Method Article
We present a step-by-step protocol for the isolation of long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) and short-term HSCs (ST-HSCs) using the Hoxb5 reporter system.
Self-renewal capacity and multi-lineage differentiation potential are generally regarded as the defining characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, numerous studies have suggested that functional heterogeneity exists in the HSC compartment. Recent single-cell analyses have reported HSC clones with different cell fates within the HSC compartment, which are referred to as biased HSC clones. The mechanisms underlying heterogeneous or poorly reproducible results are little understood, especially regarding the length of self-renewal when purified HSC fractions are transplanted by conventional immunostaining. Therefore, establishing a reproducible isolation method for long-term HSCs (LT-HSCs) and short-term HSCs (ST-HSCs), defined by the length of their self-renewal, is crucial for overcoming this issue. Using unbiased multi-step screening, we identified a transcription factor, Hoxb5, which may be an exclusive marker of LT-HSCs in the mouse hematopoietic system. Based on this finding, we established a Hoxb5 reporter mouse line and successfully isolated LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs. Here we describe a detailed protocol for the isolation of LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs using the Hoxb5 reporter system. This isolation method will help researchers better understand the mechanisms of self-renewal and the biological basis for such heterogeneity in the HSC compartment.
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which possess self-renewal capacity and multipotency, reside at the apex of the hematopoietic hierarchy1,2. In 1988, Weissman and colleagues demonstrated for the first time that the isolation of mouse HSCs could be achieved using flow cytometry3. Subsequently, a fraction defined by a combination of cell surface markers, Lineage−c-Kit+Sca-1+CD150+CD34−/loFlk2−, was reported to contain all HSCs in mice4,5,6,7,8.
Immunophenotypically defined (Lineage−c-Kit+Sca-1+CD150+CD34−/loFlk2−) HSCs (hereafter, pHSCs) were previously considered functionally homogeneous. However, recent single-cell analyses have revealed that pHSCs still exhibit heterogeneity with respect to their self-renewal capacity9,10 and multipotency11,12. Specifically, two populations seem to exist in the pHSC fraction with regard to their self-renewal capacity: long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs), which have continuous self-renewal capacity, and short-term hematopoietic stem cells (ST-HSCs), which have transient self-renewal capacity9,10.
To date, the molecular mechanisms of self-renewal capacity that distinguish LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs remain poorly understood. It is crucial to isolate both cell populations based on their self-renewal capacities and to discover underlying molecular mechanisms. Several reporter systems have also been introduced to purify LT-HSCs13,14,15; however, the LT-HSC purity defined by each reporter system is variable, and exclusive LT-HSC purification has not been achieved to date.
Therefore, developing an isolation system for LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs will accelerate research regarding self-renewal capacity in the pHSC fraction. In the isolation of LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs, a study using multi-step, unbiased screening identified a single gene, Hoxb5, that is heterogeneously expressed in the pHSC fraction16. Additionally, bone marrow analysis of the Hoxb5 reporter mice revealed that approximately 20%-25% of the pHSC fraction consists of Hoxb5pos cells. A competitive transplantation assay using Hoxb5pos pHSCs and Hoxb5neg pHSCs revealed that only Hoxb5pos pHSCs possess long-term self-renewal capacity, while Hoxb5neg pHSCs lose their self-renewal capacity within a short period, indicating that Hoxb5 identifies LT-HSCs in the pHSC fraction16.
Here, we demonstrate a step-by-step protocol to isolate LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs using the Hoxb5 reporter system. In addition, we present a competitive transplantation assay to assess the self-renewal capacity of Hoxb5pos/neg pHSCs (Figure 1). This Hoxb5 reporter system allows us to prospectively isolate LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs and contributes to the understanding of LT-HSC-specific characteristics.
All the animal experiments described were approved by the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research.
