Critical Reviews in Biotechnology ISSN: 0738-8551 (Print) 1549-7801 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ibty20 Flow cytometry: basic principles and applications Aysun Adan, Günel Alizada, Yağmur Kiraz, Yusuf Baran & Ayten Nalbant To cite this article: Aysun Adan, Günel Alizada, Yağmur Kiraz, Yusuf Baran & Ayten Nalbant (2016): Flow cytometry: basic principles and applications, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2015.1128876 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/07388551.2015.1128876 Published online: 14 Jan 2016. 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DOI: 10.3109/07388551.2015.1128876 REVIEW ARTICLE Flow cytometry: basic principles and applications Aysun Adan1*,Gu¨nel Alizada2*, Yag˘mur Kiraz1,2*, Yusuf Baran1,2, and Ayten Nalbant2 1Faculty of Life and Natural Sciences, Abdullah Gu¨l University, Kayseri, Turkey and 2Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, I_zmir Institute of Technology, I_zmir, Turkey Abstract Keywords Flow cytometry is a sophisticated instrument measuring multiple physical characteristics of a Apoptosis, cytokines, flow cytometer, single cell such as size and granularity simultaneously as the cell flows in suspension through a fluorescence, fluorescent-activated cell measuring device. Its working depends on the light scattering features of the cells under sorting, histogram, immunophenotyping, investigation, which may be derived from dyes or monoclonal antibodies targeting either light scatter extracellular molecules located on the surface or intracellular molecules inside the cell. This approach makes flow cytometry a powerful tool for detailed analysis of complex populations in History a short period of time. This review covers the general principles and selected applications of flow cytometry such as immunophenotyping of peripheral blood cells, analysis of apoptosis Received 18 March 2015 and detection of cytokines. Additionally, this report provides a basic understanding of flow Revised 12 October 2015 cytometry technology essential for all users as well as the methods used to analyze and Accepted 13 October 2015 interpret the data. Moreover, recent progresses in flow cytometry have been discussed in order Published online 8 January 2016 to give an opinion about the future importance of this technology. Introduction fluorescence probe is proportional to the amount of fluores- cent probe bound to the cell or cellular component (Macey, Historically, the first developed flow cytometry was a single- 2010). parameter instrument detecting only the size of cells. There are two different types of flow cytometry – named as Currently, highly sophisticated instruments have evolved non-sorting and sorting. Non-sorting type can perform light with the capability of detecting 14 parameters simultaneously scattering and fluorescence emission while the sorting type (Wilkerson, 2012). Flow cytometry has the ability to measure has the ability to sort particles as well. Fluorescent activated the optical and fluorescence characteristics of a single cell or cell sorters (FACS) are flow cytometers that have the capacity any other particle such as microorganisms, nuclei and to sort fluorescent-labeled cells from a mixed cell population chromosome preparations in a fluid stream when they pass (Wilkerson, 2012). through a light source (Macey, 2010). Size, granularity and The main components of flow cytometers and cell sorters fluorescent features of the cells, derived from either are basically fluidics, optics (excitation and collection), an antibodies or dyes, are also examples of parameters used to electronic network (detectors) and a computer. The fluidics is analyze and differentiate the cells (Wilkerson, 2012). The responsible for directing liquid containing particles to the Downloaded by [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana] at 17:45 09 May 2016 underlying principle of flow cytometry is related to light focused light source. The excitation optic focuses the light scattering and fluorescence emission, which occurs as light source on the cells/particles while collection optics transmits from the excitation source (commonly a laser beam) that the light scatter or fluorescent light of the particle to an strikes the moving particles (Figure 1). The data obtained electronic network. The electronic network detects the signal could give valuable information about biochemical, biophys- and converts the signals to a digital data that is proportional to ical and molecular aspects of particles. Light scattering is light intensity and the computer is also required to analyze directly related to structural and morphological properties of data (Shapiro, 2004; Wilkerson, 2012). the cell while fluorescence emission derived from a Flow cytometry is used in various applications based on the detection of the membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear antigens. Additionally, whole cells and cellular components *These authors equally contributed to this work. such as organelles, nuclei, DNA, RNA, chromosomes, Address for correspondence: Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayten Nalbant, Molecular Immunology and Gene Regulation Laboratory, Department of Molecular cytokines, hormones and protein content can also be Biology and Genetics, Izmir_ Institute of Technology, Urla, Izmir_ 35430, investigated by flow cytometry. Analysis of cell proliferation Turkey. Tel: + 90 232 7507317. Fax: + 90 232 7507303. E-mail: and cell cycle, measurements of calcium flux and membrane [email protected] potentials are the commonly used examples of methods Prof. Dr. Yusuf Baran, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir_ Institute of Technology, Izmir_ 35430, Turkey. Tel: + 90 232 developed for flow cytometry (Wlodkowic et al., 7507315. Fax: + 90 232 7507300. E-mail: [email protected] 2011a,2013). 2 A. Adan et al. Crit Rev Biotechnol, Early Online: 1–14 of fluidic components. Therefore, the operator must always ensure that the fluidics system is free of air bubbles and debris and is properly pressurized at all times. Optical system A flow cytometer has an optical bench that holds the excitation, which includes the laser and lenses and collection optics in fixed positions. The lenses are used to shape and focus the laser beam. Meanwhile, the laser produces light by energizing electrons to high energy orbitals with high voltage electricity. Photons of light are produced when these energized electrons fall back into their lower energy orbitals (Wilkerson, 2012). Light is deflected around the edges of the cell after the laser strikes the cells, also called as light scattering. Two types of light scatter occur named as forward scatter (FSC) and side scatters (SSC) (Figure 2). The factors affecting total light scatter include the membrane, nucleus, granularity of the cell, cell shape and surface topography. Generally, the size of a cell or a particle and its internal complexity specify the type of scatter. FSC light is a result of diffraction collected along the same axis as the laser beam. Figure 1. The underlying working principle of a flow cytometer. FCS is proportional to cell-surface area or size and suitable for detecting particles greater than a given size that makes it Herein, we explained the general principles and selected the most commonly used method for immunophenotyping. On applications of flow cytometry such as immunophenotyping the other hand, SSC light is a measurement of mostly of peripheral blood cells and analysis of apoptosis. Besides, refracted and reflected light, which is collected at approxi- we also discussed the basic data presentation and interpret- mately 90 degrees to the laser beam. SSC is proportional to ation methods as a helpful material to the researchers who is cell granularity or internal complexity as important as the interesting in flow cytometric analyses. fluorescent light derived from fluorescent-labeled antibodies or dyes such as propidium iodide (PI) are reflected at the Components of a flow cytometer same angle as SSC. In order to differentiate the cell types in a heterogeneous population correlated measurements of FCS Fluidic system and SSC can be used (Reggeti & Bienzle, 2011). The fluidic system transports the cells from a solution through There is a variety of laser configurations in flow the instrument to obtain the data includes two components; cytometers based on the type of fluorochromes being excited. sheath fluid and pressurized lines. Sheath fluid is a diluent The argon laser (a common laser with an excitation (commonly phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)), which is wavelength of 488 nm) is used to excite many synthetic injected into the flow chamber located at the heart of the dyes such as fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and natural instrument by pressurized lines. A pressurized airline also fluorochrome dyes including algae and phytoplanktons, injects the suspended cells in the sample tube into the flow resulting in the emission of light at a higher wavelength. chamber. The sample stream becomes a central core in the Many flow cytometers and sorters have additional lasers sheath fluid stream called as a coaxial flow that is based on a including ultraviolet