use as a negative control since expression of these Th17 markers should be very low or absent.
One way to study normal human T cell development and biology is to manipulate gene expression during their development. Short-interfering RNA (siRNA) are synthetic small RNA molecules that target protein-coding mRNAs and can be utilized to reduce specific gene expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous non-coding small RNAs known to modulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. miRNAs have been shown to play an important role in both murine and human T cell biology, including in Th17 cells7,8,9. It is crucial to have reliable methods of manipulating small RNA activity in human T cells to study their effects on gene expression and ultimately on human T cell biology. Here, we describe an easy-to-use, consistent and reliable protocol that we developed for introducing small synthetic RNAs and locked nucleic acids (LNAs, chemically modified nucleic acids with increased stability) into immune cells, and specifically into human Th17 cells.
There are several alternative methods of introducing small RNAs into mammalian cells, which generally fall into chemical, biological, or physical categories10. Commonly used chemical methods, including lipid-based transfections and calcium-phosphate transfections, rely on creating chemical-DNA complexes that are more efficiently taken up by cells. In general, chemical methods are not as efficient for the transfection of primary T cells. The most common biological method is to use a viral vector (e.g. retrovirus or lentivirus), which directly inserts foreign RNA into a host as a part of its natural replication cycle. Viral transduction typically takes longer to complete, especially when one factors in time for molecular cloning of proviral plasmids. Additionally, viral transduction vectors can be potentially harmful to human researchers. Electroporation is a physical method of inducing membrane permeabilization by subjecting cells to high voltage pulses, allowing nucleic acids to transiently enter into the cell where they can act on their target. Traditional electroporation instruments were not effective for transfecting primary lymphocytes. However, optimized next generation electroporation has proven to be capable of transfecting T cells at very high efficiency, especially when the material to be transfected is small RNA. The term next generation is loosely used to differentiate the two newer platforms (e.g., Neon, Amaxa) from traditional electroporation machines. Additionally, this method is easily scalable for moderate throughput screens with up to approximately 120 small RNAs in a single experiment, often using validated synthetic reagents. Importantly, successful transfections can be achieved in as little as 16 h after T cell activation. The disadvantage of this method, however, is that it does not result in stable genomic incorporation, and is therefore transient. Hence, it is worth the extra effort to create a stable expression construct that can be packaged into a viral vector and successfully expressed in T cells in cases where long-term expression of a small RNA is required.
We have used a next generation transfection (e.g., Neon) to deliver diverse synthetic single or double-stranded RNA or LNA oligonucleotide tools for different purposes11,12,13. Efficient RNA interference can be induced in primary mouse and human T cells using double-stranded short-interfering RNA (siRNA). This protocol describes optimized conditions for using this technique in human Th17 cells. In addition to siRNAs, commercially available synthetic miRNA mimics and inhibitors can be used to study miRNA gain and loss of function. miRNA mimics are double-stranded RNA molecules very similar to siRNAs, but designed with the sequence of endogenous mature miRNAs. miRNA inhibitors are chemically-modified RNA and/or LNA based single stranded oligonucleotides that bind to native miRNAs and antagonize their function. We have found that all of these tools can be used effectively in cultured primary T lymphocytes, including but not limited to human Th17 cells.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human IL-17A PE</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>12-7179-42&#160;</td>
			<td>Clone: eBio64DEC17</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human IFNg FITC</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>11-7319-82</td>
			<td>Clone: 4S.B3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human CD4 eVolve605</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>83-0047-42</td>
			<td>Clone: SK3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mouse anti-human CD196 (CCR6) BV421</td>
			<td>BD biosciences</td>
			<td>562515</td>
			<td>Clone: 11A9</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human RORgt AF647</td>
			<td>BD biosciences</td>
			<td>563620</td>
			<td>Clone: Q21-559</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human CD45 eFluor450</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>48-9459-42</td>
			<td>Clone: 2D1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Foxp3/Trascription Factor Staining Buffer Set</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>00-5523-00</td>
			<td>For intracellular transcription factor flow cytometry staining</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hu FcR Binding Inhibitor Purified</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>14-9161-71</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ImmunoCult-XF T Cell Expansion Medium</td>
			<td>Stemcell Technologies</td>
			<td>10981</td>
			<td>&#34;Serum-Free Base Media&#34;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MACS CD28 pure functional grade, human</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-093-375</td>
			<td>Clone: 15E8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human CD3 Purified</td>
			<td>UCSF monoclonal antibody core</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>Clone: OKT-3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LEAF purified anti-human IL-4</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>500815</td>
			<td>Clone: MP4-25D2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-human IFNg, functional grade purified</td>
			<td>ebioscience</td>
			<td>16-7318-85</td>
			<td>Clone: NIB42</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant human IL-23</td>
			<td>Peprotech&#160;</td>
			<td>200-23</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant human IL-1&#946;</td>
			<td>Peprotech&#160;</td>
			<td>200-01B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant human TGF-&#946;1</td>
			<td>Peprotech&#160;</td>
			<td>100-21C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Recombinant human IL-6</td>
			<td>Peprotech&#160;</td>
			<td>200-06</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>siGENOME Control Pool, Non-targeting #2</td>
			<td>Dharmacon</td>
			<td>D-001206-14-05</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>siGENOME SMARTpool Human RORC</td>
			<td>Dharmacon</td>
			<td>M-003442-00</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>siGENOME SMARTpool Human PTPRC</td>
			<td>Dharmacon</td>
			<td>M-008067-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dynabeads Untouched Human CD4 T Cells Kit</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>11346D</td>
			<td>Human CD4+ T cell Isolation Kit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neon Tranfection System</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>MPK5000</td>
			<td>Next generation electroporation instrument</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neon Tranfection System 10 &#956;l Kit</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>MPK1096</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Resuspension Buffer T</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>Provided in kit (MPK1096)</td>
			<td>&#34;Transfection Resuspension Buffer&#34;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lymphoprep</td>
			<td>Stemcell Technologies</td>
			<td>#07801</td>
			<td>Density Gradient Medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>costar 6-well tissue culture treated plates</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3516</td>
			<td>flat bottom plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>costar 48-well tissue culture treated plates</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3548</td>
			<td>flat bottom plates</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BD Pharm Lyse lysing buffer, 10 X</td>
			<td>BD biosciences</td>
			<td>555899</td>
			<td>Must make 1X solution with distilled water prior to use</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

