Question: How can I remove myelin from my brain samples?
Answer: Myelin is a protein that insulates neuronal axons and allows for the transmission of electrical impulses across neurons. Myelination also increases during development, and adult brains will have a higher myelin content than embryonic brains. (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2018.00424/full)
To perform single cell analysis of the brain, researchers may want to remove this contaminant from their single cell or single nuclei suspensions. Below are some common cleanup methods for removing myelin from the brain.
Method |
Considerations |
Publication/Protocol |
Density gradient |
Requires large sample input, as significant cell loss is expected |
|
Myelin removal kit |
Requires large sample input |
|
FACS |
Useful when trying to enrich for specific cell types and cleanup at the same time Requires large sample input |
Chromium Nuclei Isolation Kit: For users isolating nuclei from neuronal samples, the workflow of the Chromium Nuclei isolation kit incorporates debris removal steps that remove myelin and other cellular debris. If an unacceptable amount of debris is still present after running through the workflow, an extra straining step (30µm strainer) can be added to further reduce debris.
Products: Single Cell Gene Expression, Single Cell Multiome ATAC+GEX, Single Cell Immune Profiling, Nuclei Isolation Kit