Porphyrin-Modified Beads for Use as Compensation Controls in Flow Cytometry

Summary

The protocol describes how porphyrin-based compensation beads for flow cytometry are prepared by the reaction of amine-functionalized polystyrene beads with the porphyrin TCPP and the amide coupling reagent EDC. A filtration procedure is used to reduce the particulate byproducts.

Abstract

Flow cytometry can rapidly characterize and quantify diverse cell populations based on fluorescence measurements. The cells are first stained with one or more fluorescent reagents, each functionalized with a different fluorescent molecule (fluorophore) that binds to cells selectively based on their phenotypic characteristics, such as cell surface antigen expression. The intensity of fluorescence from each reagent bound to cells can be measured on the flow cytometer using channels that detect a specified range of wavelengths. When multiple fluorophores are used, the light from individual fluorophores often spills over into undesired detection channels, which requires a correction to the fluorescence intensity data in a process called compensation.

Compensation control particles, typically polymer beads bound to a single fluorophore, are needed for each fluorophore used in a cell labeling experiment. Data from compensation particles from the flow cytometer are used to apply a correction to the fluorescence intensity measurements. This protocol describes the preparation and purification of polystyrene compensation beads covalently functionalized with the fluorescent reagent meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl) porphine (TCPP) and their application in flow cytometry compensation. In this work, amine-functionalized polystyrene beads were treated with TCPP and the amide coupling reagent EDC (N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride) at pH 6 and at room temperature for 16 h with agitation. The TCPP beads were isolated by centrifugation and resuspended in a pH 7 buffer for storage. TCPP-related particulates were observed as a byproduct. The number of these particulates could be reduced using an optional filtration protocol. The resultant TCPP beads were successfully used on a flow cytometer for compensation in experiments with human sputum cells labeled with multiple fluorophores. The TCPP beads proved stable following storage in a refrigerator for 300 days.

Introduction

Porphyrins have been of interest for many years in the biomedical field owing to their fluorescence and tumor-targeting properties^1,2,3. Therapeutic applications such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) entail the systemic administration of a porphyrin to a cancer patient, the accumulation of the drug in the tumor, and the localized exposure of the tumor to a laser light of a specific wavelength or ultrasound. The exposure to laser light or ultrasound leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species by the porphyrin and subsequent cell death

Protocol

All procedures need to be done using appropriate personal protective equipment.

1. Preparation of the TCPP stock solution, 1.0 mg/ mL

NOTE: This can be prepared monthly.

1. Using an analytical balance, spatula, and weighing paper, weigh 49.0-50.9 mg of TCPP. Round the weight to 1/10 of a milligram. Set the measured amount of TCPP aside protected from light.
   NOTE: Use a static gun if the weight reading is unstable.
2. Determine the required amounts of purified water and isopropanol (IPA) from Table 1 based on the amount of TCPP weighed in step 1.1. Add the p....

Results

This protocol for the TCPP labeling of beads is relatively fast and efficient. Figure 1 shows a representative outcome of the TCPP bead-labeling process as determined by flow cytometry. Figure 1A shows the standardized profile of Rainbow beads, as detected in the appropriate channel for detecting TCPP. These beads serve as a QC for the standardization of the laser voltages for the detection of TCPP by the flow cytometer. Figure 1B s.......

Discussion

Despite the many applications of porphyrins in cancer diagnosis and therapeutics², there is limited literature on their potential use as a flow cytometric reagent for the identification of cancerous versus non-cancerous cell populations in primary human tissues^24,25,26. Our research on the flow cytometric analysis of human sputum^24,27 requires the.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Amber plastic vials, 2 mL, U- bottom, polypropylene	Research Products International	ZC1028-500
Amine-funtionalized polystyrene divinylbenzene crosslinked (PS/DVB) beads, 10.6 μm diameter, 2.5% w/v aqueous suspension, 3.82 x 107 beads/mL, 7.11 x 1011 amine groups/ bead	Spherotech	APX-100-10	Diameter spec. 8.0-12.9 um, suspension 2.5% w/v 3.82 x 107 beads/mL, 7.11 x 1011 amine groups/ bead
Conical tubes, 50 mL, Falcon	Fisher Scientific	14-432-22
Centrifuge			with appropriate rotor
Disposable polystyrene bottle with cap, 150 mL	Fisher Scientific	09-761-140
EDC (N- (3- dimethylaminopropyl)- N'- ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride), ≥98%	Sigma	03450-1G	CAS No:  25952-53-8
FlowJo Single Cell Analysis Software (v10.6.1)	BD
Glass coverslips, 22 x 22 mm	Fisher Scientific	12-540-BP
Glass fiber syringe filters (Finneran, 5 µm, 13 mm diameter)	Thomas Scientific	1190M60
Glass microscope slides, 275 x 75 x 1 mm	Fisher Scientific	12-550-143
Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS)	Fisher Scientific	14-175-095
Isopropanol, ACS grade	Fisher Scientific	AC423830010
Mechanical pipette, 1 channel, 100-1000 uL with tips	Eppendorf	3123000918
MES (22- (N- mopholino)- N'- ethanesulfonic acid, hemisodium salt	Sigma	M0164	CAS No:  117961-21-4
Navios EX flow cytometer	Beckman Coulter
Olympus BX-40 microscope with DP73 camera and 40X objective with cellSens software	Olympus		or similar
Pasteur pipettes, glass, 5.75"	Fisher Scientific	13-678-6B
pH meter (UB 10 Ultra Basic)	Denver Instruments
Pipette controller (Drummond)	Pipete.com	DP101
Plastic Syringe, 5 mL	Fisher Scientific	14955452
Polystyrene Particles (non-functionalized), SPHERO,  2.5% w/v, 8.0-12.9 µm	Spherotech	PP-100-10
Polypropylene tubes, 15mL, conical	Fisher Scientific	14-959-53A
Polystyrene tubes, round bottom	Fisher Scientific	14-959-2A
Rainbow Beads (Spherotech URCP-50-2K)	Fisher Scientific	NC9207381
Serological pipettes, disposable - 10 mL	Fisher Scientific	07-200-574
Serological pipettes, disposable - 25 mL	Fisher Scientific	07-200-576
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)	Sigma	S6014	CAS No:  144-55-8
TCPP (meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphine)  Frontier Scientific	Fisher Scientific	50-393-68	CAS No:  14609-54-2
Tecan Spark Plate Reader (or similar)	Tecan Life Sciences
Tube revolver/rotator	Thermo Fisher	88881001
Vortex mixer	Fisher Scientific	2215365