1. Preconditioning of the recipient mice
2. Collection of the donor bone marrow cells
3. Separation of the c-kit+ cells by magnetic sorting
4. Hematopoietic stem cell staining
5. Supporting cell preparation
6. Hoxb5pos or Hoxb5neg pHSC sorting
7. Transplantation
8. Peripheral blood analysis
Previously, self-renewal capacity has been measured using competitive transplantation assays, in which donor HSCs are thought to retain their self-renewal capacity only if multi-lineage donor cells in the recipient peripheral blood are observed17. In addition, several reports define LT-HSCs as cells that continue to produce peripheral blood cells several months after the second bone marrow transplantation10,18. Therefore, in order to compare their self-renewal abilities, 10 Hoxb5pos or Hoxb5neg pHSCs isolated from Hoxb5 reporter mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated primary recipient mice with 2 x 105 whole bone marrow cells. Then, 16 weeks after the primary transplantation, 1 x 107 bone marrow cells isolated from the primary recipient mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated secondary recipient mice to assess the long-term self-renewal capacity (Figure 1). Figure 2 shows representative flow cytometry plots of the bone marrow analysis of the Hoxb5-tri-mCherry mice. Approximately 20%-25% of the cells in the pHSC fraction defined by Lineage−c-Kit+Sca-1+CD150+CD34−/loFlk2− were Hoxb5pos pHSCs, which account for only 0.001%-0.00125% of mouse bone marrow. Figure 3 displays representative flow cytometry plots of the peripheral blood analysis in the recipient mice. The CD45.2 donor mice (Hoxb5-tri-mCherry mice), CD45.1/CD45.2 supporting cells, and CD45.1 recipient mice were prepared, respectively, to separately analyze the donor, supporting, and recipient cells.
Figure 4 shows peripheral blood analyses in the recipient mice at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks after transplantation to confirm donor chimerism. These analyses revealed that although Hoxb5pos and Hoxb5neg pHSCs present similar donor chimerism 4 weeks after transplantation, continuous hematopoiesis was observed only in the Hoxb5pos pHSC recipients (Figure 4A,B). On the other hand, Hoxb5neg HSCs started losing the ability to produce hematopoietic cells 8 weeks after transplantation (Figure 4A,B). In the secondary transplantation analysis, only the Hoxb5pos pHSC recipients presented robust hematopoiesis (Figure 5A,B). In contrast, donor cells were hardly observed in the Hoxb5neg pHSC recipient mice, suggesting that Hoxb5neg pHSCs lose their self-renewal ability within 16 weeks after transplantation in primary recipient mice. These data demonstrate that Hoxb5 expression can be used as a specific marker for LT-HSCs.
Figure 1: Experimental schematic for long-term hematopoietic reconstitution assays. The recipient mice were lethally irradiated and competitively transplanted with 10 HSCs and 2 x 105 whole bone marrow cells (supporting cells). For secondary transplants, 1 x 107 whole bone marrow cells were transferred from the primary recipient mice. Abbreviations: PB = peripheral blood; WBM = whole bone marrow. This figure has been modified from Chen et al.16. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2: Gating strategy for sorting Hoxb5pos and Hoxb5neg pHSCs. Representative flow cytometry gating to isolate LKS, Flk2−, pHSC, Hoxb5pos, and Hoxb5neg pHSCs after the exclusion of doublets and dead cells. The values indicate the percentage of each fraction ± s.d. (n = 3). The lineages include B220, CD3ε, CD4, CD8a, Gr-1, and Ter-119. This figure has been modified from Chen et al.16. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3: Representative FACS plots of peripheral blood in a recipient mouse. Gating scheme to identify peripheral blood cells (NK cell, granulocyte, monocyte, T cell, and B cell) in a recipient mouse after the exclusion of doublets and dead cells. