Name: a western blotting protocol for small numbers of hematopoietic stem cells
Uploaded: 2018-08-22T12:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Western Blotting Protocol for Small Numbers of Hematopoietic Stem Cells at JoVE.com

National Institutes of Health grant R01 CA149976 (N.A.S) supported this work.

All procedures must be performed in accordance with institutional animal use and care guidelines. The procedure was developed for the analysis of murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSCs and HPs), but can be adapted for the analysis of other cell populations.
1. Flow Cytometry Isolation of Murine HSCs and HPs
<ol>
	<li>Harvest murine bone marrow cells as described in the literature6. 
	NOTE: In data presented in Figure 1 ...

<ol>
	<li>Krutzik, P. O., Clutter, M. R., Nolan, G. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Coordinate+analysis+of+murine+immune+cell+surface+markers+and+intracellular+phosphoproteins+by+flow+cytometry.">Coordinate analysis of murine immune cell surface markers and intracellular phosphoproteins by flow cytometry.</a> J Immunol. 175 (4), 2357-2365 (2005).</li><li>Du, 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=Signaling+profiling+at+the+single-cell+level+identifies+a+distinct+signaling+signature+in+murine+hematopoietic+stem+cells.">Signaling profiling at the single-cell level identifies a distinct signaling signature in murine hematopoietic stem cells.</a> Stem Cells. 30 (7), 1447-1454 (2012).</li><li>Signer, R. A., Magee, J. A., Salic, A., Morrison, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Haematopoietic+stem+cells+require+a+highly+regulated+protein+synthesis+rate.">Haematopoietic stem cells require a highly regulated protein synthesis rate.</a> Nature. 509 (7498), 49-54 (2014).</li><li>Wang, 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+differentiation+checkpoint+limits+hematopoietic+stem+cell+self-renewal+in+response+to+DNA+damage.">A differentiation checkpoint limits hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal in response to DNA damage.</a> Cell. 148 (5), 1001-1014 (2012).</li><li>Hoshii, T., 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=mTORC1+is+essential+for+leukemia+propagation+but+not+stem+cell+self-renewal.">mTORC1 is essential for leukemia propagation but not stem cell self-renewal.</a> J Clin Invest. 122 (6), 2114-2129 (2012).</li><li>Signer, R. A., 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=The+rate+of+protein+synthesis+in+hematopoietic+stem+cells+is+limited+partly+by+4E-BPs.">The rate of protein synthesis in hematopoietic stem cells is limited partly by 4E-BPs.</a> Genes Dev. 30 (15), 1698-1703 (2016).</li><li>Cai, X., 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=Runx1+deficiency+decreases+ribosome+biogenesis+and+confers+stress+resistance+to+hematopoietic+stem+and+progenitor+cells.">Runx1 deficiency decreases ribosome biogenesis and confers stress resistance to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.</a> Cell Stem Cell. , (2015).</li><li>Loven, 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=Revisiting+global+gene+expression+analysis.">Revisiting global gene expression analysis.</a> Cell. 151 (3), 476-482 (2012).</li><li>JoVE Science Education Database. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Using+a+Hemoacytometer+to+Count+Cells.">Using a Hemoacytometer to Count Cells.</a> Basic Methods in Cellular and Molecular Biology. , (2017).</li><li>JoVE Science Education Database. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Separating+Protein+with+SDS-PAGE.">Separating Protein with SDS-PAGE.</a> Basic Methods in Cellular and Molecular Biology. , (2017).</li><li>JoVE Science Education Database. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Western+Blot.">The Western Blot.</a> Basic Methods in Cellular and Molecular Biology. , (2017).</li><li>Jackson, R. J., Hellen, C. U., Pestova, T. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mechanism+of+eukaryotic+translation+initiation+and+principles+of+its+regulation.">The mechanism of eukaryotic translation initiation and principles of its regulation.</a> Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 11 (2), 113-127 (2010).</li><li>Eaton, S. L., 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+guide+to+modern+quantitative+fluorescent+western+blotting+with+troubleshooting+strategies.">A guide to modern quantitative fluorescent western blotting with troubleshooting strategies.</a> J Vis Exp. (93), e52099 (2014).</li></ol>

Western Blotting is a common technique for detecting specific proteins and the activation of signaling pathways in tissues or cells. By introducing small adjustments to a commonly used procedure, we were able to routinely detect 15 different proteins (Table of Materials) in 15,000 HSCs, and in some cases in as few as 500 HSCs. The most critical steps in this protocol are: 1) accurately counting the cells, 2) minimizing the number of transfers between tubes, and 3) lysing the cells directly with Laemmli s...