small rna transfection in primary human th17 cells by next generation electroporation

CD4+ T cells can differentiate into several subsets of effector T helper cells depending on the surrounding cytokine milieu. Th17 cells can be generated from na&#239;ve CD4+ T cells in vitro by activating them in the presence of the polarizing cytokines IL-1&#946;, IL-6, IL-23, and TGF&#946;. Th17 cells orchestrate immunity against extracellular bacteria and fungi, but their aberrant activity has also been associated with several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Th17 cells are identified by the chemokine receptor CCR6 and defined by their master transcription factor, ROR&#947;t, and characteristic effector cytokine, IL-17A. Optimized culture conditions for Th17 cell differentiation facilitate mechanistic studies of human T cell biology in a controlled environment. They also provide a setting for studying the importance of specific genes and gene expression programs through RNA interference or the introduction of microRNA (miRNA) mimics or inhibitors. This protocol provides an easy to use, reproducible, and highly efficient method for transient transfection of differentiating primary human Th17 cells with small RNAs using a next generation electroporation device.

The first step to developing a reliable system of successfully electroporating human Th17 cells was to generate robust in vitro differentiated human Th17 cell cultures. T cells cultured under Th17-polarizing conditions expressed the chemokine receptor CCR6 and the transcription factor ROR&#947;t (Figure 1A, left). These markers were not expressed when T cells were cultured under non-polarizing (ThN) conditions (Figure 1A, right). T cells cultured...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Small RNA Transfection in Primary Human Th17 Cells by Next Generation Electroporation at JoVE.com

Small RNA Transfection in Primary Human Th17 Cells by Next Generation Electroporation

Next generation electroporation is an efficient method for transfecting human Th17 cells with small RNAs to alter gene expression and cell behavior.

CD4+ T cells can differentiate into several subsets of effector T helper cells depending on the surrounding cytokine milieu. Th17 cells can be generated ...

small-rna-transfection-primary-human-th17-cells-next-generation

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

7.8K Views.  University of California, San Francisco. Next generation electroporation is an efficient method for transfecting human Th17 cells with small RNAs to alter gene expression and cell behavior.

