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Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting for the Isolation of Scleractinian Cell Populations
Published on: May 31, 2020
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Coral cell separation and isolation by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)
Benyamin Rosental1,2, Zhanna Kozhekbaeva3, Nathaniel Fernhoff4
1Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. benyamin@stanford.edu.
BMC Cell Biology
|August 31, 2017
Summary
We adapted fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate coral cell populations, enabling new research in marine invertebrate cell biology and immunology for non-model species.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Cellular Biology
- Immunology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Generalized methods for studying cell biology in non-model species are scarce.
- Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a biomedical technique for cell analysis.
- There is a need for adaptable cell isolation techniques in ecological and evolutionary research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for identifying and isolating cell populations in corals and other cnidarians.
- To develop a generalized method for cell biology research in non-model marine invertebrates.
Main Methods:
- Coral and sea anemone (Aiptasia pallida) cell suspensions were analyzed using FACS.
- Over 30 non-species-specific fluorescent cell markers were screened.
- A phagocytosis assay was performed as a downstream functional analysis on sorted A. pallida cells.
Main Results:
- 24 of 30 markers successfully labeled coral cells; 16 markers differentiated cell subpopulations.
- 12 distinct, primarily homogeneous cellular subpopulations were identified using three markers.
- The FACS method, with minor modifications, was successfully validated in Aiptasia pallida, showing elevated phagocytosis in sorted cells.
Conclusions:
- Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a viable and adaptable technique for isolating coral cell populations.
- This method is translatable to other cnidarian species, facilitating cell biology studies.
- The technique holds potential for research on cellular stress responses and immunological studies in marine invertebrates.
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