在斑马鱼中，造血干细胞（Hematopoietic Stem Cells，HSCs）在胚胎发育过程中出生于主动脉。从始发性造血开始，血液稳态依赖于现有HSCs的自我更新和分化，而非全新的生成。在这里，我们描述了一种使用荧光多色标记策略，来定量测量动物寿命期间不同时间点HSC克隆的数量和大小的方法。该系统基于将多色斑马鱼系统与可诱导的早期侧板中胚层和造血谱系特异性cre启动子（draculin（drl））相结合。这个cre启动子可在早期造血过程中进行时间控制和激活，引入每个HSC特定的彩色条形码，并随后由其子细胞继承。可以研究正常发育和血液疾病进展（如血液癌症）中的克隆多样性和优势。这种可采用的方法使研究人员能够定量了解克隆性定义事件及其对成年造血的贡献。© 2024。作者，独家授权给Springer Science+Business Media，LLC，Springer Nature的一部分。

In zebrafish, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are born in the developing aorta during embryogenesis. From the definitive wave of hematopoiesis onward, blood homeostasis relies on self-renewal and differentiation of progeny of existing HSCs, or clones, rather than de novo generation. Here, we describe an approach to quantify the number and size of HSC clones at various times throughout the lifespan of the animal using a fluorescent, multicolor labeling strategy. The system is based on combining the multicolor Zebrabow system with an inducible, early lateral plate mesoderm and hematopoietic lineage specific cre driver (draculin (drl)). The cre driver can be temporally controlled and activated in early hematopoiesis to introduce a color barcoding unique to each HSC and subsequently inherited by their daughter cells. Clonal diversity and dominance can be investigated in normal development and blood disease progression, such as blood cancers. This adoptable method allows researchers to obtain quantitative insight into clonality-defining events and their contribution to adult hematopoiesis.© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.