Video: Small RNA Transfection in Primary Human Th17 Cells by Next Generation Electroporation

Transfection and Mutagenesis of Target Genes in Mosquito Cells by Locked Nucleic Acid-modified Oligonucleotides

Plasmodium parasites, the causative agent of malaria, are transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes resulting in over 250 million new infections each year. Despite decades of research, there is still no vaccine against malaria, highlighting the need for novel control strategies. One innovative approach is the use of genetically modified mosquitoes to effectively control malaria parasite transmission. Deliberate alterations of cell signaling pathways in the mosquito, via targeted mutagenesis, have been found to regulate parasite development 1. From these studies, we can begin to identify potential gene targets for transformation. Targeted mutagenesis has traditionally relied upon the homologous recombination between a target gene and a large DNA molecule. However, the construction and use of such complex DNA molecules for generation of stably transformed cell lines is costly, time consuming and often inefficient. Therefore, a strategy using locked nucleic acid-modified oligonucleotides (LNA-ONs) provides a useful alternative for introducing artificial single nucleotide substitutions into episomal and chromosomal DNA gene targets (reviewed in 2). LNA-ON-mediated targeted mutagenesis has been used to introduce point mutations into genes of interest in cultured cells of both yeast and mice 3,4. We show here that LNA-ONs can be used to introduce a single nucleotide change in a transfected episomal target that results in a switch from blue fluorescent protein (BFP) expression to green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in both Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi cells. This conversion demonstrates for the first time that effective mutagenesis of target genes in mosquito cells can be mediated by LNA-ONs and suggests that this technique may be applicable to mutagenesis of chromosomal targets in vitro and in vivo.

Oligonucleotides can be used to site specifically substitute a single nucleotide of transfected target genes in both Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi cells.

Plasmodium parasites, the causative agent of malaria, are transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes resulting in over 250 million new ...

Generation of Organotypic Raft Cultures from Primary Human Keratinocytes

The development of organotypic epithelial raft cultures has provided researchers with an efficient in vitro system that faithfully recapitulates epithelial differentiation. There are many uses for this system. For instance, the ability to grow three-dimensional organotypic raft cultures of keratinocytes has been an important milestone in the study of human papillomavirus (HPV)1. The life cycle of HPV is tightly linked to the differentiation of squamous epithelium2. Organotypic epithelial raft cultures as demonstrated here reproduce the entire papillomavirus life cycle, including virus production3,4,5. In addition, these raft cultures exhibit dysplastic lesions similar to those observed upon in vivo infection with HPV. Hence this system can also be used to study epithelial cell cancers, as well as the effect of drugs on epithelial cell differentiation in general. Originally developed by Asselineau and Prunieras6 and modified by Kopan et al.7, the organotypic epithelial raft culture system has matured into a general, relatively easy culture model, which involves the growth of cells on collagen plugs maintained at an air-liquid interface (Figure 1A). Over the course of 10-14 days, the cells stratify and differentiate, forming a full thickness epithelium that produces differentiation-specific cytokeratins. Harvested rafts can be examined histologically, as well as by standard molecular and biochemical techniques. In this article, we describe a method for the generation of raft cultures from primary human keratinocytes. The same technique can be used with established epithelial cell lines, and can easily be adapted for use with epithelial tissue from normal or diseased biopsies8. Many viruses target either the cutaneous or mucosal epithelium as part of their replicative life cycle. Over the past several years, the feasibility of using organotypic raft cultures as a method of studying virus-host cell interactions has been shown for several herpesviruses, as well as adenoviruses, parvoviruses, and poxviruses9. Organotypic raft cultures can thus be adapted to examine viral pathogenesis, and are the only means to test novel antiviral agents for those viruses that are not cultivable in permanent cell lines.

An in vitro method to mimic in vivo epithelial differentiation is described. Many viruses target epithelial cells as part of their viral life cycle, and this method provides a means of examining virus:host interactions that more closely resembles that which occurs in vivo. This technique can be used with primary keratinocytes, established cell lines, as well as normal or diseased biopsy tissue.

The development of organotypic epithelial raft cultures has provided researchers with an efficient in vitro system that faithfully recapitulates ...

Generation of Induced Regulatory T Cells from Primary Human Na&iuml;ve and Memory T Cells

