Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide Table of Contents Intracellular Cytokine Staining: Protein Transport Inhibitors and Kinetics of Production for Optimal Detection 3 Cytokine/Chemokine Intracellular Staining Guide 9 Intracellular Cytokine Staining Protocol 12 Product Listing 14 All BioLegend products are for Research Use Only, unless otherwise specified. Not intended for diagnostic or therapeutic use. They are not for resale without prior written authorization. Alexa Fluor is a registered trademark of Molecular Probes, Inc. Alexa Fluor dye antibody conjugates are sold under license from Molecular Probes, Inc. for research use only, except for use in combination with microarrays and high content screening, and are covered by pending and issued patents. Allophycocyanin (APC) conjugates: US Patent No. 5,714,386 Cy, including Cy5, Cy5.5, Cy7, is a trademark of Amersham Biosciences Ltd. Cyanine (Cy) dyes: US Patent Nos. 4,981,977; 5,268,486 and other patents pending. BioLegend, BioLegend Logo, and other trademarks are the trademarks and property of BioLegend, Inc. Copyright 2006 BioLegend, Inc. Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Cytokines are protein mediators involved in immunoregulation of leukocyte responses and the development/progression of diseases including cancer, infectious disease, and autoimmunity. Several antibody-based strategies can be used to study cytokine production in bulk populations or at the single cell level including ELISAs, ELISPOTs, and intracellular cytokine staining. ELISAs and ELISPOTs are limited in that they detect only secreted cytokines in bulk populations, and, thus are restricted by the effective rates of production relative to adsorption, specific binding, internalization, and degradation of a given cytokine. Intracellular staining, on the other hand, allows assessment of individual cells within a population and does not rely on the detection of secreted cytokines. In addition, this powerful technique can be used simultaneously with surface staining to permit identification and characterization of the individual cytokinesecreting cells. Table I Distinct Patterns of Cytokine Production by Th 0, Th 1, and Th 2 Cells Th 0 * Th 1 Th 2 IL-2 IL-2 Intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometric analysis was first demonstrated by Andersson et al. 1 who showed that paraformaldehyde fixation, permeabilization with saponin, and cytokine-specific monoclonal antibodies could be used to detect cytokines inside various cells using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry. More recent studies have documented the utility of this method for the identification of cytokines in discrete subpopulations of cells, 2 the kinetic analysis of cytokine production, 3 analysis using whole blood, 4 and multi-parameter analysis to assess cytokine production in phenotypically/functionally distinct lymphocyte sub-populations. Cytokine secretion in T lymphocytes has been shown to play a central role in immune regulation, susceptibility to disease, IL-3 IL-3 IL-4 IL-4 IL-5 IL-5 IL-6 IL-6 IL-10 IL-10 IL-13 IL-13 IFN-γ IFN-γ TNF-α TNF-α TNF-β TNF-β TNF-β GM-CSF GM-CSF GM-CSF * Upon activation, naïve Th cells become Th 0 cells with characteristics of both Th 1 and Th 2 cells. Further stimulation induces deviation of Th 0 cells towards either a Th 1 or Th 2 cell based on the pattern and disease progression in autoimmunity, cancer, and a variety of infectious diseases. On the basis of cytokine production profiles, CD4 + T lymphocytes can be divided into distinct subsets (Table I). Understanding the divergence of differentiated CD4 + cytokine-producing subsets has dominated an entire field of immunology for over 15 years. T helper 1 (Th 1 ) cells produce several characteristic type I cytokines, notably IL 2 and IFN γ, that direct cell-mediated inflammatory reactions. 