To cultivate neural crest stem cells (NCSC) in vitro, a special medium (NCSCM) is required. Essential part of NCSCM is chick embryo extract (CEE). We here describe accurate techniques to produce a maximized amount of pure and high quality CEE, including details as the isolation, maceration, centrifugation, and filtration processes.
The neural crest arises from the neuro-ectoderm during embryogenesis and persists only temporarily. Early experiments already proofed pluripotent progenitor cells to be an integral part of the neural crest1. Phenotypically, neural crest stem cells (NCSC) are defined by simultaneously expressing p75 (low-affine nerve growth factor receptor, LNGFR) and SOX10 during their migration from the neural crest2,3,4,5. These progenitor cells can differentiate into smooth muscle cells, chromaffin cells, neurons and glial cells, as well as melanocytes, cartilage and bone6,7,8,9. To cultivate NCSC in vitro, a special neural crest stem cell medium (NCSCM) is required10. The most complex part of the NCSCM is the preparation of chick embryo extract (CEE) representing an essential source of growth factors for the NCSC as well as for other types of neural explants. Other NCSCM ingredients beside CEE are commercially available. Producing CCE using laboratory standard equipment it is of high importance to know about the challenging details as the isolation, maceration, centrifugation, and filtration processes. In this protocol we describe accurate techniques to produce a maximized amount of pure and high quality CEE.
This protocol is based on modifications of procedures that have been described in the past10,11. In addition to former publications we here show the individual different steps of the process more expanded. This supports the experimenter with important details assuring correct proceedings and reliable outcomes. Further, as the dissection process is an essential part of CEE extraction we describe the procedure of taking the embryos out of the yolk sack in every detail. There are several important points to note …
The authors have nothing to disclose.
The support and advice of Markus Pajtler and Robert Bohrer were invaluable for the visualization of this protocol.
Material Name | Tipo | Company | Catalogue Number | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|
11 days incubated chicken eggs | Sörries-Trockels Vermehrungszucht GmbH & Co.KG | |||
Alcoholic disinfection spray | Schülke & Mayr GmbH | |||
DMEMGlutamax | GIBCO Invitrogen | |||
Syringe sterile (60 ml) | BD Biosciences | |||
Tubes sterile (50; 15 ml) | Greiner Bio-One GmbH | |||
Pipet tips sterile | Starlab GmbH | |||
Hyaluronidase typeIV-S | Sigma-Aldrich | |||
Milipore stericups sterile (0.45; 0.22 μl) | Fisher Scientific AG | |||
Pipettes sterile (25; 10; 5 ml) | Greiner Bio-One GmbH | |||
Centrifuge L5-50 | Rotor type Ti-45 |