Isolation of Muscle Stem Cells from Mouse Skeletal Muscle

Isolation of muscle stem cells from skeletal muscle is a critical step for the study of skeletal myogenesis and regeneration. Although stem cell isolation has been performed for decades, the emergence of flow cytometry with defined cell surface markers, or transgenic mouse models, has allowed the efficient isolation of highly enriched stem cell populations. Here, we describe the isolation of mouse muscle stem cells using two different combinations of enzyme treatments allowing the release of mononucleated muscle stem cells from their niche. Mouse muscle stem cells can be further isolated as a highly enriched population by flow cytometry using fluorescent reporters or cell surface markers. We will present advantages and drawbacks of these different approaches.