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MethoCultâ„¢ SF M3436

Serum-free methylcellulose-based medium with recombinant cytokines (including EPO) for mouse erythroid progenitor cells

MethoCultâ„¢ SF M3436

Serum-free methylcellulose-based medium with recombinant cytokines (including EPO) for mouse erythroid progenitor cells

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Serum-free methylcellulose-based medium with recombinant cytokines (including EPO) for mouse erythroid progenitor cells
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Overview

MethoCultâ„¢ SF M3436 is optimized for the growth and enumeration of primitive erythroid progenitor cells (BFU-E) in colony-forming unit (CFU) assays of mouse bone marrow, fetal liver, spleen, peripheral blood, and purified cells. MethoCultâ„¢ SF M3436 does not support the growth of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM, CFU-G and CFU-M) or multipotential granulocyte, erythroid, macrophage, megakaryocyte progenitor cells (CFU-GEMM). This formulation is serum-free and compatible with ³§°Õ·¡²Ñ±¹¾±²õ¾±´Ç²Ôâ„¢ software for automated colony counting of mouse bone marrow CFU assays. MethoCultâ„¢ SF M3436 can also be used for growth and enumeration of BFU-E in CFU assays of rat bone marrow cells.

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on performing the CFU assay.
Contains
• Methylcellulose in Iscove's MDM
• Bovine serum albumin
• Recombinant human insulin
• Human transferrin (iron-saturated)
• 2-Mercaptoethanol
• Cytokines (including recombinant human erythropoietin [EPO])
• Supplements
Subtype
Semi-Solid Media, Specialized Media
Cell Type
Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Species
Mouse, Rat
Application
Cell Culture, Colony Assay, Functional Assay
Brand
MethoCult
Area of Interest
Drug Discovery and Toxicity Testing, Stem Cell Biology
Formulation Category
Serum-Free

Data Figures

Procedure Summary for Hematopoietic CFU Assays

Figure 1. Procedure Summary for Hematopoietic CFU Assays

Examples of Colonies Derived From Mouse Hematopoietic Progenitors

Figure 2. Examples of Colonies Derived From Mouse Hematopoietic Progenitors

BFU-E-derived colonies from mouse fetal liver (A) and spleen (B) samples cultured in MethoCult™ SF M3436

Protocols and Documentation

Find supporting information and directions for use in the Product Information Sheet or explore additional protocols below.

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03436
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English
Document Type
Product Name
Catalog #
03436
Lot #
All
Language
English
Document Type
Product Name
Catalog #
03436
Lot #
All
Language
English

Applications

This product is designed for use in the following research area(s) as part of the highlighted workflow stage(s). Explore these workflows to learn more about the other products we offer to support each research area.

Resources and Publications

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use semi-solid media?

Semi-solid media (methylcellulose-based MethoCultâ„¢ and collagen-based MegaCultâ„¢-C) allow the clonal progeny of a single progenitor cell to remain spatially isolated from other colonies within a culture, so they may be separately identified and counted.

Why use methylcellulose-based media?

Methylcellulose permits better growth of erythroid colonies than other types of semi-solid support systems (eg. agar) while allowing optimal myeloid colony formation. When appropriate cytokines are present, committed progenitor cells of both erythroid and granulocyte/macrophage lineages (CFU-GM, CFU-G, CFU-M) as well as multi-potential progenitor cells (CFU-GEMM), can be assayed simultaneously in the same culture dish.

Is it necessary to add antibiotics to the media?

No, aseptic technique should be sufficient to maintain sterile cultures. However, antibiotics (eg. Penicillin/Streptomycin) or anti-fungals (eg. Amphotericin B) may be added to the methylcellulose medium if desired.

Is there anything I can do if my cultures appear contaminated?

No, once contamination is visible, it is not possible to rescue the cultures by the addition of antibiotics. Bacteria and yeast inhibit colony formation by depleting nutrients or by releasing toxic substances.

Why can't I use a pipette to dispense methylcellulose-based media?

Methylcellulose is a viscous solution that cannot be accurately dispensed using a pipette due to adherence of the medium to the walls of the pipette tip. Blunt-End, 16 Gauge needles (Catalog #28110), in combination with 3 cc Syringes (Catalog #28230) are recommended for accurate dispensing of MethoCultâ„¢.

Can I 'pluck' the colonies for individual analysis?

Yes, colonies can be 'plucked' using a pipette with 200 µL sterile pipette tips or using a glass Pasteur pipette with an elongated tip. Individual colonies should be placed in a volume of 25 - 50 µL of medium, and diluted into suitable culture medium for further culture or analysis.

Why are low adherence dishes so important?

Adherent cells such as fibroblasts can cause inhibition of colony growth and obscure visualization of colonies.

Can MethoCult™ products be used for lymphoid progenitor CFU assays?

Human lymphoid progenitors (B, NK and T) seem to require stromal support for growth therefore cannot be grown in MethoCultâ„¢. Mouse pre-B clonogenic progenitors can be grown in MethoCultâ„¢ M3630 (Catalog #03630).

Is it possible to set up CFU assays in a 24-well plate?

