Stem Cell Differentiation, Plant RNAi Methods Featured In Cold Spring Harbor Protocols

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines;  Genetics;  Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 03 Feb 2009 - 8:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

By using OP9-DL1 cells as a support system, researchers can study the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into mature components of the immune system. This month's issue of Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features a set of methods from Juan Carlos Zúñiga-Pflücker's laboratory at the University of Toronto detailing "The OP9-DL1 System: Generation of T-Lymphocytes from Embryonic or Hematopoietic Stem Cells In Vitro." The article contains a series of protocols describing the establishment, maintenance, and storage of OP9 and OP9-DL1 cells; the co-culture of these cells with embryonic stem cells or hematopoietic stem cells from fetal liver or bone marrow; and the in vitro differentiation of the stem cells into lymphocytes. The OP9-DL1 system has been useful in addressing questions about the cellular and molecular regulation of T-lymphocyte lineage commitment, pre-T cell receptor signaling (beta-selection), functional characteristics of progenitor T cells, and maturation of functional CD8 T cells. The article is freely accessible on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols.

The second featured article for February comes from S.P. Dinesh-Kumar and colleagues at Yale University . RNA interference (RNAi) has become an effective tool for the down-regulation of genes in plants. The most effective means of accomplishing this gene silencing is through the use of viral vectors, with the Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) providing the most robust results. "Virus-Induced Gene Silencing as a Tool for Delivery of dsRNA into Plants" outlines a simple procedure for introducing TRV-based vectors into commonly studied plants such as Arabidopsis and tomato. This method is freely accessible on the website for Cold Spring Harbor Protocols.

###

About Cold Spring Harbor Protocols:

Cold Spring Harbor Protocols (http://www.cshprotocols.org) is a monthly peer-reviewed journal of methods used in a wide range of biology laboratories. It is structured to be highly interactive, with each protocol cross-linked to related methods, descriptive information panels, and illustrative material to maximize the total information available to investigators. Each protocol is clearly presented and designed for easy use at the bench - complete with reagents, equipment, and recipe lists. Life science researchers can access the entire collection via institutional site licenses, and can add their suggestions and comments to further refine the techniques.

About Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press:

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is an internationally renowned publisher of books, journals, and electronic media, located on Long Island, New York. Since 1933, it has furthered the advance and spread of scientific knowledge in all areas of genetics and molecular biology, including cancer biology, plant science, bioinformatics, and neurobiology. It is a division of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an innovator in life science research and the education of scientists, students, and the public. For more information, visit http://www.cshlpress.com.

Source: David Crotty
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

• Additional
• References
• Citations