5 When well developed, these responses allow the immune response to be most effective toward intracellular viral and bacterial pathogens. Th 2 cells, on the other hand, produce a distinct set of cytokines that include IL 4, IL 5, IL 6, IL 10, and IL 13 resulting in enhanced B cell activation and antibody production. 5 These so-called type II responses are most effective at promoting allergic responses and eliminating parasites. Th 1 - and Th 2 -type cytokines have been shown to be inhibitory for the differentiation and function of the reciprocal phenotype. Experimental studies have suggested, however, that these phenotypes may not be rigidly fixed and that conversion between the two functionally distinct phenotypes can occur under certain micro-environmental conditions. 6 The imbalance of Th 1 /Th 2 cytokine production has been shown to be associated with disease pathogenesis. A dominant Th 1 response has been reported in sarcoidosis, 7 tuberculosis, 8 and collagen-induced arthritis, 9 among other diseases. On the other hand, Th 2 predominance is observed in asthma, 10 atopic dermatitis, 11 and a variety of neoplasias including basal cell carcinoma, and gastrointestinal cancer. 12 14 In cancers, in particular, IL 2 and IFN γ are often downregulated either systemically or locally (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes or in www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com 3
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide tumor-draining lymph nodes). Using multi-parameter flow cytometry, investigators have been able to address whether these differences were attributable to a reduced differentiation and accumulation of Th 1 cells or whether the observed Th 2 dominance reflected reduced Th 1 cytokine production in individual cells. Experimental findings suggest that these differences are the result of decreased frequencies of CD4 + cells producing Th 1 -type cytokines. 15 One goal of the numerous cancer vaccine trials currently underway is to expand the Th 1 -like cell population favoring cell-mediated responses. Recent reports suggest that tetramer staining, measures for determining cellular proliferation, and intracellular cytokine staining can be combined to monitor peptide-specific responses, 16, 17 suggesting that such strategies might be used as a surrogate marker for vaccine efficacy. Measuring Intracellular Cytokines: Protein Transport Inhibitors Several factors may affect intracellular cytokine detection including cell type, type of stimulation, time of stimulation, protein transport inhibitors used during cell culture, and the method of cell fixation and permeabilization. Unstimulated lymphocytes generally produce undetectable amounts of cytokine and require stimulation with agents such as antigen/peptide, agonist antibodies against the T cell receptor, or non-specific activators such as phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin. Following activation, lymphocytes rapidly produce and secrete cytokines (as early as 2 4 hours). Kinetic analyses are warranted for each cytokine to be determined, as production of discrete cytokines may vary. In addition, it is important to use an inhibitor of protein transport when measuring the number of cells and the relative amount of cytokine produced in a given population. Two commonly used compounds employed to trap cytokines in the cell are and monensin. 18, 19 Brefeldin A was isolated from the fungi Penicillium brefeldianum and inhibits protein secretion early in a pre-golgi compartment (between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi). Monensin was isolated from Streptomyces cinnamonensis and shown to be a sodium ionophore that disrupts intracellular hydrogen and sodium gradients. Monensin differs from in that the effect of this fungal product appears to be on the final stages of secretory vesicle maturation in the Golgi. 