A sensitive and less cytotoxic assay for identification of proliferating T cells based on bioorthogonally-functionalized uridine analogue

Quantitative detection of T cell proliferation is an important readout in immunology research, as it is one of the hallmarks of T cell activation. Fluorescence-based methods for T cell proliferation mostly rely on the usage of probes that non-specifically conjugate to free primary amine groups in cells. Each cell division then results in a two-fold dilution of the probes which is detectable with flow cytometry. However, questions have been raised about cytotoxicity of these dilution-based T cell proliferation probes and they potentially affect T cell activation. An alternative assay relies on the incorporation of the uridine analog BrdU in the DNA of dividing T cells that can be detected with an antibody, but this requires harsh fixation and denaturation conditions. Recently, a new assay for detection of cell proliferation has been developed, based on the incorporation of the bioorthogonally-functionalized uridine analog 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU). Goal of this study was to compare the sensitivity and cytotoxicity of the EdU assay with a widely-used dilution-based T cell proliferation probe, CellTrace Far Red. We found that, compared to the dilution-based probe, the EdU-based assay better preserves T cell viability, is more sensitive for detecting T cell proliferation, and allows for better discernable interferon gamma responses.