The development and maintenance of immunosuppressive CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) contribute to the peripheral tolerance needed to remain in immunologic homeostasis with the vast amount of self and commensal antigens in and on the human body. Perturbations in the balance between Tregs and inflammatory conventional T cells can result in immunopathology or cancer. Although therapeutic injection of Tregs has been shown to be efficacious in murine models of colitis1 , type I diabetes2 , rheumatoid arthritis and graft versus host disease,4 several fundamental differences in human versus mouse Treg biology5 has thus far precluded clinical use. The lack of sufficient number, purity, stability and homing specificity of therapeutic Tregs necessitated a dynamic platform of human Treg development on which to optimize conditions for their ex vivo expansion6.
Here we describe a method for the differentiation of induced Tregs (iTregs) from a single human peripheral blood donor which can be broken down into four stages: isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, magnetic selection of CD4+ T cells, in vitro cell culture and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of T cell subsets. Since the Treg signature transcription factor forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) is an activation-induced transcription factor in humans7 and no other unique marker exists, a combinatorial panel of markers must be used to identify T cells with suppressor activity. After six days in culture, cells in our system can be demarcated into na&iuml;ve T cells, memory T cells or iTregs based on their relative expression of CD25 and CD45RA. As memory and na&iuml;ve T cells have different reported polarization requirements and plasticities8 , pre-sorting of the initial T cell population into CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ subsets can be used to examine these discrepancies. Consistent with others, our CD25HiCD45RA- iTregs express high levels of FoxP39 , GITR and CTLA-411 and low levels of CD12712 . Following FACS of each population, resultant cells can be used in a suppressor assay which evaluates the relative ability to retard the proliferation of carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-labeled autologous T cells.

Generation of Induced Regulatory T Cells from Primary Human Na&#239;ve and Memory T Cells

We describe a method for generating regulatory, memory and na&#239;ve T cells from a single human blood donor. Polarized Tregs can be then compared to other subsets in a variety of genetic and functional applications with genetic homogeneity, including a suppression assay also detailed here.

The development and maintenance of immunosuppressive CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) contribute to the peripheral tolerance needed to remain in ...

piggyBac Transposon System Modification of Primary Human T Cells

The piggyBac transposon system is naturally active, originally derived from the cabbage looper moth1,2. This non-viral system is plasmid based, most commonly utilizing two plasmids with one expressing the piggyBac transposase enzyme and a transposon plasmid harboring the gene(s) of interest between inverted repeat elements which are required for gene transfer activity. PiggyBac mediates gene transfer through a "cut and paste" mechanism whereby the transposase integrates the transposon segment into the genome of the target cell(s) of interest. PiggyBac has demonstrated efficient gene delivery activity in a wide variety of insect1,2, mammalian3-5, and human cells6 including primary human T cells7,8. Recently, a hyperactive piggyBac transposase was generated improving gene transfer efficiency9,10.
Human T lymphocytes are of clinical interest for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer11. Of note, the first clinical trial involving transposon modification of human T cells using the Sleeping beauty transposon system has been approved12. We have previously evaluated the utility of piggyBac as a non-viral methodology for genetic modification of human T cells. We found piggyBac to be efficient in genetic modification of human T cells with a reporter gene and a non-immunogenic inducible suicide gene7. Analysis of genomic integration sites revealed a lack of preference for integration into or near known proto-oncogenes13. We used piggyBac to gene-modify cytotoxic T lymphocytes to carry a chimeric antigen receptor directed against the tumor antigen HER2, and found that gene-modified T cells mediated targeted killing of HER2-positive tumor cells in vitro and in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model14. We have also used piggyBac to generate human T cells resistant to rapamycin, which should be useful in cancer therapies where rapamycin is utilized15.
Herein, we describe a method for using piggyBac to genetically modify primary human T cells. This includes isolation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from human blood followed by culture, gene modification, and activation of T cells. For the purpose of this report, T cells were modified with a reporter gene (eGFP) for analysis and quantification of gene expression by flow cytometry.
PiggyBac can be used to modify human T cells with a variety of genes of interest. Although we have used piggyBac to direct T cells to tumor antigens14, we have also used piggyBac to add an inducible safety switch in order to eliminate gene modified cells if needed7. The large cargo capacity of piggyBac has also enabled gene transfer of a large rapamycin resistant mTOR molecule (15 kb)15. Therefore, we present a non-viral methodology for stable gene-modification of primary human T cells for a wide variety of purposes.

piggyBac Transposon System Modification of Primary Human T Cells

We describe a method to genetically modify primary human T cells with a transgene using the non-viral piggyBac transposon system. T cells modified to using the piggyBac transposon system exhibit stable transgene expression.

The piggyBac transposon system is naturally active, originally derived from the cabbage looper moth1,2. This non-viral system is plasmid based, most ...

