In these studies gelatinized RW4 (Derived from 129X1/SvJ mouse strain) ESCs were used. EBs were isolated at 3 days of differentiation. For best results the EBs should be spherical and non-adherent (Figure 1A, B). After spinoculation with virus co-expressing the fluorescent marker GFP along with a gene of interest, EBs were reformed by the hanging drop method. EBs were successfully reformed from cell suspensions prepared from 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 day EBs. However, EBs could not be reformed from cell suspensions prepared from day 4.0 EBs. The chimerism of the EBs between infected and non-infected cells was observed by fluorescence microscopy at day 8 of differentiation (Figure 2A, B). The density of the EBs often makes the EBs appear to be 100% GFP positive. However, focusing on different focal planes can reveal the contribution of GFP positive and negative cells to the EBs (Figure 2B).
For analysis of HPC development, chimeric EBs were dissociated into single cell suspensions after 8 days of differentiation. Antagonizing the activity of miRNA(s) of the mirn23a cluster (miRs-23a, 24-2, and -27) results in an inability of ESCs to differentiate into blood progenitors (Manuscript in preparation). To determine if overexpression of the mirn23a cluster has the opposite effect, ESCs were infected at the onset of differentiation. However, this results in generation of decreased HPCs. Since the mirn23a cluster may be involved in TGFß/BMP/Smad signaling18-21, the cluster may have distinct effects when expressed at different stages of EB development similar to the BMP4 activated Smad1 protein12,13. Using this protocol, EB single cell suspensions were infected after 3 days of differentiation. EBs were reformed by hanging drop, and subsequently analyzed at day 8 for HPC generation by assaying CD41 and CD117 cell surface expression by flow cytometry. CD41+ single positive cells are a pool of primitive and definitive HPCs, whereas CD41+CD117+ cells contain only definitive HPCs22,23. We observed a significant increase in the overall population of CD41+ HPCs in the MSCV-mirn23a infected cells compared to the MSCV control virus infected cells (Figure 3). The figure also demonstrates that a high contribution of infected cells to the reformed EBs can be achieved. It is important to infect EBs with both a control virus expressing the fluorescent protein alone, as well as infecting cells with the experimental virus. Infected populations (GFP+) should then be compared for differences in phenotype. Examining differences between uninfected cells versus infected cells may give erroneous results. Comparing GFP- (uninfected), and GFP+ (infected) populations there is a difference in the CD41 populations in both the MSCV and MSCV-mirn23a cultures (Figure 3). This increase may be due to retroviruses infecting proliferative cells.

Figure 1: Representative Day 3 Embryoid Bodies. RW4 ESCs were switched from ESC maintenance media into differentiation media and cultured in 10 cm plates. (A) 4X and (B) 10X images are shown of embryoid bodies that developed after 3 days of culture. In the 4X image the bar represents 1,000 µm, whereas in the 10X image the bar represents 400 µm.

Figure 2: Eight day Embryoid Bodies (EB) reformed from retroviral infected day 3 EB cells. (A) Left hand side images are bright field. (B) The three fluorescent columns of fluorescent images to the right are the same EB taken in different focal planes. In the 4X images the bar represents 1,000 µm, whereas in the 10X images the bar represents 400 µm.

Figure 3: Flow cytometry analysis of hematopoietic progenitor cells produced in chimeric EBs. Single cells suspensions were prepared from d3 EBs, and infected with the indicated retroviruses. EBs were reformed by hanging drop, and cultured an additional 8 days. Single cell suspensions were generated and incubated with fluorescently labeled antibodies to CD41, and CD117. Left hand histogram plots show the GFP- (non-infected cells) and GFP+ (infected cells) gates. The right hand panels show color dot plot of cells positive for CD41, and CD117 expression in the GFP- and GFP+ gates. Primitive hematopoietic progenitors are found in the CD41+ fractions, and definitive progenitors are present in both the CD41+CD117-, and CD41+CD117+ fractions. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.