Isolation of Stem-like Cells from 3-Dimensional Spheroid Cultures

Summary

Using human primary prostate epithelial cells, we report a novel biomarker-free method of functional characterization of stem-like cells by a spheroid-based label-retention assay. A step-by-step protocol is described for BrdU, CFSE, or Far Red 2D cell labeling; three-dimensional spheroid formation; label-retaining stem-like cell identification by immunocytochemistry; and isolation by FACS.

Abstract

Despite advances in adult stem cell research, identification and isolation of stem cells from tissue specimens remains a major challenge. While resident stem cells are relatively quiescent with niche restraints in adult tissues, they enter the cell cycle in anchor-free three-dimensional (3D) culture and undergo both symmetric and asymmetric cell division, giving rise to both stem and progenitor cells. The latter proliferate rapidly and are the major cell population at various stages of lineage commitment, forming heterogeneous spheroids. Using primary normal human prostate epithelial cells (HPrEC), a spheroid-based, label-retention assay was developed that permits the identification and functional isolation of the spheroid-initiating stem cells at a single cell resolution.

HPrEC or cell lines are two-dimensionally (2D) cultured with BrdU for 10 days to permit its incorporation into the DNA of all dividing cells, including self-renewing stem cells. Wash out commences upon transfer to the 3D culture for 5 days, during which stem cells self-renew through asymmetric division and initiate spheroid formation. While relatively quiescent daughter stem cells retain BrdU-labeled parental DNA, the daughter progenitors rapidly proliferate, losing the BrdU label. BrdU can be substituted with CFSE or Far Red pro-dyes, which permit live stem cell isolation by FACS. Stem cell characteristics are confirmed by in vitro spheroid formation, in vivo tissue regeneration assays, and by documenting their symmetric/asymmetric cell divisions. The isolated label-retaining stem cells can be rigorously interrogated by downstream molecular and biologic studies, including RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, single cell capture, metabolic activity, proteome profiling, immunocytochemistry, organoid formation, and in vivo tissue regeneration. Importantly, this marker-free functional stem cell isolation approach identifies stem-like cells from fresh cancer specimens and cancer cell lines from multiple organs, suggesting wide applicability. It can be used to identify cancer stem-like cell biomarkers, screen pharmaceuticals targeting cancer stem-like cells, and discover novel therapeutic targets in cancers.

Introduction

The human prostate gland contains luminal epithelium with secretory function and basal cells underlying it along with an unusual neuroendocrine cell component. The epithelial cells, in this case, are generated from a rare population of prostate stem cells that are relatively quiescent in vivo and act as a repair system to maintain glandular homeostasis throughout life¹. Despite many advances, the identification and functional isolation of prostate stem cells remains a major challenge in the field. Stem cell biomarkers, including cell surface marker-based methodologies combined with flow cytometry are commonly used for stem cell research

Protocol

All cell handling and media preparations should be performed with aseptic technique in a Class II biological safety cabinet (BSC).

1. Culture and maintenance of HPrEC Cells in 2D

1. Coat 100 mm culture dishes with 2 mL of 2.5 µg/cm² fibronectin solution overnight at room temperature (RT). Aspirate the solution and let the culture dishes air dry in the BSC for 45 min. Fibronectin-coated culture dishes can be stored 2–4 weeks at 4 ˚C.
2. Add 9 mL of the prostate epithelial cell growth medium (e.g., PrEGM) to a fibronectin-coated 100 mm culture dish and keep the dish warm in a CO₂ incubator....

Results

Primary normal human prostate epithelial cells are placed into fibronectin-coated culture dishes and cell growth is maintained in 2D culture (Figure 1a). Upon transfer into 3D culture with a basement membrane matrix, differentiated epithelial cells slowly die out. Only prostate stem cells can survive in an anchor-free culture and form spheroids in 5 days (Figure 1b).

Dual labeling of prostate epitheli.......