19 Although monensin appears to be more commonly used to block cytokine secretion, there are reported differences between and monensin with regard to intracellular cytokine measurement. For example, has been reported to yield higher cell viability compared to monensin in mouse splenocytes activated with antibodies against /CD28 or PMA/ionomycin, 20 and several reports have shown that specific cytokine expression could be altered depending on the protein transport inhibitor used. 21, 22 Brefeldin A has been shown to trap a greater percentage of TNF-α, 21, 22 IL 6, 21 and IL 1β inside cells compared to monensin. 21, 22 A detailed protocol for intracellular cytokine staining can be found on page 12. Measuring Intracellular Cytokines: Kinetics of Production Additional parameters to be considered when measuring intracellular cytokines are the kinetics of production following various activation stimuli. Depending on the time after specific activation that the samples are harvested for analysis, differences in the magnitude of the response as well as the responding populations can be observed. Figure 1 shows human peripheral blood mononuclear cells activated with 12 O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) for either 6 or 24 hrs. In both cases, PBMCs were treated with monensin prior to intracellular staining with the specific antibodies (X-axis) and anti- (Y-axis) as indicated. As is evident from the experimental data shown, TPA stimulation induces a robust production of IL 2, IFN γ, and TNF-α in the T cell population in as little as 6 hours, whereas the induction of IL 10 and IL 4 are poor using these activation conditions. The overall percentage of IL 2 producing cells increased from 6 hrs to 24 hrs (27% to 44%, respectively) in the lymphocyte population, although the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of the IL 2 expressing population decreased (662 to 379, respectively). Figure 1 Human PBMCs were stimulated with TPA for either 6 or 24 hrs before harvest. Monensin was included in the culture media for the entire incubation period. Cells were fixed, permeabilized and stained as described in the Intracellular Cytokine Staining Protocol found on page 12. The Y-axis shows staining with anti-human PE-Cy5 (Clone HIT3a, Cat No. 300309); the X-axis shows staining with various PE-conjugated anti-cytokine antibodies including: anti-human IL-2 (Clone MQ1-17H12, Cat. No. 500306), anti-human IL-4 (Clone MP4-25D2, Cat. No. 500808), anti-human IFN-γ (Clone 4S.B3, Cat. No. 501403), anti-human IL-10 (Clone JES3-9D7, Cat. No. 501403), and anti-human TNF-α (Clone MAb11, Cat. No. 502908). 4 Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
Figure 1 TPA-Stimulated PBMC (6 hrs) Control IL-2 27%, MFI=662 IL-4 1%, MFI=79 IFN-γ 15%, MFI=556 IL-10 <1% TNF-α 36%, MFI=244 TPA-Stimulated PBMC (24 hrs) Control IL-2 44%, MFI=379 IL-4 1%, MFI=44 IFN-γ 21%, MFI=484 IL-10 <1% TNF-α 38%, MFI=159 www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com 5
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide Figure 2 Control IL-1α IL-6 GM-CSF TNF-α LPS-Stimulated PBMC (6 hrs) Control IL-1α high IL-6 low GM-CSF TNF-α LPS-Stimulated PBMC (24 hrs) 6 Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
Similar, although less dramatic changes, were also observed in the T cell population staining for IFN γ and TNF-α (see Figure 1). Even at 24 hrs, TPA-stimulated PBMCs produced little IL 10 or IL 4. Taken together, these data indicate that TPA-stimulated T cells produce an early Th 1 -like cytokine response and that while the proportion of T cells secreting these cytokines increases over time, the relative amount of cytokine produced per cell decreases with prolonged activation. Figure 2 shows PBMCs stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for either 6 or 24 hrs. In both cases, PBMCs were treated with monensin prior to intracellular staining with the specific cytokine antibodies (X-axis) and anti- (Y-axis) as indicated. The monocyte population was gated based on forward and side scatter. As is evident from the experimental data shown, LPS