THE USE of FLOW CYTOMETRY FOR RAPID IDENTIFICATION of SALMONELLAE

Flow cell cytometry can be used in a sensitive fluorescent immunoassay to rapidly identify salmonellae of Groups D and E. Staphylococcal Protein A couples with the Fc region of many antibodies, especially immunoglobulin G. When a fluorescent marker, fluorescein isothiocyanate, is conjugated to Protein A, an antibody-antigen reaction can be visualized in a flow cell cytometer with an appropriate optical sensor after excitation. Ten thousand cells were individually analyzed in each cytometer run within a minute. the resultant data, presented as histograms and tables, indicated the number of cells in the suspension reacting positively with the antiserum by fluorescence, cell size, distribution and light scatter. This provides an in-depth analysis of the antibody-antigen reaction not possible with other types of immunoassays.     

外用红色诺卡氏菌细胞壁骨架效力测试实验方法的研究

摸索改进外用红色诺卡氏菌（Nocardia rubra）细胞壁骨架的两种效力测试方法,即流式细胞术-荧光微球法、流式细胞术-免疫双标法（荧光微球+荧光抗体）,并与国家食品药品监督管理局原审批方法进行比较,经过统计学评估,评价两种方法的可行性。通过抽取小鼠免疫后获得的腹腔液注入到流式细胞仪,在发射光的荧光通路中,检测巨噬细胞的荧光强度,测定未吞噬荧光微球的巨噬细胞和吞噬荧光微球的巨噬细胞的比例,全部数据经统计学分析,按公式计算吞噬率及吞噬指数完成流式细胞术检测过程。分别采用荧光微球以及荧光微球+荧光抗体两种方式上机检测巨噬细胞吞噬结果。测得的结果与原检验方法——人工显微镜观察法的结果进行比较,确定评估方法的有效性和准确性。结果表明,显微镜人工计数法与流式细胞术-免疫双标法（荧光微球+荧光抗体）的3次实验结果与正常对照组比较,吞噬率明显升高（P<0.01）,吞噬指数明显增大（P<0.01）,有显著性差异,判定结果为阳性;3次流式细胞术-荧光微球法实验,结果不稳定。流式细胞术-免疫双标法（荧光微球+荧光抗体）由于加入了成熟小鼠巨噬细胞表面特异性标志物抗体F480荧光抗体,可有效标记小鼠巨噬细胞,加强了流式细胞仪收集巨噬细胞的准确性,两者结合应用更能准确反映供试品对小鼠巨噬细胞吞噬功能的作用。利用此方法检测外用红色诺卡氏菌细胞壁骨架增强免疫力的结果和药品原检验方法的统计学结果一致。该方法获取的巨噬细胞数量远多于原方法,加入的荧光微球及荧光抗体,能更准确反应供试品对小鼠巨噬细胞的吞噬作用。该方法灵敏性高、稳定性好,并且易操作,可作为原实验方法的改良参考。     

Multiplexed labeling system for high-throughput cell sorting

Flow cytometry and fluorescence activated cell sorting techniques were designed to realize configurable classification and separation of target cells. A number of cell phenotypes with different functionalities have recently been revealed. Before simultaneous selective capture of cells, it is desirable to label different samples with the corresponding dyes in a multiplexing manner to allow for a single analysis. However, few methods to obtain multiple fluorescent colors for various cell types have been developed. Even when restricted laser sources are employed, a small number of color codes can be expressed simultaneously. In this study, we demonstrate the ability to manifest DNA nanostructure-based multifluorescent colors formed by a complex of dyes. Highly precise self-assembly of fluorescent dye-conjugated oligonucleotides gives anisotropic DNA nanostructures, Y- and tree-shaped DNA (Y-DNA and T-DNA, respectively), which may be used as platforms for fluorescent codes. As a proof of concept, we have demonstrated seven different fluorescent codes with only two different fluorescent dyes using T-DNA. This method provides maximum efficiency for current flow cytometry. We are confident that this system will provide highly efficient multiplexed fluorescent detection for bioanalysis compared with one-to-one fluorescent correspondence for specific marker detection.     

基于电感耦合等离子体质谱的单细胞分析

单细胞分析可以获得细胞在微环境中准确的个体信息,对于研究细胞的信号传导、生理病理和疾病的早期诊断等具有十分重要的意义.近年来,基于电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)的单细胞分析方法开始得到越来越多的应用.本文综述了基于ICP-MS的单细胞分析方法及其在免疫分析、疾病诊断、药物筛选、纳米分析等方面的部分应用,并对基于ICP-MS的单细胞分析方法做出总结和展望.     

