MethoCult™ SF M3436
Serum-free methylcellulose-based medium with recombinant cytokines (including EPO) for mouse erythroid progenitor cells
-
MethoCult™ SF M3436 -
Label for MethoCult™ SF M3436
More Views
Overview
MethoCult™ 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. MethoCult™ 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 STEMvision™ software for automated colony counting of mouse bone marrow CFU assays. MethoCult™ SF M3436 can also be used for growth and enumeration of BFU-E in CFU assays of rat bone marrow cells.
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
• 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:
Serum-Free; Defined
Related Products
-
16 gauge needles with luer lock -
For accurate dispensing of methylcellulose-based medium -
Automated and standardized colony counting for the hematopoietic colony-forming unit (CFU) assay
Scientific Resources
Product Documentation
Document Type
Product Name
Catalog #
Lot #
Language
Educational Materials
(8)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use semi-solid media?
Semi-solid media (methylcellulose-based MethoCult™ and collagen-based MegaCult™-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 MethoCult™.
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 MethoCult™. Mouse pre-B clonogenic progenitors can be grown in MethoCult™ 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 MethoCult™ medium?
The cells in individual colonies in MethoCult™ 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 MegaCult™-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, MethoCult™ 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.
Read More
Product 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.
Research Area
Workflow Stages for
Workflow Stages
Data and Publications
Data
Figure 1. Procedure Summary for Hematopoietic CFU Assays
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
Publications
(1)
Blood 2008 OCT
Inhibition of the TGF-beta receptor I kinase promotes hematopoiesis in MDS.
Abstract
Abstract
MDS is characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis that leads to peripheral cytopenias. Development of effective treatments has been impeded by limited insight into pathogenic pathways governing dysplastic growth of hematopoietic progenitors. We demonstrate that smad2, a downstream mediator of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) receptor I kinase (TBRI) activation, is constitutively activated in MDS bone marrow (BM) precursors and is overexpressed in gene expression profiles of MDS CD34(+) cells, providing direct evidence of overactivation of TGF-beta pathway in this disease. Suppression of the TGF-beta signaling by lentiviral shRNA-mediated down-regulation of TBRI leads to in vitro enhancement of hematopoiesis in MDS progenitors. Pharmacologic inhibition of TBRI (alk5) kinase by a small molecule inhibitor, SD-208, inhibits smad2 activation in hematopoietic progenitors, suppresses TGF-beta-mediated gene activation in BM stromal cells, and reverses TGF-beta-mediated cell-cycle arrest in BM CD34(+) cells. Furthermore, SD-208 treatment alleviates anemia and stimulates hematopoiesis in vivo in a novel murine model of bone marrow failure generated by constitutive hepatic expression of TGF-beta1. Moreover, in vitro pharmacologic inhibition of TBRI kinase leads to enhancement of hematopoiesis in varied morphologic MDS subtypes. These data directly implicate TGF-beta signaling in the pathobiology of ineffective hematopoiesis and identify TBRI as a potential therapeutic target in low-risk MDS.
STEMCELL TECHNOLOGIES INC.’S QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS CERTIFIED TO ISO 13485. PRODUCTS ARE FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY AND NOT INTENDED FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL DIAGNOSTIC OR THERAPEUTIC USES UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.