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are self-renewing cells that can give rise to all blood lineages. They are relatively rare cells in the bone marrow, rendering biochemical analyses difficult. Approaches suitable for analyzing rare cells, such as flow cytometry, have been extremely useful for quantifying relative amounts of cell surface markers and intracellular proteins. However, the analysis of intracellular proteins necessitates the use of cell permeabilization procedures to enable antibody access, and not all cell surface epitopes survive these procedures1,2. In addition, antibodies that discriminate between different protein isoforms or cleavage products are not often available for flow cytometry, and therefore investigators still rely on Western blots for certain types of analyses.
Western blot analysis of cell lysates is a routine procedure in most laboratories. Cells can be purified under native conditions that preserve the epitopes of cell surface molecules, and cell lysates can subsequently be prepared and analyzed. However, the analysis of proteins in rare primary cell populations by Western blot can require euthanizing large numbers of animals to obtain enough cells. By making small adjustments to several steps, a conventional Western blotting protocol was able to detect proteins in relatively small numbers of HSCs (500 - 15,000, depending on the protein of interest). The adjustments include accurately counting the cells, carefully handling the cell pellet, reducing transfers of cells between tubes to minimize cell loss, and lysing a defined number of cells with a concentrated loading buffer containing proteasome and phosphatase inhibitors. Many published reports include Western blots obtained with 20,000 or more HSCs3,4,5,6,7; this simple procedure will reduce the number of cells and experimental animals required to produce equivalent data by between 4 and 40 fold. The protocol is designed to normalize results on a per cell basis, rather than to an internal control. This enables detection of overall reductions in protein levels that can be overlooked if data are normalized to an internal control. The importance of normalizing on a per cell basis was described for the analysis of gene expression data8, and the same principle applies to quantifying proteins by Western blot. This optimized protocol should be useful for anyone needing to analyze small numbers of cells.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP166-500</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TEMED</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP150-20</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>30% Acrylamidel Bis solution</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1610158</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5M Tris-HCl pH8.8</td>
			<td>TEKNOVA</td>
			<td>T1588</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.0M Tris-HCl pH6.8</td>
			<td>TEKNOVA</td>
			<td>T1068</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ammonium Persulfate</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP179-25</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mini-protean 3 comb</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1653360</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td> 
			Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Cell</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1658005EDU&#160;</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;Transfer System</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1704155EDU</td>
			<td>transfer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PowerPac HC Power Supply</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1645052EDU&#160;</td>
			<td>electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Imaging System</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1708195&#160;</td>
			<td>signal detection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4x Laemmli Sample Buffer</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1610747EDU&#160;</td>
			<td>sample preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10x Tris/Glycine/SDS Electrophoresis Buffer</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1610732EDU&#160;</td>
			<td>electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-Mercaptoethanol</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1610710EDU</td>
			<td>sample preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;RTA Mini PVDF Transfer Kit, for 40 blots</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1704272&#160;</td>
			<td>transfer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Protease Inhibitor Cocktail</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>11697498001</td>
			<td>sample preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphatase Inhibitor Cocktailrs</td>
			<td>Gold Biotechnology</td>
			<td>GB-450-1</td>
			<td>sample preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EIF4G</td>
			<td>Cell signaling</td>
			<td>2469</td>
			<td>WB antibody, validated in 1000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): Fig2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>p-Rps6</td>
			<td>Cell signaling</td>
			<td>4858</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 1000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): Fig2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>actin(HRP conjugated)</td>
			<td>abcam</td>
			<td>ab49900</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 500 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:5000 
			reference(figure): Fig1, Fig2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LC-3</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>ab48394</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig5)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>S6</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>2317</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig4)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4EBP1</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>9644</td>
