A new approach for the characterization of proliferative cells in cestodes

Cestodes show a remarkable proliferative capability that sustains the constant growth and differentiation of proglottids essential for their lifestyle. It is believed that a separate population of undifferentiated stem cells (the so-called germinative cells) are the only cells capable of proliferation during growth and development. The study of this particular cell subpopulation is hampered by the current lack of methods to isolate it. In this work, we developed a reproducible flow cytometry and cell sorting method to quantify and isolate the proliferating cells in the tetrathyridia larvae of the model cestode Mesocestoides cord, based on the DNA content of the cells. The isolated cells display the typical germinative cell morphology, and can be used for RNA isolation with a yield in the ng to mu g range. We expect that this approach may facilitate the characterization of the germinative cells in M. cord and other model tapeworms. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.