Analysis of CCR7 mediated T cell transfectant migration using a microfluidic gradient generator

作者：Wu Xun; Wu Jiandong; Li Hongzhao; Legler Daniel F; Marshall Aaron J; Lin Francis

来源：Journal of Immunological Methods, 2015, 419: 9-17.

DOI：10.1016/j.jim.2015.02.008

• Cell migration
• Chemotaxis
• T cells
• Microfluidic device
• CCR7
• CCL19

T lymphocyte migration is crucial for adaptive immunity. Manipulation of signaling molecules controlling cell migration combined with in-vitro cell migration analysis provides a powerful research approach. Microfluidic devices, which can precisely configure chemoattractant gradients and allow quantitative single cell analysis, have been increasingly applied to cell migration and chemotaxis studies. However, there are a very limited number of published studies involving microfluidic migration analysis of genetically manipulated immune cells. In this study, we describe a simple microfluidic method for quantitative analysis of T cells expressing transfected chemokine receptors and other cell migration signaling probes. Using this method, we demonstrated chemotaxis of Jurkat transfectants expressing wild-type or C-terminus mutated CCR7 within,a gradient of chemokine CCL19, and characterized the difference in transfectant migration mediated by wild-type and mutant CCR7. The EGFP-tagged CCR7 allows identification of CCR7-expressing transfectants in cell migration analysis and microscopy assessment of CCR7 dynamics. Collectively, our study demonstrated the effective use of the microfluidic method for studying CCR7 mediated T cell transfectant migration. We envision this developed method will provide a useful platform to functionally test various signaling mechanisms at the cell migration level.

• 出版日期2015-4