FACS Isolation of Melanocyte Stem Cells from Mouse Skin

Abstract Melanocyte stem cells (MeSCs) are crucial for generating mature melanocytes that colour the skin and hair. Dysfunction of MeSCs can result in conditions such as hair greying, hypo- or hyper-pigmentation disorders, and melanoma. Here we describe a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) strategy for isolating MeSCs from mouse skin. The isolated MeSCs can be used in a multitude of experiments including gene expression analysis, transplantation, and others.