Clonal culture of adult mouse lung epithelial stem/progenitor cells

Abstract

Clonal culture of stem cells is crucial for their identification, and the characterization of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate their proliferation and differentiation. In the adult mouse lung, epithelial stem/progenitor cells are defined by the phenotype CD45neg CD31neg EpCAMpos CD104pos CD24low. Here we describe a tissue dissociation and flow cytometry strategy for the detection and isolation of adult mouse lung epithelial stem/progenitor cells, and a three-dimensional colony-forming assay for their clonal culture in vitro.