			<td>WB antibody, validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig4)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>p-4EBP1</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>2855</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig4)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TSC2</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>4308</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig4)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HSP90</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>4877</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig5)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PTEN</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>9188</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (FigS1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mTOR</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>2983</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (FigS1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>p-mTOR</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>5536</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (FigS1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PP2AB</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>4953</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (FigS1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>p-AMPKa</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>2535</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:1000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (FigS1)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>actin</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>sc-47778</td>
			<td>WB antibody,validated in 15000 cells 
			antibody concentration: 1:3000 
			reference(figure): ref5 (Fig4)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>lineage depletion kit (mouse)</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-090-858</td>
			<td>hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells purification</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LS columns</td>
			<td>Miltenyi Biotec</td>
			<td>130-041-305</td>
			<td>hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells purification</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SCF</td>
			<td>PeproTech</td>
			<td>250-03</td>
			<td>phosphorylation stimulation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>APC-Cy7 c-kit antibody</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>A15423</td>
			<td>cell sorting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-B220</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>48-0452-82</td>
			<td>cell sorting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-CD3e</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>48-0031-82</td>
			<td>cell sorting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-Mac1</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>48-0112-82</td>
			<td>cell sorting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-Gr1</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>48-5931-82</td>
			<td>cell sorting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-Ter119</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>48-5921-82</td>
			<td>cell sorting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Spacer Plates with 1.0 mm Integrated Spacers</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>1653311</td>
			<td>&#160;SDS-PAGE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BSA</td>
			<td>Research Products International</td>
			<td>A30075</td>
			<td>membrane blocking</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>serum</td>
			<td>Atlanta Biologicals</td>
			<td>A12450</td>
			<td>medium supplement</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cell counter</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>AMQAF1000</td>
			<td>cell counting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>hemocytometer</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>&#160;S17040</td>
			<td>cell counting</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>flim</td>
			<td>Denville Scientific</td>
			<td>E3012</td>
			<td>signal detection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>medical film processor</td>
			<td>Konica</td>
			<td>SRC-101A</td>
			<td>signal detection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Supersignal West Femto Maximum Sensitivity Substrate</td>
			<td>Therom Scientific</td>
			<td>34096</td>
			<td>signal detection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Allegra X-15R Centrifuge (Rotor SX4750A)</td>
			<td>Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td>X-15R</td>
			<td>sample preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BLUEstain protein ladder</td>
			<td>Gold Biotechnology</td>
			<td>P007-500</td>
			<td>electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cell sorter</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>FACSAria II</td>
			<td>sample preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Incublock</td>
			<td>Denville Scientific</td>
			<td>I0510</td>
			<td>electrophoresis</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a western blotting protocol for small numbers of hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are rare cells, with the mouse bone marrow containing only ~25,000 phenotypic long term repopulating HSCs. A Western blotting protocol was optimized and suitable for the analysis of small numbers of HSCs (500 - 15,000 cells). Phenotypic HSCs were purified, accurately counted, and directly lysed in Laemmli sample buffer. Lysates containing equal numbers of cells were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and the blot was prepared and processed following standard Western blotting protocols. Using this protocol, 2,000 - 5,000 HSCs can be routinely analyzed, and in some cases data can be obtained from as few as 500 cells, compared to the 20,000 to 40,000 cells reported in most publications. This protocol should be generally applicable to other hematopoietic cells, and enables the routine analysis of small numbers of cells using standard laboratory procedures.

Representative results from 500 - 2,000 purified HSCs and HPs are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. The &#946;-actin signal in Figure 1 can be detected from as few as 500 HSCs and HPs purified from the bone marrow of one mouse. Note that loading the lysates into 1.5 mm wells produced a much stronger signal from 500 HPs than loading into 3.0 mm wells. Figure 2 is a Western ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Western Blotting Protocol for Small Numbers of Hematopoietic Stem Cells at JoVE.com

A Western Blotting Protocol for Small Numbers of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

A standard Western blotting protocol was optimized for analyzing as few as 500 hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells. Optimization involves careful handling of the cell sample, limiting transfers between tubes, and directly lysing the cells in Laemmli sample buffer.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are rare cells, with the mouse bone marrow containing only ~25,000 phenotypic long term repopulating HSCs. A Western ...

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