The Use of Carboxyfluorescein Diacetate Succinimidyl Ester (CFSE) to Monitor Lymphocyte Proliferation

Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) is an effective and popular means to monitor lymphocyte division^1-3. CFSE covalently labels long-lived intracellular molecules with the fluorescent dye, carboxyfluorescein. Thus, when a CFSE-labeled cell divides, its progeny are endowed with half the number of carboxyfluorescein-tagged molecules and thus each cell division can be assessed by measuring the corresponding decrease in cell fluorescence via Flow cytometry. The capacity of CFSE to label lymphocyte populations with a high fluorescent intensity of exceptionally low variance, coupled with its low cell toxicity, make it an ideal dye to measure cell division. Since it is a fluorescein-based dye it is also compatible with a broad range of other fluorochromes making it applicable to multi-color flow cytometry. This article describes the procedures typically used for labeling mouse lymphocytes for the purpose of monitoring up to 8 cell divisions. These labeled cells can be used both for in vitro and in vivo studies.     

Characterization of adrenal medullary chromaffin cells by flow cytometry.

BACKGROUND: Adrenomedullary chromaffin cells are neural crest derivatives widely used as a model system to study neurosecretory mechanisms. Morphological, immunohistochemical, and functional data indicate that chromaffin cells are heterogeneous and support the distinction between adrenaline (A)- and noradrenaline (NA)-producing and secreting cells. The aim of this study was to characterize by flow cytometry the two main chromaffin cell subtypes in suspensions of cultured bovine chromaffin cells. METHODS: An indirect immunofluorescence method was used for the specific labeling of two intracellular enzymes, dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), involved in the synthesis of NA and A, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis of fluorescence labeling was performed in two chromaffin cell fractions differentially enriched in A-containing cells by centrifugation through density gradients. PNMT and DBH-related fluorescence was also correlated with the A and NA content of the cells assayed by HPLC measurements. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in forward-side scatter plots between the two cell fractions (A-enriched cells and mixed cells); however, the degree of labeling of the enzymes and the corresponding PNMT/DBH-related fluorescence ratio was significantly greater in the A-enriched cell fraction. The existence of changes in DBH and PNMT content of chromaffin cells over time (1 week) in culture was also examined. No significant variation in enzyme related fluorescence values was detected in any of the two cell fractions, and this result correlated well with HPLC determinations of the catecholamine content (A and NA) of the cells. CONCLUSIONS: Flow cytometry appears to be a useful technique to characterize chromaffin cell subtypes and to follow their phenotypic changes in response to growth factors.     

Flow cytometry and FACS applied to filamentous fungi

Flow cytometry is an automated, laser- or impedance-based, high throughput method that allows very rapid analysis of multiple chemical and physical characteristics of single cells within a cell population. It is an extremely powerful technology that has been used for over four decades with filamentous fungi. Although single cells within a cell population are normally analysed rapidly on a cell-by-cell basis using the technique, flow cytometry can also be used to analyse cell (e.g. spore) aggregates or entire microcolonies. Living or fixed cells can be stained with a wide range of fluorescent reporters to label different cell components or measure different physiological processes. Flow cytometry is also suited for measurements of cell size, interaction, aggregation or shape using non-labelled cells by means of analysing their light scattering characteristics. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a specialized form of flow cytometry that provides a method for sorting a heterogeneous mixture of cells into two or more containers based upon the fluorescence and/or light scattering properties of each cell. The major advantage of analysing cells by flow cytometry over microscopy is the speed of analysis: thousands of cells can be analysed per second or sorted in minutes. Drawbacks of flow cytometry are that specific cells cannot be followed in time and normally spatial information relating to individual cells is lacking. A big advantage over microscopy is when using FACS, cells with desired characteristics can be sorted for downstream experimentation (e.g. for growth, infection, enzyme production, gene expression assays or ‘omics’ approaches). In this review, we explain the basic concepts of flow cytometry and FACS, define its advantages and disadvantages in comparison with microscopy, and describe the wide range of applications in which these powerful technologies have been used with filamentous fungi.     

