Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Colorectal Cancer Cell Surface Protein Profiling Using an Antibody Microarray and Fluorescence Multiplexing
Published on: September 25, 2011
Screening of surface markers on rat intestinal mucosa microfold cells by using laser capture microdissection combined
Junyong Zhao1, Xiaoyu Li1, Qifeng Luo1
1Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai, 200072, China.
Objective:
The objective of this research was to investigate the possibility of screening surface markers on rat intestinal mucosa microfold cells (M cells) by using laser capture microdissection (LCM) combined with protein chip technology.
Methods:
We labeled rat intestinal mucosa microfold cells with Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA)-1 antibody and visualized these by immunofluorescence staining. Using the Proteome Profiler rat protein chip, we analyzed the protein expression profiles of LCM M-cells compared to lymph follicle-associated epithelial (FAE) cells, and we identified potential differences to screen for marker proteins.
Results:
M cells can be clearly distinguished from lymphoid FAE cells under the fluorescence microscope. We successfully cut, isolated, and obtained microfold and lymph FAE cells with more than 95% homogeneity. Six differentially expressed proteins were identified through comparison of the protein chip profiles of these 2 cell types. Among these, VEGF, LIX, CNTF, and IL-1α/IL-1F1 were found to be at significantly lower levels in M cells, IL-1ra/IL-1F3 and MIG/CXCL9 appeared in significantly higher levels in M cells (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
The results presented here clearly demonstrate that the combined use of LCM and protein chip technology is effective in the screening of M cell surface markers with high sensitivity and specificity. This will facilitate isolation, identification, and establishment of M cell lines, allowing further characterization of their functional properties.

