Characterizing Cells

What To Characterize

• Confirmation Of Species Of Origin

• Correlation With The Tissue Of Origin
• Transformation Status
• Finite Or Continuous
• Cross-Contamination
• Stability (ex. susceptibility to transformation)
 How Is Characterization Done
• Species Identification
– Chromosomal analysis
• Tissue Markers
– Cell surface markers
• Ex. CD11c if DC
– Intermediate filament proteins
• Ex. 1 Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocytes. Ex. 2 Desmin
for muscle cells. Ex. 3 Cytokeratin for epithelial cells
– Differentiated products
• Ex. Melanin for melanocytes, hemoglogin for erythroid cells, serum
albumin for hepatocytes
– Unique Markers
• Ex. HLA highly polymorphic, unique to an individual
• Morphology
– Easy and fast but has variability depending on culturing conditions
and site
Flow Cytometry Is A Powerful Technique
For Characterizing Cells

• Allows For Detection Of Surface Markers

Of Cells
• Allows For Detection Of Intracellular
Factors
• Allows Detection Of Secreted Factors By
Cells
• Allows For Detection Of DNA Content
Principles Of Flow Cytometry
How Is It Done:

http://biology.berkeley.edu/crl/flow_cytometry_basic.html
Limitations With Light Scattering
• Some Information Can Be Obtained
• FSC Correlates With Cell Size
• SSC Correlates With Internal Complexity
• To Distinguish Between 2 Cell types
– A. Size Has To Be Different OR
– B. Internal Complexity i.e amount of granules
• If These Two Parameters Are The Same, Then
No Distinction Can Be Made
• See The Following Figure
FSC vs SSC Dot Plot
Fluorescence And Antibodies
To The Rescue
 Fluorescent Dyes And Antibodies
• Fluorochromes Are Molecules That Emit
Fluorescence Upon Excitation With Light
– Ex. FITC (Fluorescein Isothiocyanate)
– PE (Phycoerythrin)
– PerCP (Peridinin Chlorophyll Protein)
– APC (Allophycocyanin)
• Some Fluorochromes Are Proteins, Some Are
Small Organic Compounds
– Ex. PE (Phycoerythrin)-Protein
– Ex. FITC (Fluorescein Isothiocyanate)
Principles Of Fluorescence

E= h f
=f
Excitation Spectra Of
Fluorochromes
Emission Spectra
Architecture Of A FacsCalibur
Instrument
Analyzed Data
Fig. 2 GM-CSF+IL-4 GM-CSF+IL-4+PGE2
GMF: 168.92 GMF: 1.85

25 75 99 1

GMF: 11.82 GMF: 391.83

80 99
20 1
Unstained ISOTYPES
GM-CSF + IL-4 (6 Days Old)

GM-CSF