染料木素对铅诱导的PC12 细胞毒性的抑制效应研究

目的:探讨染料木素对铅诱导的细胞毒性的影响。方法:PC12细胞分为对照组、染铅组、染料木素组以及铅加染料木素组;MTT实验检测细胞活力的改变,流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡水平的变化,荧光探针检测线粒体形态的改变,Western blot方法检测线粒体融合分裂相关蛋白表达水平的变化。结果:铅可诱导PC12细胞活力的下降以及细胞凋亡率的显著增高,染料木素可抑制铅的这些毒性效应。与此同时,铅可诱导线粒体形态的损伤性改变,线粒体融合减少,分裂增多;而加入染料木素之后,线粒体损伤程度显著下降,线粒体分裂减少,融合增多。此外,线粒体融合相关蛋白Mfn2的水平在铅暴露后显著下降,而线粒体分裂相关蛋白Drp1的水平在铅暴露后显著升高,染料木素干预后均有所恢复。结论:染料木素可抑制铅诱导的PC12细胞毒性,其作用可能与其对线粒体融合分裂过程的干预有关。     

Variable selection and multivariate methods for the identification of microorganisms by flow cytometry.

BACKGROUND: When exploited fully, flow cytometry can be used to provide multiparametric data for each cell in the sample of interest. While this makes flow cytometry a powerful technique for discriminating between different cell types, the data can be difficult to interpret. Traditionally, dual-parameter plots are used to visualize flow cytometric data, and for a data set consisting of seven parameters, one should examine 21 of these plots. A more efficient method is to reduce the dimensionality of the data (e.g., using unsupervised methods such as principal components analysis) so that fewer graphs need to be examined, or to use supervised multivariate data analysis methods to give a prediction of the identity of the analyzed particles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected multiparametric data sets for microbiological samples stained with six cocktails of fluorescent stains. Multivariate data analysis methods were explored as a means of microbial detection and identification. RESULTS: We show that while all cocktails and all methods gave good accuracy of predictions (>94%), careful selection of both the stains and the analysis method could improve this figure (to > 99% accuracy), even in a data set that was not used in the formation of the supervised multivariate calibration model. CONCLUSIONS: Flow cytometry provides a rapid method of obtaining multiparametric data for distinguishing between microorganisms. Multivariate data analysis methods have an important role to play in extracting the information from the data obtained. Artificial neural networks proved to be the most suitable method of data analysis.     

Analysis of virus-infected cells by flow cytometry

Flow cytometry has been used to study virus-cell interactions for many years. This article critically reviews a number of reports on the use of flow cytometry for the detection of virus-infected cells directly in clinical samples and in virus-infected cultured cells. Examples are presented of the use of flow cytometry to screen antiviral drugs against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex viruses (HSV) and to perform drug susceptibility testing for these viruses. The use of reporter genes such as green fluorescent protein incorporated into HIV or HSV or into cells for the detection of the presence of virus, for drug susceptibility assay, and for viral pathogenesis is also covered. Finally, studies on the use of flow cytometry for studying the effect of virus infection on apoptosis and the cell cycle are summarized. It is hoped that this article will give the reader some understanding of the great potential of this technology for studying virus cell interactions.     

Quantification of cell hybridoma yields with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry

The fusion of antigen presenting and cancer cells leads to the formation of hybrid cells, which are considered a potential vaccine for treating cancer. The quality assessment of hybrid cell vaccines is crucial for the introduction of this new treatment. Flow cytometry was the method used recently, since it is faster in comparison to classical microscopy. Here we describe a rapid confocal microscopy based approach to quantify hybrid cell yields. The extent of fusion rate was determined by confocal microscopy by counting dual fluorescent cells and by measuring the area of co-localized pixels. Results of both methods showed high degree of correlation. The same samples were also analyzed by flow cytometry. Fusion rates determined with both techniques showed significant correlation. In conclusion, using confocal microscopy we developed a sensitive and a rapid method to assess the yield of hybridomas in a large number of electrofused cells.     

A dual fluorescence flow cytometric analysis of bacterial adherence to mammalian host cells

Flow cytometry has provided a powerful tool for analyzing bacteria-host cell associations. Established approaches have used bacteria, labeled either directly with fluorochromes or indirectly with fluorescently conjugated antibodies, to detect these associations. Although useful, these techniques are consistently unable to include all host cells in the analysis while excluding free, aggregated bacteria. This study describes a new flow cytometry method of assessing bacterial adherence to host cells based on direct fluorescent labeling of both bacteria and host cells. Eukaryotic host cells were labeled with PKH-26, a red fluorescent dye, and bacteria were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate, a green fluorescent dye. The red host cells were gated and the mean green fluorescence intensity (MFI) of these red cells was determined. We used MFI values obtained from control samples (unlabeled and labeled host cells with unlabeled bacteria) to eliminate contributions due to autofluorescence. The final MFI values represent fluorescence of host cells resulting from the adherent bacteria. Because all red fluorescent cells are analyzed, this method includes all the eukaryotic cells for analysis but excludes all free or aggregated bacteria that are not bound to target cells.     