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 4: Chimerism in recipient mice after primary transplantation. (A) Percentage chimerism at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks in primary recipients receiving 10 Hoxb5neg (n = 9), Hoxb5lo (n = 13), or Hoxb5hi (n = 18) pHSCs. Each column represents an individual mouse. The Hoxb5hi fraction was defined as the top 5% of Hoxb5 expression and others as the Hoxb5lo fraction. (B) The average donor lineage contribution in 10 cell primary transplants. The error bars denote the s.d. This figure has been modified from Chen et al.16. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 5: Chimerism in the recipient mice after the secondary transplantation. (A) Percentage chimerism at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks following the whole bone marrow secondary transplantation. (B) Individual donor chimerism by lineage in whole bone marrow secondary recipients. Each line represents an individual mouse. This figure has been modified from Chen et al.16. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Antibody | Clone | Concentration | Fluorochromes |
Flk-2 | A2-F10 | 4 μg/mL | PerCP/eFlour710 |
CD150 | TC15-12F12.2 | 4 μg/mL | BV421 |
CD11b | M1/70 | 4 μg/mL | BV711 |
Sca-1 | D7 | 4 μg/mL | BUV395 |
CD16/32 | 93 | 4 μg/mL | A-700 |
CD127 | A7R34 | 4 μg/mL | A-700 |
CD3ε | 145-2C11 | 10 μg/mL | Biotin |
CD4 | GK1.5 | 10 μg/mL | Biotin |
CD8a | 53-6.7 | 10 μg/mL | Biotin |
Gr-1 | RB6-8C5 | 10 μg/mL | Biotin |
B220 | RA3-6B2 | 10 μg/mL | Biotin |
Ter119 | TER119 | 10 μg/mL | Biotin |
Table 1: Antibody master mix for hematopoietic stem cell staining.
Antibody | Clone | Concentration | Fluorochromes |
CD45.1 | A20 | 1 μg/mL | FITC |
CD45.2 | 104 | 1 μg/mL | PE |
Gr-1 | RB6-8C5 | 2.5 μg/mL | A700 |
NK1.1 | PK136 | 1 μg/mL | PerCP-Cyanine5.5 |
CD11b | M1/70 | 1 μg/mL | BUV395 |
CD3ε | 145-2C11 | 1 μg/mL | BV421 |
TCRβ | H57-597 | 1 μg/mL | BV421 |
B220 | RA3-6B2 | 1 μg/mL | BV786 |
Table 2: Antibody master mix for peripheral blood cell staining.
Traditionally, cell surface marker-defined HSCs have been prepared to study the functions of HSCs, such as self-renewal capacity and multi-potency19,20,21. However, the immunophenotypically defined (Lineage−c-Kit+Sca-1+CD150+CD34−/loFlk2−) HSC fraction contains two discrete HSC populations: LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs9,10. Therefore, the specific analysis of bonafide HSCs, LT-HSCs, has not yet been achieved. Accordingly, an isolation method for LT-HSCs using the Hoxb5 reporter system will significantly benefit the search for the molecular mechanisms of self-renewal capacity.
Here, we will discuss critical steps in this protocol. First, step 1 to step 7 need to be completed without interruption. These steps usually take 9-12 h, and it is important to keep the samples at 4 °C throughout these procedures, as much as possible, in order to maintain sample viability. Next, approximately 1 x 108 bone marrow cells are harvested from a mouse. Thus, we need to use a sufficient volume of antibodies in order to reproduce the staining performance. In addition, the antibody for the CD34 antigen (clone; RAM34) requires 90 min for sufficient staining, while 30 min is enough for other antibodies. Second, irradiation usually causes pancytopenia in the recipient mice. If recipient-derived neutrophils persist in many recipient mice, this indicates that the radiation dose was insufficient. In such a case, optimization of the radiation dose is recommended. Third, if most of the mice die soon after the transplantation, there are two possible explanations: an inadequate number of supporting cells or unsuccessful retro-orbital injection.
For decades, it has been controversial whether the bonafide HSC fraction is homogeneous or heterogeneous22,23,24. In this study, the recipient mice that received the Hoxb5pos pHSC transplantation presented different donor chimeras and differentiation patterns (Figure 4A), indicating that this fraction could be heterogeneous. However, these fluctuations could be caused both by the use of unpurified bone marrow cells as the supporting cells and the different radio-sensitivities of individual mice25.