Quantitative In vitro Assay to Measure Neutrophil Adhesion to Activated Primary Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells under Static Conditions

The vascular endothelium plays an integral part in the inflammatory response. During the acute phase of inflammation, endothelial cells (ECs) are activated by host mediators or directly by conserved microbial components or host-derived danger molecules. Activated ECs express cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules that mobilize, activate and retain leukocytes at the site of infection or injury. Neutrophils are the first leukocytes to arrive, and adhere to the endothelium through a variety of adhesion molecules present on the surfaces of both cells. The main functions of neutrophils are to directly eliminate microbial threats, promote the recruitment of other leukocytes through the release of additional factors, and initiate wound repair. Therefore, their recruitment and attachment to the endothelium is a critical step in the initiation of the inflammatory response. In this report, we describe an in vitro neutrophil adhesion assay using calcein AM-labeled primary human neutrophils to quantitate the extent of microvascular endothelial cell activation under static conditions. This method has the additional advantage that the same samples quantitated by fluorescence spectrophotometry can also be visualized directly using fluorescence microscopy for a more qualitative assessment of neutrophil binding.

Quantitative In vitro Assay to Measure Neutrophil Adhesion to Activated Primary Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells under Static Conditions

Neutrophil adherence to the activated endothelium at sites of infection is an integral component of the host's inflammatory response. Described in this report is a neutrophil binding assay that allows for the in vitro quantitation of primary human neutrophil binding to endothelial cells activated by inflammatory mediators under static conditions.

The vascular  endothelium plays an integral part in the inflammatory response. During the  acute phase of inflammation, endothelial cells (ECs) are ...

Highly Efficient Transfection of Human THP-1 Macrophages by Nucleofection

Macrophages, as key players of the innate immune response, are at the focus of research dealing with tissue homeostasis or various pathologies. Transfection with siRNA and plasmid DNA is an efficient tool for studying their function, but transfection of macrophages is not a trivial matter. Although many different approaches for transfection of eukaryotic cells are available, only few allow reliable and efficient transfection of macrophages, but reduced cell vitality and severely altered cell behavior like diminished capability for differentiation or polarization are frequently observed. Therefore a transfection protocol is required that is capable of transferring siRNA and plasmid DNA into macrophages without causing serious side-effects thus allowing the investigation of the effect of the siRNA or plasmid in the context of normal cell behavior. The protocol presented here provides a method for reliably and efficiently transfecting human THP-1 macrophages and monocytes with high cell vitality, high transfection efficiency, and minimal effects on cell behavior. This approach is based on Nucleofection and the protocol has been optimized to maintain maximum capability for cell activation after transfection. The protocol is adequate for adherent cells after detachment as well as cells in suspension, and can be used for small to medium sample numbers. Thus, the method presented is useful for investigating gene regulatory effects during macrophage differentiation and polarization. Apart from presenting results characterizing macrophages transfected according to this protocol in comparison to an alternative chemical method, the impact of cell culture medium selection after transfection on cell behavior is also discussed. The presented data indicate the importance of validating the selection for different experimental settings.

This protocol presents an efficient and reliable method to transfect human THP-1 macrophages with siRNA or plasmid DNA by electroporation with high transfection efficiency while maintaining high cell vitality and full macrophage capacity for differentiation and polarization.

Macrophages, as key players of the innate immune response, are at the focus of research dealing with tissue homeostasis or various pathologies. ...

Generation of Knock-out Primary and Expanded Human NK Cells Using Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins

CRISPR/Cas9 technology is accelerating genome engineering in many cell types, but so far, gene delivery and stable gene modification have been challenging in primary NK cells. For example, transgene delivery using lentiviral or retroviral transduction resulted in a limited yield of genetically-engineered NK cells due to substantial procedure-associated NK cell apoptosis. We describe here a DNA-free method for genome editing of human primary and expanded NK cells using Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes (Cas9/RNPs). This method allowed efficient knockout of the TGFBR2 and HPRT1 genes in NK cells. RT-PCR data showed a significant decrease in gene expression level, and a cytotoxicity assay of a representative cell product suggested that the RNP-modified NK cells became less sensitive to TGF&#946;. Genetically modified cells could be expanded post-electroporation by stimulation with irradiated mbIL21-expressing feeder cells.

Here, we present a protocol to genetically modify primary or expanded human natural killer (NK) cells using Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins (Cas9/RNPs). By using this protocol, we generated human NK cells deficient for transforming growth factor&#8211;b receptor 2 (TGFBR2) and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1).

CRISPR/Cas9 technology is accelerating genome engineering in many cell types, but so far, gene delivery and stable gene modification have been challenging ...