stimulation induces robust production of IL 1α, IL 6, TNF-α (characteristic of the classic acute phase inflammatory response) in as little as 6 hours, whereas the induction of GM-CSF is relatively poor. At 24 hrs following stimulation, however, GM-CSF production is obvious in the + cell population. Interestingly, at 24 hrs there are two populations of + cytokine-producing cells present ( high and low ). The cell population with downregulated expression ( low ) shows substantially decreased levels of IL 1α and IL 6 compared to the high population. Taken together, these data indicate that LPS-stimulated monocytes produce an early (6 hr) inflammatory cytokine response characterized by IL 1α, TNF α and IL 6 production. GM-CSF production by monocytes, on the other hand, is a more delayed response (seen at 24 hrs following LPS stimulation). Downregulation of expression on a portion of the LPS-stimulated monocyte population is obvious at 24 hrs and this low population shows a concomitant decrease in IL 1α and, to a lesser extent, IL 6 production. Because the choice of protein transport blocker, activation condition, and stimulation period are critical parameters for the accurate analysis of both intracellular cytokines and chemokines in a particular target population, it is essential to optimize experimental conditions. To assist the investigator in this endeavor, we have included a cytokine/chemokine staining guide for both mouse and human cells (please refer to pages 9 11). Concluding remarks The measurement of intracellular cytokines by flow cytometry is an important investigative tool that permits simultaneous cellular profiling of surface proteins and cytokine production. By combining phenotypic markers with intracellular cytokines, the investigator can gain important information about the responding population(s) and the type of immune response elicited (Th 1, Th 2, inflammatory). The investigator should carefully consider the type of protein transport inhibitor, the type of cellular activation, and the kinetics of activation to obtain an accurate snapshot of cytokine production in a given cell population. BioLegend is proud to offer a wide array of proven antibodies for cytokine intracellular staining and surface markers to distinguish responding cellular populations. 23, 24 Please consult pages 14 15 for a current list of cytokine and chemokine antibodies and formats against mouse, rat, and human proteins. References 1. Andersson, U., Hallden, G., Persson, U., Hed, J., Moller, G., and DeLey, M. 1988. Enumeration of IFN gamma producing cells by flow cytometry. Comparison with fluorescence microscopy. J. Immunol. Methods 112:139. 2. Jung, T., Schnauer, U., Heusser, C., Neumann, C., and Reiger, C. 1993. Detection of intracellular cytokines by flow cytometry. J. Immunol. Methods 159:197. 3. Mascher, B., Schlenke, P., and Seyfarth, M. 1999. Expression and kinetics of cytokines determined by intracellular staining using flow cytometry. J. Immunol. Methods 223:115. 4. Sewell, W.A.C., North, M.E., Webster, A.D.B., and Farrant, J. 1997. Determination of intracellular cytokines by flow-cytometry following whole-blood culture. J. Immunol. Methods 209:67. Figure 2 Human PBMCs were stimulated with LPS for either 6 or 24 hrs before harvest. Monensin was included in the culture media for the entire incubation period. Cells were fixed, permeabilized and stained as described in the Intracellular Cytokine Staining Protocol found on page 12. The Y-axis shows staining with anti-human APC (Clone M5E2, Cat. No. 301807); the X-axis shows staining with various PE-conjugated anti-cytokine antibodies including: anti-human IL-1α (Clone 364-3B3-14, Cat. No. 500105), anti-human IL-6 (Clone MQ2-13A5, Cat. No. 501106), anti-human GM-CSF (Clone BVD2-21C11, Cat. No. 502305), and anti-human TNF-α (Clone MAb11, Cat. No. 502908). www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com 7
