red cell precursors (αTer119), B cells (αCD19), T cells
(αCD3ε) and myeloid cells (αGr1), MACS αbiotin beads
and LS columns (Miltenyi Biotec). Colony formation assays were performed as
previously described40 (link).
Briefly, 3.3 × 103 Lin− cells were cultured
in MethoCult base medium (STEMCELL Technologies) supplemented with 15% FCS, 20%
BIT (50 mg/ml BSA in Iscove’s modified Dulbecco’s medium, 1.44
U/ml rh-insulin [Actrapid, Novo Nordisk], and 250 ng/ml human Holo Transferrin
[ProSpec]), 100 μM 2-β-mercaptoethanol, 100 U/ml penicillin, 100
μg/ml streptomycin, 2 mM L-glutamine, and a cytokine mix of 50 ng/ml
rm-SCF, 10 ng/ml rm-IL-3, 10 ng/ml rh-IL-6, and 50 ng/ml rm-Flt3-ligand (all
from ProSpec). Total colonies and colony subsets were enumerated after 7
days.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were analysed by flow cytometry as
previously described40 (link).
Briefly, bones were crushed and digested in PBS with collagenase and DNase for 1
h at 37°C. Stromal cells were separated from the hematopoietic fraction
by removing CD45+Ter-119+ cells by MACS. Cells were
stained for CD51, Sca-1, and CD31. Hematopoietic cells were excluded with
lineage markers, CD45, and Ter-119.