Design of a high-throughput human neural crest cell migration assay to indicate potential developmental toxicants

Abstract

Migration of neural crest cells (NCCs) is one of the pivotal processes of human fetal development. Malformations arise, if NCC migration and differentiation are impaired genetically or by toxicants. In the currently available test systems for migration inhibition of NCC (MINC), the manual generation of a cell-free space results in extreme operator dependencies, and limits throughput. Therefore, a new test format was established here. The assay avoids scratching by plating cells around a commercially available circular stopper. Removal of this barrier after cell attachment initiates migration. This microwell-based circular migration zone NCC function assay (cMINC) was further optimized for toxicological testing of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived NCCs. The challenge of automated image processing to obtain data on viability and migration was addressed by development of a software made generally available for downloading. To optimize the biological system, data on cell proliferation were obtained by labelling of replicating cells, and by careful assessment of cell viability for each experimental sample. The role of cell proliferation as experimental confounder was tested experimentally by performance of the cMINC in the presence of the proliferation-inhibiting drug cytosine arabinoside (AraC), and by a careful evaluation of mitotic events over time. Data from these studies led to an adaptation of the test protocol, so that toxicant exposure was limited to 24 h. Under these conditions, a prediction model was developed that allowed classification of toxicants as either being inactive, leading to unspecific cytotoxicity or specifically inhibiting NC migration at non-cytotoxic concentrations.