Yes, as long as a plating concentration optimized for the smaller surface area of a well in a 24-well plate (1.9 cm2 as compared to ~9.5 cm2 for a 35 mm dish) is used for these assays. The number of replicate wells required to get an accurate estimation of CFU numbers may also need to be increased.

Can I stain colonies in MethoCultâ„¢ medium?

The cells in individual colonies in MethoCultâ„¢ can be stained, eg., for analysis of morphology or phenotype, after they are plucked from the dish and washed free of methylcellulose. Colonies grown in collagen-based MegaCultâ„¢-C medium can be used for immunohistochemical or enzymatic staining in situ after dehydration and fixation onto glass slides.

Are there differences in colony morphology with serum-free media?

Serum-containing media generally give better overall growth (colonies may appear larger) but there are no large differences in total colony numbers when CFU assays using serum-free media and serum-containing media are compared, provided that identical cytokines are present.

Can MethoCult™ be made with alternate base media?

Yes, this can be done as a 'custom' media order. Please contact techsupport@stemcell.com for more information.

Is there a MethoCult™ formulation suitable for HPP-CFC (high proliferative potential colony forming cell)?

Yes, MethoCultâ„¢ H4535 (Catalog #04535) can be used for the HPP-CFC assay as it does not contain EPO. The culture period is usually 28 days. It is not necessary to feed these cultures as growth factors in the medium are present in excess. As HPP-CFCs can be quite large, overplating can be a problem. It is recommended to plate cells at two or more different concentrations.

Publications (4)

Red Blood Cellâ€Mediated Enhancement of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Functions via a Hes1â€Dependent Pathway E. Yamashita et al. The FASEB Journal 2025 Sep

Abstract

In bone marrow, cell numbers are balanced between production and loss. After chemotherapy, blood cell counts decrease initially but later recover as hematopoietic progenitor cells expand, although the mechanisms underlying this recovery are still unclear. We investigated the influence of red blood cells (RBCs) on hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function during bone marrow recovery. Following chemotherapy, RBC concentrations in bone marrow peaked on day 5 posttreatment, coinciding with the recovery of hematopoiesis. Coculture of HSCs with RBCs resulted in a significant increase in hematopoiesis. Direct contact between RBCs and HSCs was essential for enhancement of hematopoiesis, and HSCs precultured with RBCs resulted in greater numbers of donorâ€derived mature hematopoietic cells after transplantation. RNAâ€sequencing analysis showed that Hes1 was the most significantly upregulated transcription factor in RBC coculture, and the response to RBCâ€induced hematopoiesis of Hes1â€deficient HSCs was reduced. These findings imply a role of RBCs and Hes1 in the enhancement of hematopoietic recovery following bone marrow stress.
Pseudouridine synthase 1 regulates erythropoiesis via transfer RNAs pseudouridylation and cytoplasmic translation D. Shi et al. iScience 2024 Feb

Abstract

Pseudouridylation plays a regulatory role in various physiological and pathological processes. A prime example is the mitochondrial myopathy, lactic acidosis, and sideroblastic anemia syndrome (MLASA), characterized by defective pseudouridylation resulting from genetic mutations in pseudouridine synthase 1 (PUS1). However, the roles and mechanisms of pseudouridylation in normal erythropoiesis and MLASA-related anemia remain elusive. We established a mouse model carrying a point mutation (R110W) in the enzymatic domain of PUS1, mimicking the common mutation in human MLASA. Pus1 -mutant mice exhibited anemia at 4 weeks old. Impaired mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation was also observed in mutant erythroblasts. Mechanistically, mutant erythroblasts showed defective pseudouridylation of targeted tRNAs, altered tRNA profiles, decreased translation efficiency of ribosomal protein genes, and reduced globin synthesis, culminating in ineffective erythropoiesis. Our study thus provided direct evidence that pseudouridylation participates in erythropoiesis in vivo. We demonstrated the critical role of pseudouridylation in regulating tRNA homeostasis, cytoplasmic translation, and erythropoiesis. Subject areas: Molecular biology, Cell biology
Genomic subtyping and therapeutic targeting of acute erythroleukemia. I. Iacobucci et al. Nature genetics 2019

Abstract

Acute erythroid leukemia (AEL) is a high-risk leukemia of poorly understood genetic basis, with controversy regarding diagnosis in the spectrum of myelodysplasia and myeloid leukemia. We compared genomic features of 159 childhood and adult AEL cases with non-AEL myeloid disorders and defined five age-related subgroups with distinct transcriptional profiles: adult, TP53 mutated; NPM1 mutated; KMT2A mutated/rearranged; adult, DDX41 mutated; and pediatric, NUP98 rearranged. Genomic features influenced outcome, with NPM1 mutations and HOXB9 overexpression being associated with a favorable prognosis and TP53, FLT3 or RB1 alterations associated with poor survival. Targetable signaling mutations were present in 45{\%} of cases and included recurrent mutations of ALK and NTRK1, the latter of which drives erythroid leukemogenesis sensitive to TRK inhibition. This genomic landscape of AEL provides the framework for accurate diagnosis and risk stratification of this disease, and the rationale for testing targeted therapies in this high-risk leukemia.