In Vivo Assessment of Neural Precursor Cell Cycle Kinetics in the Amphibian Retina

Cell cycle progression is intimately linked to cell fate commitment during development. In addition, adult stem cells show specific proliferative behaviors compared to progenitors. Exploring cell cycle dynamics and regulation is therefore of utmost importance, but constitutes a great challenge in vivo. Here we provide a protocol for evaluating in vivo the length of all cell cycle phases of neural stem and progenitor cells in the post-embryonic Xenopus retina. These cells are localized in the ciliary marginal zone (CMZ), a peripheral region of the retina that sustains continuous neurogenesis throughout the animal's life. The CMZ bears two tremendous advantages for cell cycle kinetics analyses. First, this region, where proliferative cells are sequestered, can be easily delineated. Second, the spatial organization of the CMZ mirrors the temporal sequence of retinal development, allowing for topological distinction between retinal stem cells (residing in the most peripheral margin), and amplifying progenitors (located more centrally). We describe herein how to determine CMZ cell cycle parameters using a combination of (i) a cumulative labeling assay, (ii) the percentage of labeled mitosis calculation, and (iii) the mitotic index measurement. Taken together, these techniques allow us to estimate total cell cycle length (T C ) as well as the duration of all cell cycle phases (T S/G2/M/G1 ). Although the method presented here was adapted to the particular system of the CMZ, it should be applicable to other tissues and developmental stages as well.