In summary, we have demonstrated a step-by-step protocol for the isolation of LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs using the Hoxb5 reporter system. To date, the detection of LT-HSCs has depended on the competitive transplantation assay, which requires more than 8 months. In contrast, the Hoxb5 reporter system enables us to identify both LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs prospectively and use them for various functional analyses. Figure 4 and Figure 5 also show that the Hoxb5 expression level seems to be correlated with the degree of donor chimerism in the second recipient mice. Additionally, taking advantage of the Hoxb5 reporter system, we previously revealed that LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs work in a complementary fashion for continuous hematopoietic reconstitution after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation26. Moreover, we demonstrated that exogenous Hoxb5 expression could partially reverse the cell fate of ST-HSCs to that of LT-HSCs, indicating that the presence or absence of Hoxb5 explains the heterogeneity of self-renewal ability in the cell surface marker-defined HSC fraction27.
In addition to these findings, the prospective isolation of LT-HSCs allows us to analyze LT-HSCs under various physiological conditions, such as aging, inflammation, and so on. These analyses will greatly facilitate the understanding of the functions of LT-HSCs.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this study.
We gratefully acknowledge Hiroshi Kiyonari for the animal care and for providing recipient mice at RIKEN BDR, as well as Hitomi Oga, Kayoko Nagasaka, and Masaki Miyahashi for laboratory management at Kobe University. The authors also greatly appreciate the ongoing support for this work. Masanori Miyanishi was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP17K07407 and JP20H03268, The Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research, The Life Science Foundation of Japan, The Takeda Science Foundation, The Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders, and AMED-PRIME, AMED under Grant Number JP18gm6110020. Taro Sakamaki is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP21K20669 and JP22K16334 and was supported by the JSPS Core-to-Core Program and RIKEN Junior Research Associate Program. Katsuyuki Nishi was supported by JSPS Grant Number KAKENHI JP18J13408.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
0.2 mL Strip of 8 Tubes, Dome Cap | SSIbio | 3230-00 | |
0.5M EDTA pH 8.0 | Iinvtrogen | AM9260G | |
100 µm Cell Strainer | Falcon | 352360 | |
30G insulin syringe | BD | 326668 | |
40 µm Cell Strainer | Falcon | 352340 | |
5 mL Round Bottom Polystyrene Test Tube, with Cell Strainer Snap Cap | FALCON | 352235 | |
7-AAD Viability Staining Solution | BioLegend | 420404 | |
96 well U-Bottom | FALCON | 351177 | |
Anti-APC-MicroBeads | Milteny biotec | 130-090-855 | |
Aspirator with trap flask | Biosan | FTA-1 | |
B220-Alexa Fluor 700 (RA3-6B2) | BioLegend | 103232 | |
B220-Biotin (RA3-6B2) | BioLegend | 103204 | |
B220-BV786 (RA3-6B2) | BD Biosciences | 563894 | |
B6.CD45.1 congenic mice | Sankyo Labo Service | N/A | |