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide 5. Mosmann, T.R., and Coffman, R.L. 1989. TH1 and TH2 cells: different patterns of lymphokine secretion lead to different functional properties. Annu. Rev. Immunol. 7:145. 6. Abbas, A.K., Murphy, K.M., and Sher, A. 1996. Functional diversity of helper T lymphocytes. Nature 383:787. 7. Baumer, I., Zissel, G., Schlaak, M., and Muller, Q.J. 1997. TH1/TH2 cell distribution in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 16:171. 8. Grange, J.M., Stanford, J.L., and Rook, G.A. 1995. Tuberculosis and cancer: parallels in host responses and therapeutic approaches? Lancet 345:1350. 9. Mauri, C., Williams, R.O., Walmsley, M., and Feldmann, M. 1996. Relationship between Th1/Th2 cytokine patterns and the arthritogenic response in collagen-induced arthritis. Eur. J. Immunol. 26:1511. 10. Robinson, D.S., Hamid, Q., Ying, S., Tsicopoulos, A., Barkans, J., and Bentlry, A.M. 1992. Predominant TH2-like bronchoalveolar population in atopic asthma. N. Engl. J. Med. 326:298. 11. Nakazawa, M., Sugi, N., Kawaguchi, H., Ishii, N, Nakajima, H., and Minami, M. 1997. Predominance of type 2 cytokine producing CD4 (+) and CD8 (+) cells in patients with atopic dermatitis. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 99:673. 12. Yamamura, M., Modlin, R.L., Ohmen, J.D., and Moy, R.L. 1993. Local expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines in cancer. J. Clin. Invest. 91:5. 13. Kim, J., Modlin, R.L., Moy, R.L., Dubinett S.M., McHugh, T., Nickoloff, B.J., and Uyemura, K. 1995. IL 10 production in cutaneous basal and squamous cell carcinoma. J. Immunol. 155:2240. 14. Pellegrini, P., Berghella, A.M., Del Beato, T., Cicia, S., Adorno, D., and Casciani, C.U. 1996. Disregulation of TH1 and TH2 subsets of CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients and involvement in cancer establishment and progression. Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 42:1. 16. Tesfa, L., Volk, H. D., and Kern, F. 2003. A protocol for combining proliferation, tetramer staining and intracellular cytokine detection for the flow-cytometric analysis of antigen specific T cells. J. Biol. Regul. Homeost. Agents 17:366. 17. Hobeika, A. C., Morse, M. A., Osada, T., Ghanayem, M., Neidzwiecki, D., Barrie, R., Lyerly, H. K., and Clay, T. M. 2005. Emunerating antigen-specific T-cell responses in peripheral blood: A comparison of MHC tetramer, ELISPOT, and intracellular cytokine analysis. J. Immunother. 28:63. 18. Dinter, A., and Berger, E.G. 1998. Golgi-disturbing agents. Histochem. Cell Biol. 109:571. 19. Mollenhauer, H.H., Morre, D.J., and Rowe, L.D. 1990. Alteration of intracellular trafficby monensin: mechanism, specificity, and relationship to toxicity. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1:225. 20. Nylander, S., and Kalies, I. 1999. Brefeldin A, but not monensin, completely blocks CD69 expression on mouse lymphocytes: efficacy of inhibitors of protein secretion in protocols for intracellular staining by flow cytometry. J. Immunol. Methods 224:69. 21. Schuerwegh, A. J., Stevens, W. J., Bridts, C. H., Clerck, L. S. D. 2001. Evaluation of monensin and for flow determination of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in monocytes. Cytometry 46:172. 22. O NeIL Anderson, N. J., and Lawrence, D.A. 2002. Differential modulation of surface and intracellular protein expression by T cells after stimulation in the presence of. Clin. Diag. Lab. Immunol. 9:243. 23. Kang, S. S., and Allen, P. M. 2005. Priming in the presence of IL 10 results in direct enhancement of CD8+ T cell primary responses and inhibition of secondary responses. J. Immunol. 174:5382. 24. Ko, S.-Y., Ko, H.-J., Chang, W.-S., Park, S.-H., Kweon, M.-N., Kang, C.-Y. 2005. α-galactosylceramide can act as a nasal vaccine adjuvant inducing protective immune responses against viral infection and tumor. J. Immunol. 175:3309. 15. Nakayama, H., Kitayama, J., Muto, T., and Nagawa, H. 2000. Characterization of intracellular cytokine profile of CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood and tumor-draining lymph nodes of patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. 30:301. 8 Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
