title: In situ staining using MHC class I tetramers.
abstract: The invention of MHC-tetramer technology to label antigen-specific T cells has lead to a greatly enhanced understanding of T lymphocyte biology. This protocol describes the use of MHC class I tetramers to stain antigen-specific T cells in tissue sections. In situ tetramer staining (IST) can be used to determine the localization, abundance, and phenotype of antigen-specific T cells in native environments and in three-dimensional space. IST is broadly applicable because it can be used to stain essentially any antigen-specific T cell in any tissue for which MHC tetramers are available. IST can be combined with histochemistry and/or immunohistochemistry to permit visualization and characterization of antigen-specific T cells relative to other cell types in stained tissue sections. Thus, IST is a useful and valuable component of MHC-tetramer technology.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Ashley T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Haase
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods*; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D016650:Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate