Protocol to sequentially isolate mouse oligodendrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons via magnetic cell sorting
Isolation of specific brain cell types is essential to study cell-type-specific differences in complex neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Here, we present a protocol for isolating oligodendrocytes, microglia, endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons from a single mouse brain. We describe steps for tissue homogenization, debris removal, and sequential sorting. We then detail procedures for validating cell purity and viability using flow cytometry and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). This protocol is well suited for a range of downstream applications, including genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics.
Authors
- Kevin D. Pham
- Willard M. Freeman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7027-999X)
- Heather C. Rice (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5818-4338)
- Sarah R. Ocañas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4281-0303)
- Dominika Siodłak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0117-8452)
- Samah Houmam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8036-321X)
- Casandra Salinas-Salinas
Institutions
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (US)
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- STAR Protocols
- Published
- 2025-10-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2025.104139
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.87