Cytokine/Chemokine Intracellular Staining Guide Cytokine/ Chemokine Clone name Target Cells Stimulation Stimulation period Protein transport blocker Surface Marker MOUSE IL-1α ALF-161 Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages LPS MAC-3 IL-2 JES6-5H4 Splenocytes (1μg/ml) IL-3 MP2-8F8 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (2 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days IL-4 11B11 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (2 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days IL-5 TRFK5 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (2 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days IL-6 MP5-20F3 Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages LPS MAC-3 IL-10 JES5-16E3 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (2 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days IL-12 C15.6 Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages IFN-γ (10 ng/ml) prime for 2 hours, then add LPS 18 24 hours MAC-3 IL-17 TC11-18H10.1 EL-4 cells 18 24 hours www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide Cytokine/Chemokine Intracellular Staining Guide (continued) Cytokine/ Chemokine Clone name Target Cells Stimulation Stimulation period Protein transport blocker Surface Marker GM-CSF MP1-22E9 Splenocytes stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (2 μg/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 3 4 days IFN-γ XMG1.2 Splenocytes MCP-1 2H5 Thioglycollate-elicited peritoneal macrophages LPS 18 24 hours MAC-3 TNF-α MP6-XT22 Splenocytes HUMAN IL-1α 364-3B3-14 PBMCs LPS ( ng/ml) IL-1β JK1B-1 PBMCs LPS ( ng/ml) # # IL-2 MQ1-17H12 PBMCs IL-3 BVD3-1F9 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (5 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days IL-4 MP4-25D2 or 8D4-8 PBMCs IL-5 JES1-39D10 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (5 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days monensin/ IL-6 MQ2-13A5 PBMCs LPS ( ng/ml) # 10 Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
Cytokine/Chemokine Intracellular Staining Guide (continued) Cytokine/ Chemokine Clone name Target Cells Stimulation Stimulation period Protein transport blocker Surface Marker IL-8 JK8-1 PBMCs LPS ( ng/ml) # IL-9 MH9H4 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (5 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days IL-10 JES3-9D7 or JES3-19F1 PBMCs LPS ( ng/ml) 18 24 hours # IL-12 C11.5 PBMCs IFN-γ ( ng/ ml) prime 2 hours, then plus LPS ( ng/ml) 18 24 hours # IL-13 JES10-5A2 Purified CD4 + T cells stimulated with immobilized anti- (10 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (5 μg/ml) + IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 + IL-4 for 3 4 days GM-CSF BVD2-21C11 PBMCs stimulated with soluble anti- (UCHT1, 1 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (5 μg/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 3 4 days IFN-γ 4S.B3 or B27 PBMCs MCP-1 5D3-F7 or 2H5 PBMCs LPS ( ng/ml) 18 24 hours # TNF-α MAB11 PBMCs TNF-β 359-81-11 PBMCs stimulated with soluble anti- (UCHT1, 1 μg/ml) + soluble anti-cd28 (5 μg/ml) for 2 days, wash and then culture in IL-2 (20 ng/ml) + IL-4 (50 ng/ml) for 3 4 days Notes: * surface expression of CD4 is down-modulated by PMA and ionomycin stimulation. # surface staining of is down-regulated by LPS stimulation. www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com 11
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide Intracellular Cytokine Staining Protocol Application Notes: 1. Activated cell populations can be prepared from in vivostimulated tissues or from in vitro-stimulated cultures (e.g., antigen-specific activation or mitogen-induced). It is critical to include a protein transport inhibitor such as (Cat. No. 420601) or monensin (Cat. No. 420701) in the last of cell culture activation. The cells can be suspended and distributed to 12 75 mm plastic tubes or microwell plates for immunofluorescent staining. 2. Different cytokines/chemokines have different production peaks. In order to obtain optimal staining signals, the stimulation conditions for each stimulant need to be optimized. 3. Some antibodies recognizing native cell surface markers may not bind to fixed/denatured antigens. For this reason, it is recommended that staining of cell surface antigens be done with live, unfixed cells PRIOR to fixation/permeabilization and staining of intracellular cytokines. Altering the procedure such that cells are fixed prior to staining of cell surface antigens requires that paraformaldehyde-denatured antigen-reactive antibody clones be empirically identified. Fixation: 1. If staining intracellular antigens (e.g. IFN-γ or IL-4), first perform cell surface antigen staining as described in BioLegend s Cell Surface Immunofluorescence Staining Protocol (BioLegend website under Support ), then fix cells in 0.5 ml/tube Fixation Buffer (Cat. No. 420801) in the dark for 20 minutes at room temperature. 2. Centrifuge at 350 g for 5 minutes, discard supernatant. 3. To put the experiment on hold at this point for future staining and analysis, wash cells 1 with Cell Staining Buffer. Resuspend cells in Cell Staining Buffer and store cells at 4 C (short term) or in 90% FCS/10% DMSO for storage at -80 C (long term, for fixed cells without surface antigen staining). The frequencies of cytokine-producing cells present in activated human PBMC cultures can vary widely due to donor variability. Therefore, cryopreserved cells from a single donor are useful for longitudinal studies. Permeabilization: 4. Dilute 10X Permeabilization Wash Buffer (Cat. No. 421) to 1X in DI water. 5. Resuspend fixed cells in Permeabilization Wash Buffer and centrifuge at 350 g for 5 10 minutes. 6. Repeat step 5 twice. Intracellular Staining: 7. Resuspend fixed/permeabilized cells in residual Permeabilization Wash Buffer and add a predetermined optimum concentration of fluorochrome conjugated antibody of interest (e.g. anti-ifn-γ-pe) or an appropriate negative control for 20 minutes in the dark at room temperature. 8. Wash 2 with 2 ml of Permeabilization Wash Buffer and centrifuge at 350 g for 5 minutes. 9. If primary intracellular antibody is biotinylated, it will be necessary to perform fluorochrome conjugated Streptavidin incubations and subsequent washes in Permeabilization Wash Buffer. 10. Resuspend fixed and intracellularly labeled cells in 0.5 ml Cell Staining Buffer and analyze with appropriate controls. Note: To confirm specific anti-cytokine staining, a blocking experiment is recommended in which cells are fixed/permeabilized then preincubated with an excess amount of unlabeled anti-cytokine antibody and/or the recombinant cytokine of interest is preincubated with fluorochrome-conjugated anti-cytokine antibody before its addition to the cells. Activation and Intracellular Staining of Whole Blood: 1. Dilute heparinized whole blood 1:1 with sterile appropriate tissue culture medium. 12 Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
2. At this stage, in vitro cellular stimulation by either antigen or mitogen can be performed. If intending to stain intracellular antigens (e.g. IFN-γ or IL-4), addition of an efficient protein transport inhibitor such as (Cat. No. 420601) or monensin (Cat. No. 420701) is critical. After addition of a suitable cellular activator, aliquot 200 µl of the whole blood cell suspension into 12 75 mm plastic tubes and incubate for in 5% CO 2 at 37 C. 3. Add 2 ml of 1X Red Blood Cell Lysis Buffer (Cat. No. 420301) and incubate for 5 10 minutes at room temperature. 4. Centrifuge at 350 g for 5 minutes and discard the supernatant. 