Discussion

Flow cytometry using multiple stem cell surface markers is a commonly used approach for stem cell research despite lacking both specificity and selectivity^1,5,6. While spheroid formation in a 3D culture system is another useful method in enriching the rare stem cell population from primary epithelial cells, including HPrEC, the resulting spheroids are still a heterogeneous mixture of stem and progenitor cells^2<.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
0.05% Trypsin-EDTA	Gibco	25300-054
1 mL tuberculin syringes	Bectin Dickinson	BD 309625
1.5 mL microcentrifuge tubes, sterile
100 mm culture dishes	Corning/Falcon	353003
12-well culture plate	Corning/Falcon	353043
15 mL centrifuge tubes	Corning/Falcon	352097
22 x 22 mm coverslips, sq	Corning	284522	For MatTek 35 mm culture dish
24 x 50 mm coverslips	Corning	2975245
26G x 1.5 inch hypodermic needle	Monoject	1188826112
2N HCl
35 mm culture dish with cover glass bottom	MatTek Corp	P35G-0-10-C	Glass bottom No. 0, uncoated, irradiated
40 µm pore nylon cell strainer	Corning	352340
5% CO2 culture incubator, 37 °C	Forma
50 mL centrifuge tubes	Corning/Falcon	352098
5mL Polystyrene Round-Bottom Tube with strainer snap cap	Corning	352235	35 µm nylon mesh
6-well culture plates	Corning	353046
8-well chamber slides	Millipore Sigma	PEZGS0816
Aqueous mounting medium containing DAPI	Vector Laboratories	H-1200	A nuclear fluorescent dye
Biological safety cabinet, Level 2 certified
BrdU (5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine)	Sigma-Aldrich	B5002	1 mM stock solution in DMSO
Centrifuge for 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tubes	Eppendorf
Centrifuge for 15 mL tubes	Beckman Coulter		Allegra 6
CFSE (carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester)	Thermo Fisher Scientific	C34554	5 mM stock solution in DMSO
cytochalasin D	Thermo Fisher Scientific	PHZ1063
Dispase 1U/mL	StemCell Technologies	07923
FACS CellSorter MoFlo XDP	Beckman Coulter	s
Far-Red pro-dye	Thermo Fisher	C34564	5 mM stock solution in DMSO
Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)
Fibronectin	Sigma-Aldrich	F0895	For coating 100 mm culture dishes
Fluorescent microscope with color digital camera	Carl Zeiss		Axioskop 20 fluorescent microscope; color digital Axiocamera
Goat anti-Mouse IgG (H+L) Highly Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody, Alexa Fluor 488	Thermo Fisher	A-11029
HPrEC (Primary normal human prostate epithelial cells)	Lifeline Cell Technology	FC-0038	Pooled from 3 young (19-21yr od) disease-free organ donors; 1 x 105 cells/mL; stored in liquid nitrogen
ice bucket and ice
Inverted microsope with digital camera
Matrigel, low growth factor, phenol-red free	Corning	356239
Methanol	Corning	A452-4
Mouse anti-BrdU antibody	Cell Signaling	5292S
Mouse IgG antibody (negative control)	Santa Cruz Biotechnology	sc-2025
Normal goat serum	Vector Laboratories	S-1000
Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), pH 7.4	Sigma-Aldrich	P5368-10PAK
Pipettors and tips, various sizes
PrEGM (ProstaLife Epithelial Cell Growth Medium)	Lifeline Cell Technology	LL-0041
Propidium Iodide (PI)	R & D Systems	5135/10	10 μg/mL PI in PBS stored at 4 °C in the dark
Serological pipets, various sizes
Software for sphere counting and size measurements
Software: 3D images using Imaris an imageing software with freeform drawing capabilities
Triton X-100	Millipore Sigma	T8787
Water bath, 37 °C
z-stack images using a transmitted light inverted fluorescent confocal microscope