I'm trying to determine if two cell types are merging, possibly through phagocytosis, to explain some data I've been seeing. Can anyone recommend an assay or technique that would allow me to visualize this? Thank you!
Hi Kathleen, you can use fluorescent labelled Ab against specific marker for each cell type and go for live cell imaging. If your cells can be distinguished by their morphology, you don't need any marker. But, I suggest you to use markers to distinguish your cell types. Thank you.
You could also try the following: There are several dyes out there that stain plasma membrane. You could stain your two cell types with different colored dyes, mix them and then do live cell imaging. If the cells fuse together or if one is taken up by the other, you may be able to see signal co-localization as and when it happens.
ThermoFisher Scientific (previously Molecular Probes) has some amazing resources on imaging various cellular processes and compartments. I think they provide trial sizes. I am linking the relevant ones here:
Plasma membrane staining: https://www.thermofisher.com/ca/en/home/life-science/cell-analysis/cell-structure/plasma-membrane.html
Phagocytosis, endocytosis and receptor internalization: https://www.thermofisher.com/ca/en/home/life-science/cell-analysis/cell-viability-and-regulation/endocytosis-exocytosis-and-phagocytosis.html
Although I am not familiar with them, these guys also seem to dyes that could be used to study cell-cell interactions.
https://biotium.com/product/cellbrite-cytoplasmic-membrane-dyes/#
Great, thank you so much!
Julie Joseph I really appreciate the helpful links as well!
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