Analysis of epicardial genes in embryonic mouse hearts with flow cytometry.

Genetic markers used to define discrete cell populations are seldom expressed exclusively in the population of interest and are, thus, unsuitable when evaluated individually, especially in the absence of spatial and morphological information. Here, we present fluorescence hybridization for flow cytometry to allow simultaneous analysis of multiple marker genes at the single whole-cell level, exemplified by application to the embryonic epicardium. The protocol facilitates multiplexed quantification of gene and protein expression and temporal changes across specific cell populations.