Name: zebrafish whole mount high-resolution double fluorescent in situ hybridization
Uploaded: 2009-03-25T00:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Zebrafish Whole Mount High-Resolution Double Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization at JoVE.com

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of D&ouml;rthe J&uuml;lich, Jennifer Round and Andrew Mara in developing this protocol. Research support provided by the NICHD, the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes.

1. FIXATION
<ol>
<li>Fix embryos overnight at 4&deg;C with 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) in PBS.</li>
<li>Remove fix and wash 2 x PBS, 5 minutes each at room temperature (RT).</li>
<li>Manually dechorionate embryos in PBS in a glass depression plate using watchmaker forceps. After dechorionation, embryos are transferred using a fire-polished glass Pasteur pipette as they may stick to polypropylene pipettes.</li>
<li>Transfer embryos through a series of 25%, 50% and 75% methanol in PBS for 5 minutes each.</li>
<li>Replace l...

<ol>
	<li>Schulte-Merker, S., Ho, R. K., Herrmann, B. G., N&#252;sslein-Volhard, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+protein+product+of+the+zebrafish+homologue+of+the+mouse+T-gene+is+expressed+in+nuclie+of+the+germ+ring+and+the+notochord+of+the+early+embryo.">The protein product of the zebrafish homologue of the mouse T-gene is expressed in nuclie of the germ ring and the notochord of the early embryo.</a> Development. 116, 1021-1027 (1992).</li><li>Jowett, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Double+in+situ+hybridization+techniques+in+zebrafish.">Double in situ hybridization techniques in zebrafish.</a> Methods. 23, 345-358 (2001).</li><li>J&#252;lich, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=beamter/deltaC+and+the+role+of+Notch+ligands+in+the+zebrafish+somite+segmentation,+hindbrain+neurogenesis+and+hypochord+differentiation.">beamter/deltaC and the role of Notch ligands in the zebrafish somite segmentation, hindbrain neurogenesis and hypochord differentiation.</a> Dev Biol. 286, 391-404 (2005).</li><li>Mara, A., Schroeder, J., Chalouni, C., Holley, S. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Priming,+Initiation+and+Synchronization+of+the+Segmentation+Clock+by+deltaD+and+deltaC.">Priming, Initiation and Synchronization of the Segmentation Clock by deltaD and deltaC.</a> Nat Cell Biol. 9, 523-530 (2007).</li><li>Lecuyer, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Global+analysis+of+mRNA+localization+reveals+a+prominent+role+in+organizing+cellular+architecture+and+function.">Global analysis of mRNA localization reveals a prominent role in organizing cellular architecture and function.</a> Cell. 131, 174-187 (2007).</li></ol>

The protocol presented here works well with probes that give a clean strong signal after staining for 30-45 minutes in a typical alkaline phosphatase-mediated reaction. Prior to performing the fluorescent in situ hybridization protocol, we always test our probes using the standard non-fluorescent protocol (provided in supplemental material along with the probe synthesis protocol). We have had less success with the fluorescent in situ hybridization protocol when using weaker probes, but it may be possible in some cases....

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		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
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		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>Paraformaldehyde 16% solution, EM Grade</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Electron Microscopy Services</td>
<td>15710</td>
<td>Dilute to 4% in 1.33x PBS (final 1x). Store in 2ml aliquots at &#x2013;20&deg;C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Proteinase K, recombinant PCR grade</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>03115879001</td>
<td>Make a 20mg/ml stock solution in water. Store in 1ml aliquots at &#x2013;20&deg;C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Blocking Reagent</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>11096176001</td>
<td>Make a 10% stock solution in 1x maleic acid buffer. Store in 50ml aliquots at &#x2013;20&deg;C. Stable over multiple freeze/thaws.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Fluorescein-POD, Fab fragments</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>11426346910</td>
<td>Aliquot and store at -20&deg;C. Keep one working aliquot at 4&deg;C.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Anti-Digoxigenin-POD, Fab fragments</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>11207739910</td>
<td>As above.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSA Plus Fluorescein system</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Perkin Elmer</td>
<td>NEL741001KT</td>
<td>Prepare each vial of TSA reagent only when needed. Dissolve in 60&mu;l DMSO. Store at 4&deg;C.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSA Plus Cyanine5 system</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Perkin Elmer</td>
<td>NEL745001KT</td>
<td>As above</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSA Plus Cyanine3 system</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Perkin Elmer</td>
<td>NEL744001KT</td>
<td>As above</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TSA Kit #16 AlexaFluor647 tyramide (plus HRP-goat-anti-rabbit IgG)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Molecular Probes /Invitrogen</td>
<td>T20926</td>
<td>Dissolve tyramide reagent in 150&mu;l DMSO, aliquot and store at &#x2013;20&deg;C.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RNase, DNase free</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>11119915001</td>
<td>Supplied as 500&mu;g/ml solution</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Propidium Iodide</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Molecular Probes /Invitrogen</td>
<td>P-3566</td>
<td>Supplied as 1mg/ml solution in water.</td>
</tr>		</tbody>
		</table>
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zebrafish whole mount high-resolution double fluorescent in situ hybridization

Whole mount in situ hybridization is one of the most widely used techniques in developmental biology. Here, we present a high-resolution double fluorescent in situ hybridization protocol for analyzing the precise expression pattern of a single gene and for determining the overlap of the expression domains of two genes. The protocol is a modified version of the standard in situ hybridization using alkaline phosphatase and substrates such as NBT/BCIP and Fast Red 1,2. This protocol utilizes standard digoxygenin and fluorescein labeled probes along with tyramide signal amplification (TSA) 3. The commercially available TSA kits allow flexible experimental design as fluorescence emission from green to far-red can be used in combination with various nuclear stains, such as propidium iodide, or fluorescence immunohistochemistry for proteins. TSA produces a reactive fluorescent substrate that quickly covalently binds to moieties, typically tyrosine residues, in the immediate vicinity of the labeled antisense riboprobe. The resulting staining patterns are high resolution in that subcellular localization of the mRNA can be observed using laser scanning confocal microscopy 3,4. One can observe nascent transcripts at the chromosomal loci, distinguish nuclear and cytoplasmic staining and visualize other patterns such as cortical localization of mRNA. Studies in Drosophila indicate that roughly 70% of mRNAs exhibit specific patterns of subcellular localization that frequently correlate with the function of the encoded protein 5. When combined with computer-aided reconstruction of 3D confocal datasets, our protocol allows the detailed analysis of mRNA distribution with sub-cellular resolution in whole vertebrate embryos.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Zebrafish Whole Mount High-Resolution Double Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization at JoVE.com

Zebrafish Whole Mount High-Resolution Double Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization

Whole mount in situ hybridization is one of the most widely used techniques in developmental biology. Here, we present a high-resolution double fluorescent in situ hybridization protocol for analyzing the precise expression pattern of a single gene and for determining the overlap of the expression domains of two genes. We include a propidium iodide nuclear counter-stain to highlight tissue organization.

Zebrafish Whole Mount High-Resolution Double Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization

Whole mount in situ hybridization is one of the most widely used techniques in developmental biology.  Here, we present a high-resolution double ...

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