T-cell receptor (TCR) induced calcium influx is a useful measure of T-cell activation and is frequently used to determine whether a population of T-cells has impaired responses in the proximal steps of the TCR signaling pathway1. Measurements of calcium influx are generally performed by pre-labeling the T-cells with one or a pair of fluorescent calcium indicator dyes, and then examining the fluorescent signals using flow cytometry in real-time after TCR cross-linking2,3,4. Indo-1, a ratio-metric calcium dye, is excited by the UV laser with peak emissions at two different wavelengths dependent on calcium binding5, and is a commonly used indicator dye for flow cytometry analysis of calcium responses in live lymphocytes. As the emission profile of Indo-1 is quite broad, it can be challenging to combine Indo-1 assessment with simultaneous analysis of multiple cell surface markers by band-pass flow cytometry. This limitation restricts the utilization of flow cytometry analysis of calcium responses to pre-purified populations of T-cells or to populations identified by a limited set of cell surface molecules.
To address the limitations of measuring calcium responses on heterogenous populations of primary lymphocytes using band-pass flow cytometry, a protocol was developed to measure Indo-1 fluorescence using full spectrum flow cytometry. This method allows for multiplexing Indo-1 with panels of antibodies directed at cell surface molecules, taking advantage of the highly flexible capabilities of full spectrum flow cytometry. The advantage of using full spectrum flow cytometry over conventional flow cytometry is its ability to distinguish the fluorescent signals from highly overlapping dyes, thereby increasing the number of surface markers that can be simultaneously assessed in each sample. Conventional flow cytometry uses bandpass filters and is restricted to one fluorochrome per detector system6. Full spectrum flow cytometry collects signals across the entire spectrum of the fluorochrome using 64 detectors on a five-laser spectral flow cytometry system7,8. In addition, full spectrum flow cytometry takes advantage of APD (Avalanche Photo Diode) detectors that have increased sensitivity relative to photomultiplier tube detectors present on conventional flow cytometers8. Consequently, this approach is ideal for the heterogeneous cell populations, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells or murine secondary lymphoid organ cell suspensions, as it eliminates the need for the isolation of specific T-cell populations prior to calcium dye labeling. Instead, cell surface marker expression profiles and flow cytometry gating after data collection can be used to assess calcium responses in each population of interest. As shown in this report, Indo-1 can readily be combined with eight fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies, resulting in a total of 10 unique spectral signatures. Furthermore, this method can be readily applied to mixtures of cells from congenically distinct mouse lines, allowing for the simultaneous analysis of calcium responses in wild-type T-cells compared to those from a gene-targeted mouse line.