Derivazione di cellule T<em> In Vitro</em> Da cellule staminali embrionali di topo

A cell culture system has been established in which mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) are differentiated to T cells in vitro.¹ This system exploits the ability of Notch signaling to drive T cell differentiation.² The OP9-DL1 cell line was created by transducing bone marrow-derived OP9 cells³ with a Notch ligand, Delta-like 1 (DL1).⁴ Activation of the Notch signaling cascade in vitro facilitates T cell development to the exclusion of other cell lineages. With the inclusion of appropriate cytokines, this system provides a cell culture “microenvironment” that supports the sequential advancement of mESC toward hematopoietic and ultimately T cell lineages. This system supports the flow cytometric identification of T cells at the various developmental stages seen during normal T cell ontogeny in the thymus. For investigating selected questions relating to T cell development, this procedure has become an attractive alternative to in vivo whole mouse models⁵ and in vitro fetal thymic organ culture methods used to elicit T cell development from mouse embryonic stem cell derived hematopoietic precursors.⁶ The major advantage of the OP9 co-culture system is that it involves standard and straightforward cell culture techniques and does not depend on the continual use of experimental animals.

We follow a detailed, previously published protocol in our experiments using this approach.⁷ We have utilized this technology to examine the hematopoietic differentiation products of non-manipulated mESC clones, high quality mESC clones handpicked to make chimeric embryos⁸ and stably-transfected ESC clones coming directly out of drug selection.⁹ We have noted that the temporal kinetics of initial in vitro differentiation from mESC to mesoderm-like colonies in this model can be variable among individual clones. The mESC-OP9 co-cultures can be visually assessed for progression to mesoderm. While this will usually be completed by the fifth day of co-culture, among individual clones, completion can be delayed for one or two days. Quantitative (~80-90%) mesoderm formation must be achieved prior to transfer in order to obtain optimal hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) formation and robust lymphopoiesis. Thus, when working with multiple mESC clones, this “day 5” passage is best delayed until all clones complete the transition to mesoderm-like colonies. This enables synchrony of subsequent development among the clones after their transfer into hematopoietic differentiation conditions. Three days after the passaging of the 80-90% mesodermal formations, HPCs are collected from the OP9 monolayers. HPCs can be seeded on new OP9 cells to allow differentiation of monocytic, erythroid and B cell lineages. Alternatively, HPCs can be seeded on OP9-DL1 cells and driven towards T cell development. All in vitro differentiation cultures are provided Flt-3L beginning at day 5, with further addition of IL-7 beginning at day 8. Flow cytometry analyses performed at various time points during the experiment enable monitoring of progress through the stages and lineages of hematopoietic differentiation and T cell development. CD4/CD8 double positive (DP) T cells begin emerging by day 16 of the co-culture, and both DP and CD8 single positive (SP) cells are abundant by day 20. The general outcome and robustness of co-culture is greatly dependent on the ability to visually ascertain the completion of the significant developmental turning points that occur. This protocol aims to be a guide to the recognition of these milestones, as well as the other critical parameters, that are key to successful differentiation.