基于液氮研磨法的流式细胞术检测马铃薯倍性的研究

染色体组倍性鉴定是马铃薯种质资源评价的重要内容,流式细胞仪能够快速、准确地对细胞核DNA含量进行测定,从而广泛用于检测植物染色体组倍性。建立适于马铃薯倍性鉴定的高通量流式细胞术体系,对马铃薯育种工作提供依据。以20份马铃薯合作88孤雌诱导后代为材料,用液氮研磨法制备叶片细胞核悬液,并将其与传统刀片切碎法制备的细胞核悬液进行比较,对已知四倍体马铃薯合作88和二倍体马铃薯IVP101进行染色体倍性测定,结果发现这两种方法在倍性测定结果之间无明显差异,但是液氮研磨法操作简单、耗时少。基于液氮研磨法的流式细胞术可快速、准确检测其倍性。另外,在液氮研磨法中,对细胞核悬液染色时间的长短(从15 min到12 h)并不会影响倍性测定结果,从而方便研究人员在实际操作中灵活选择染色时间。     

Development of a flow cytometric assay to study glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene activation in living cells

A flow cytometry-based reporter gene assay was developed and utilized to measure glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated gene activation at the single cell level in living cells. A reporter gene was generated that contains two copies of the glucocorticoid response element and an E1b TATA box upstream of a destabilized enhanced green fluorescent protein. Glucocorticoid activation of the reporter gene in Cos-1 and HTC cell lines was measured in vivo by flow cytometry and was shown to be dose dependent, leading to an increase in total fluorescence of the cell population. Flow cytometric analysis indicated this increase in total fluorescence per sample resulted from an increase in the number of cells expressing the activated green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter as well as an overall increase in the mean GFP fluorescence within cells. Activation of reporter gene activity was time dependent occurring as early as 1-2h after dexamethasone addition. Activation of the reporter gene was specific as it exhibited different sensitivities to a range of glucocorticoids and activation could be blocked with glucocorticoid receptor antagonists. Coexpression of the coactivator SRC-1a or P65 subunit of NF-kappa B with GR led to enhancement or repression, respectively. Taken together, these data suggest the reporter-based flow cytometry assay is an effective method for analyzing glucocorticoid receptor-mediated gene expression at the single cell level in living cells.     

Evidence that Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis fimbriae function in adhesion to Actinomyces viscosus.

Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) gingivalis adheres to gram-positive bacteria, such as Actinomyces viscosus, when colonizing the tooth surface. However, little is known of the adhesins responsible for this interaction. A series of experiments were performed to determine whether P. gingivalis fimbriae function in its coadhesion with A. viscosus. Fimbriae typical of P. gingivalis were isolated from strain 2561 (ATCC 33277) by the method of Yoshimura et al. (F. Yoshimura, K. Takahashi, Y. Nodasaka, and T. Suzuki, J. Bacteriol. 160:949-957, 1984) in fractions enriched with a 40-kDa subunit, the fimbrillin monomer, P. gingivalis-A. viscosus coaggregation was inhibited by purified rabbit antifimbrial immunoglobulin G (IgG) at dilutions eightfold higher than those of preimmune IgG, providing indirect evidence implicating P. gingivalis fimbriae in coadhesion. Three types of direct binding assays further supported this observation. (i) Mixtures of isolated P. gingivalis fimbriae and A. viscosus WVU627 cells were incubated for 1 h, washed vigorously with phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2), and subjected to electrophoresis. Transblots onto nitrocellulose were probed with antifimbrial antiserum. Fimbrillin labeled positively on these blots. No reaction occurred with the control protein, porcine serum albumin, when blots were exposed to anti-porcine serum albumin, (ii) A. viscosus cells incubated with P. gingivalis fimbriae were agglutinated only after the addition of antifimbrial antibodies. (iii) Binding curves generated from an enzyme immunoassay demonstrated concentration-dependent binding of P. gingivalis fimbriae to A. viscosus cells. From these lines of evidence, P. gingivalis fimbriae appear to be capable of binding to A. viscosus and mediating the coadhesion of these species.     