Identification of Mouse and Human Antibody Repertoires by Next-Generation Sequencing

The immense adaptability of antigen recognition by antibodies is the basis of the acquired immune system. Despite our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the production of the vast repertoire of antibodies by the acquired immune systems, it has not yet been possible to arrive at a global view of a complete antibody repertoire. In particular, B cell repertoires have been regarded as a black box because of their astronomical number of antibody clones. However, next-generation sequencing technologies are enabling breakthroughs to increase our understanding of the B cell repertoire. In this report, we describe a simple and efficient method to visualize and analyze whole individual mouse and human antibody repertoires. From the immune organs, representatively from spleen in mice and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in humans, total RNA was prepared, reverse transcribed, and amplified using the 5&#39;-RACE method. Using a universal forward primer and antisense primers for the antibody class-specific constant domains, antibody mRNAs were uniformly amplified in proportions reflecting their frequencies in the antibody populations. The amplicons were sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS), yielding more than 105 antibody sequences per immunological sample. We describe the protocols for antibody sequence analyses including V(D)J-gene-segment annotation, a bird&#39;s-eye view of the antibody repertoire, and our computational methods.

Here, we describe protocols for the analysis and visualization of the structure and constitution of whole antibody repertoires. This involves the acquisition of vast sequences of antibody RNA using next-generation sequencing.

The immense adaptability of antigen recognition by antibodies is the basis of the acquired immune system. Despite our understanding of the molecular ...

Confocal Imaging of Double-Stranded RNA and Pattern Recognition Receptors in Negative-Sense RNA Virus Infection

Double-stranded (ds) RNA is produced as a replicative intermediate during RNA virus infection. Recognition of dsRNA by host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as the retinoic acid (RIG-I) like receptors (RLRs) RIG-I and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA-5) leads to the induction of the innate immune response. The formation and intracellular distribution of dsRNA in positive-sense RNA virus infection has been well characterized by microscopy. Many negative-sense RNA viruses, including some arenaviruses, trigger the innate immune response during infection. However, negative-sense RNA viruses were thought to produce low levels of dsRNA, which hinders the imaging study of PRR recognition of viral dsRNA. Additionally, infection experiments with highly pathogenic arenaviruses must be performed in high containment biosafety level facilities (BSL-4). The interaction between viral RNA and PRRs for highly pathogenic RNA virus is largely unknown due to the additional technical challenges that researchers need to face in the BSL-4 facilities. Recently, a monoclonal antibody (Mab) (clone 9D5) originally used for pan-enterovirus detection has been found to specifically detect dsRNA with a higher sensitivity than the traditional J2 or K1 anti-dsRNA antibodies. Herein, by utilizing the 9D5 antibody, we describe a confocal microscopy protocol that has been used successfully to visualize dsRNA, viral protein and PRR simultaneously in individual cells infected by arenavirus. The protocol is also suitable for imaging studies of dsRNA and PRR distribution in pathogenic arenavirus infected cells in BSL4 facilities.

Double-stranded RNA produced during RNA virus replication can be recognized by pattern recognition receptors to induce an innate immune response. For negative-sense RNA viruses, the interaction between the low-level dsRNA and PRRs remains unclear. We have developed a confocal microscopy method to visualize arenavirus dsRNA and PRR in individual cells.

Double-stranded (ds) RNA is produced as a replicative intermediate during RNA virus infection. Recognition of dsRNA by host pattern recognition receptors ...

Isolation, Transfection, and Culture of Primary Human Monocytes

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major health concern despite the introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the mid-1990s. While antiretroviral therapy efficiently lowers systemic viral load and restores normal CD4+ T cell counts, it does not reconstitute a completely functional immune system. A dysfunctional immune system in HIV-infected individuals undergoing cART may be characterized by immune activation, early aging of immune cells, or persistent inflammation. These conditions, along with comorbid factors associated with HIV infection, add complexity to the disease, which cannot be easily reproduced in cellular and animal models. To investigate the molecular events underlying immune dysfunction in these patients, a system to culture and manipulate human primary monocytes in vitro is presented here. Specifically, the protocol allows for the culture and transfection of primary CD14+ monocytes obtained from HIV-infected individuals undergoing cART as well as from HIV-negative controls. The method involves isolation, culture, and transfection of monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages. While commercially available kits and reagents are employed, the protocol provides important tips and optimized conditions for successful adherence and transfection of monocytes with miRNA mimics and inhibitors as well as with siRNAs.

Presented here is an optimized protocol for isolating, culturing, transfecting, and differentiating human primary monocytes from HIV-infected individuals and healthy controls.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major health concern despite the introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the mid-1990s. ...