5. Wash cells 1X with Cell Staining Buffer and perform cell surface immunofluorescent staining. 6. Fix, permeabilize and stain intracellular antigens as described above. Flow Cytometric Analysis: Set PMT voltage and compensation using cell surface staining controls. Set quadrant markers based on blocking controls, isotype controls, or unstained cells. For proper flow cytometric analysis, cells stained by this method should be inspected by light microscopy and/or flow light scatter pattern to confirm that they are well dispersed. Bivariate dot plots or probability contour plots can be generated upon data analysis to display the frequencies of and patterns by which individual cells coexpress certain levels of cell surface antigen and intracellular cytokine proteins. conjugated anti-cytokine antibodies. J. Immunol. Methods 188:117. 4. Elson, L.H., Nutmann, T.B., Metcalfe, D.D., and Prussin, C. 1995. Flow cytometric analysis for cytokine production identifies T helper 1, T helper 2, and T helper 0 cells within the human CD4+CD27- lymphocyte suppopulation. J. Immunol. 154:4294. 5. Assenmacher, M., Schmitz, J., and Radbruch, A. 1994. Flow cytometric determination of cytokines in activated murin T helper lymphocytes: expression of interleukin- 10 in interferon-gamma and in interleukin-4-expressing cells. Eur. J. Immunol. 24:1097. Reagent List: 1. Cell Staining Buffer (Cat. No. 420201) 2. Monensin (Cat. No. 420701) 3. RBC Lysis Buffer (Cat. No. 420301) 4. Brefeldin A (Cat. No. 420601) 5. Fixation Buffer (Cat. No. 420801) 6. Permeabilization Wash Buffer (Cat. No. 421) Related Information: 1. Jung, T., Schauer, U., Heusser, C., Neumann, C., and Rieger, C. 1993. Detection of intracellular cytokines by flow cytometry. J. Immunol. Methods 159:197. 2. Vikingsson, A., Pederson, K., and Muller, D. 1994. Enumeration of IFN-gamma producing lymphocytes by flow cytometry and correlation with quantitative measurement of IFN-gamma. J. Immunol. Methods 173:219. 3. Prussin, C., and Metcalfe, D.D. 1995. Detection of intracytoplasmic cytokine using flow cytometry and directly www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com 13
Intracellular Cytokine Staining Resource Guide BioLegend Cytokine and Chemokine Antibodies and Antibody Conjugates Specificity Clone Purified Biotin FITC PE APC Alexa Fluor 488 Alexa Fluor 647 Alexa Fluor 700 Mouse Mouse IL-1α ALF-161 X X Mouse IL-2 JES6-5H4 X X X X X X X X Mouse IL-3 MP2-8F8 X X Mouse IL-4 11B11 X X X X X Mouse IL-5 TRFK5 X X X Mouse IL-6 MP5-20F3 X X Mouse IL-10 JES5-16E3 X X X X X X X Mouse IL-12/IL-23 p40 C15.6 X X X Mouse IL-17 TC11-18H10.1 X X Mouse GM-CSF MP1-22E9 X X X Mouse IFN-γ XMG1.2 X X X X X X X X Mouse MCP-1 2H5 X X Mouse TNF-α TN3-19.12 X X Mouse TNF-α MP6-XT22 X X X X X X X X Mouse TRANCE IK22/5 X X X Human Human IL-1α 364-3B3-14 X X Human IL-1β JK1B-1 X X Human IL-2 MQ1-17H12 X X X X X X X Human IL-3 BVD3-1F9 X X X Human IL-4 8D4-8 X X Human IL-4 MP4-25D2 X X X X X X X Human IL-5 JES1-39D10 X X Human IL-5 TRFK5 X X X Human IL-6 MQ2-13A5 X X X X 14 Toll Free 1.877.BIOLEGEND (246.5343)
BioLegend Cytokine and Chemokine Antibodies and Antibody Conjugates (continued) Specificity Clone Purified Biotin FITC PE APC Alexa Fluor 488 Alexa Fluor 647 Alexa Fluor 700 Human (continued) Human IL-8 JK8-1 X X Human IL-9 MH9A4 X X Human IL-10 JES3-9D7 X X X X X X Human IL-10 JES3-19F1 X X X Human IL-12/IL-23 p40 C11.5 X X X X Human IL-13 JES10-5A2 X X X Human GM-CSF BVD2-21C11 X X X Human IFN-γ 4S.B3 X X X X X X X X Human IFN-γ B27 X X X X X Human MCP-1 5D3-F7 X X X Human MCP-1 2H5 X X Human TNF-α MAb11 X X X X X X X X Human TNF-β 359-81-11 X X X Rat IFN-γ DB-1 X X X Rat MCP-1 2H5 X X Rat TNF-α TN3-19.12 X X Cell Staining Buffer (FBS) Cat. No. 420201 RBC Lysis Buffer (10X) Cat. No. 420301 Brefeldin A Solution (1,000X) Cat. No. 420601 Monensin Solution (1,000X) Cat. No. 420701 Fixation Buffer Cat. No. 420801 Permeabilization Wash Buffer (10X) Cat. No. 421 Rat Related Products www,biolegend.com customerserv@biolegend.com 15