Live Cell Cycle Analysis of Drosophila Tissues using the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer and Vybrant DyeCycle Violet DNA Stain

Flow cytometry has been widely used to obtain information about DNA content in a population of cells, to infer relative percentages in different cell cycle phases. This technique has been successfully extended to the mitotic tissues of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster for genetic studies of cell cycle regulation in vivo. When coupled with cell-type specific fluorescent protein expression and genetic manipulations, one can obtain detailed information about effects on cell number, cell size and cell cycle phasing in vivo. However this live-cell method has relied on the use of the cell permeable Hoechst 33342 DNA-intercalating dye, limiting users to flow cytometers equipped with a UV laser. We have modified this protocol to use a newer live-cell DNA dye, Vybrant DyeCycle Violet, compatible with the more common violet 405nm laser. The protocol presented here allows for efficient cell cycle analysis coupled with cell type, relative cell size and cell number information, in a variety of Drosophila tissues. This protocol extends the useful cell cycle analysis technique for live Drosophila tissues to a small benchtop analyzer, the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer, which can be run and maintained on a single-lab scale.     

Immunophenotyping--a tool for the differential diagnostics of lymphadenomegaly

BACKGROUND: Flow cytometry is a method that enables the automated quantification of a set of parameters for a large number of cells or cell-like particles. It is also possible to analyze solid tissues after reduction to a single cell suspension. One of the applications of fl ow cytometry is immunophenotyping. AIM: The authors try to introduce the basic physical and biological principles of fl ow-cytometry to the broader public and to prove the benefits of method in lymph nodes assessment. METHOD: A common method of immunophenotyping with the help of labeled monoclonal antibodies applied to lymph node cells was used. RESULTS: Flow cytometry revealed the infiltration of the extirpated lymph node with leukemic cells. CONCLUSIONS: The authors demonstrate fl ow cytometry as a relatively less common but efficient way of lymph node assessment in a patient with an anamnesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They also discuss the contribution of immunophenotyping to the process of the differential diagnostics of lymph nodes enlargement.     

A novel two-color flow cytometric assay for the detection of Cryptosporidium in environmental water samples

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidium is an important waterborne pathogen. Detection of Cryptosporidium in concentrated water samples depends on oocyst isolation using immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and/or fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), followed by confirmation using immunofluorescence staining (IFA) and fluorescence microscopy. These methods require highly trained microscopists for oocyst identification and confirmation. Analysis is hampered due to the presence of autofluorescent particles coupled with particles binding nonspecifically with the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) used for detection. Flow cytometry (FCM) has the potential to be a more specific method for oocyst detection, but such a system would require more than one selection parameter. METHODS: Various mAbs from commercial suppliers were paired with CRY104-PE and evaluated. The mAb combination that best discriminated stained oocyst from detritus was optimized and compared to Cryptosporidium detection utilizing one-color IFA/FACS. RESULTS: A highly specific two-color assay employing the IgG(1) mAb CRY104 was developed. The assay resulted in reductions, up to 20-fold, in the number of non-Cryptosporidium particles detected. The addition of a second selection parameter improved microscopic analysis times and simplified oocyst confirmation by microscopists. CONCLUSIONS: A two-color assay employing competing surface mAbs reduces the number of fluorescent particles sorted, thus improving FCM detection methods for Cryptosporidium.     

Expression of Actinomyces viscosus antigens in Escherichia coli: cloning of a structural gene (fimA) for type 2 fimbriae.

A cosmid gene library of Actinomyces viscosus T14V was prepared in Escherichia coli to examine the expression of A. viscosus antigens and to gain insight into the structure of A. viscosus type 1 and type 2 fimbriae. Out of this library of 550 clones, 28 reacted in a colony immunoassay with antibodies against A. viscosus cells. The proteins responsible for these reactions were identified in three clones. Clones AV1209 and AV2009 displayed nonfimbrial antigens with subunits of 40 and 58 kilodaltons, respectively. Clone AV1402 showed a 59-kilodalton protein that reacted with monospecific antibody against type 2 fimbriae and that comigrated with a subunit of type 2 fimbriae during sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This indicates that AV1402 expresses a gene (fimA) for a subunit of A. viscosus type 2 fimbriae.     

Rapid identification and isolation of zygotes and the kinetics of mating in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Summary Flow cytometry has been used in the selection of fusion products of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Parental cells of opposite mating type were stained with different fluorescent dyes, permitting rapid identification of zygotes from natural matings based on dual-color flow cytometry. This procedure was then used to study the kinetics of mating in yeast and the physical and biological parameters that affect these kinetics, such as cell concentration, parental ratios, and parental strain growth rate.