In vivo analysis of dendritic cell clonality

Abstract

Confocal fluorescence microscopy is commonly used for the analysis of tissue architecture and cell distribution (Paddock, Confocal microscopy: methods and protocols. Methods in molecular biology. Humana Press, New York, pp 1–388, 2013). When combined with multicolor fate mapping of cell precursors, it allows for analysis of single-color cell clusters, which in turn informs on the clonal relationship of cells in tissues (Snippert et al, Cell 143:134–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2010.09.016, 2010). In this chapter, I describe a multicolor fate mapping mouse model and microscopy technique to trace the progeny of conventional dendritic cell (cDC, (Cabeza-Cabrerizo et al, Annu Rev Immunol 39:131. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-immunol-061020-053707, 2021)) progenitors in different tissues and analyze cDC clonality. The chapter is focused on imaging methods rather than image analysis, although the software used to quantify cluster formation is also introduced.