Baytril 10% | BAYER | 341106546 | |
BD FACS Aria II special order system | BD | N/A | |
Brilliant stain buffer | BD | 566349 | |
CD11b-Alexa Fluor 700 (M1/70) | BioLegend | 101222 | |
CD11b-Biotin (M1/70) | BioLegend | 101204 | |
CD11b-BUV395 (M1/70) | BD Biosciences | 563553 | |
CD11b-BV711 (M1/70) | BD Biosciences | 563168 | |
CD127-Alexa Fluor 700 (A7R34) | Invitrogen | 56-1271-82 | |
CD150-BV421 (TC15-12F12.2) | BioLegend | 115943 | |
CD16/CD32-Alexa Fluor 700 (93) | Invitrogen | 56-0161-82 | |
CD34-Alexa Fluor 647 (RAM34) | BD Biosciences | 560230 | |
CD34-FITC (RAM34) | Invitrogen | 11034185 | |
CD3-Alexa Fluor 700 (17A2) | BioLegend | 100216 | |
CD3ε -Biotin (145-2C11) | BioLegend | 100304 | |
CD3ε -BV421 (145-2C11) | BioLegend | 100341 | |
CD45.1/CD45.2 congenic mice | N/A | N/A | Bred in our Laboratory |
CD45.1-FITC (A20) | BD Biosciences | 553775 | |
CD45.2-PE (104) | BD Biosciences | 560695 | |
CD4-Alexa Fluor 700 (GK1.5) | BioLegend | 100430 | |
CD4-Biotin (GK1.5) | BioLegend | 100404 | |
CD8a-Alexa Fluor 700 (53-6.7) | BioLegend | 100730 | |
CD8a-Biotin (53-6.7) | BioLegend | 100704 | |
Centrifuge Tube 15ml | NICHIRYO | 00-ETS-CT-15 | |
Centrifuge Tube 50ml | NICHIRYO | 00-ETS-CT-50 | |
c-Kit-APC-eFluor780 (2B8) | Invitrogen | 47117182 | |
D-PBS (-) without Ca and Mg, liquid | Nacalai | 14249-24 | |
Fetal Bovine Serum | Thermo Fisher | 10270106 | |
Flk2-PerCP-eFluor710 (A2F10) | eBioscience | 46135182 | |
FlowJo version 10 | BD Biosciences | https://www.flowjo.com/solutions/flowjo | |
Gmmacell 40 Exactor | Best theratronics | N/A | |
Gr-1-Alexa Fluor 700 (RB6-8C5) | BioLegend | 108422 | |
Gr-1-Biotin (RB6-8C5) | BioLegend | 108404 | |
Hoxb5-tri-mCherry mice (C57BL/6J background) | N/A | N/A | Bred in our Laboratory |
IgG from rat serum, technical grade, >=80% (SDS-PAGE), buffered aqueous solution | Sigma-Aldrich | I8015-100MG | |
isoflurane | Pfizer | 4987-114-13340-3 | |
Kimwipes S200 | NIPPON PAPER CRECIA | 6-6689-01 | |
LS Columns | Milteny biotec | 130-042-401 | |
Lysis buffer | BD | 555899 | |
MACS MultiStand | Milteny biotec | 130-042-303 | |
Microplate for Tissue Culture (For Adhesion Cell) 6Well | IWAKI | 3810-006 | |
MidiMACS Separator | Milteny biotec | 130-042-302 | |
Mouse Pie Cages | Natsume Seisakusho | KN-331 | |
Multipurpose refrigerated Centrifuge | TOMY | EX-125 | |
NARCOBIT-E (II) | Natsume Seisakusho | KN-1071-I | |
NK-1.1-PerCP-Cy5.5 (PK136) | BioLegend | 108728 | |
Penicillin-Streptomycin Mixed Solution | nacalai | 26253-84 | |
Porcelain Mortar φ120mm with Pestle | Asone | 6-549-03 | |
Protein LoBind Tube 1.5 mL | Eppendorf | 22431081 | |
Sca-I-BUV395 (D7) | BD Biosciences | 563990 | |
Stainless steel scalpel blade | FastGene | FG-B2010 | |
Streptavidin-BUV737 | BD Biosciences | 612775 | |
SYTOX-red | Invitrogen | S34859 | |
Tailveiner Restrainer for Mice standard | Braintree | TV-150 STD | |
TCRb-BV421 (H57-597) | BioLegend | 109230 | |
Ter-119-Alexa Fluor 700 (TER-119) | BioLegend | 116220 | |
Ter-119-Biotin (TER-119) | BioLegend | 116204 | |
Terumo 5ml Concentric Luer-Slip Syringe | TERUMO | SS-05LZ | |
Terumo Hypodermic Needle 23G x 1 | TERUMO | NN-2325-R |
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