Name: immunostaining to visualize murine enteric nervous system development
Uploaded: 2015-04-29T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Immunostaining to Visualize Murine Enteric Nervous System Development at JoVE.com

This work was supported bythe American Pediatric Surgical Association Foundation Award (AG) and the National Institutes of Health K08DK098271 (AG).

The University of Wisconsin Animal Care and Use Committee approved all procedures.
1. Preparation of Solutions
<ol>
	<li>Use 1x phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as dissection buffer and rinsing solution.</li>
	<li>Prepare 30% sucrose by weighing 30 g of sucrose and place into a bottle. Add 99 ml of 1x PBS and add 1 ml 10% sodium azide. Mix thoroughly until all of the sucrose is dissolved. Store at 4 &#176;C until required.</li>
	<li>Prepare Blocking solution by mixing 1x PBS, 3% bovin...

<ol>
	<li>Gershon, M. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Developmental+determinants+of+the+independence+and+complexity+of+the+enteric+nervous+system.">Developmental determinants of the independence and complexity of the enteric nervous system.</a> Trends Neurosci. 33 (10), 446-456 (2010).</li><li>Amiel, J., Sproat-Emison, E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hirschsprung+disease,+associated+syndromes+and+genetics:+a+review.">Hirschsprung disease, associated syndromes and genetics: a review.</a> J Med Genet. 45 (1), 1-14 (2008).</li><li>Erickson, C. S., Barlow, A. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Colonic+enteric+nervous+system+analysis+during+parenteral+nutrition.">Colonic enteric nervous system analysis during parenteral nutrition.</a> J Surg Res. 184 (1), 132-137 (2013).</li><li>Erickson, C. S., Zaitoun, I., Haberman, K. M., Gosain, A., Druckenbrod, N. R., Epstein, M. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sacral+neural+crest-derived+cells+enter+the+aganglionic+colon+of+Ednrb(-/-)+mice+along+extrinsic+nerve+fibers.">Sacral neural crest-derived cells enter the aganglionic colon of Ednrb(-/-) mice along extrinsic nerve fibers.</a> J Comp Neurol. 20 (3), 620-632 (2011).</li><li>Zaitoun, I., Erickson, C. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Altered+neuronal+density+and+neurotransmitter+expression+in+the+ganglionated+region+of+Ednrb+null+mice:+implications+for+Hirschsprung's+disease.">Altered neuronal density and neurotransmitter expression in the ganglionated region of Ednrb null mice: implications for Hirschsprung's disease.</a> Neurogastroenterol Motil. , (2013).</li><li>Margolis, K. G., Stevanovic, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Enteric+neuronal+density+contributes+to+the+severity+of+intestinal+inflammation.">Enteric neuronal density contributes to the severity of intestinal inflammation.</a> Gastroenterology. 141 (2), 588-598 (2011).</li><li>Qu, Z. -. D., Thacker, M., Castelucci, P., Bagy&#225;nszki, M., Epstein, M. L., Furness, J. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immunohistochemical+analysis+of+neuron+types+in+the+mouse+small+intestine.">Immunohistochemical analysis of neuron types in the mouse small intestine.</a> Cell Tissue Res. 334 (2), 147-161 (2008).</li><li>Bian, X. -. C., Bornstein, J. C., Bertrand, P. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nicotinic+transmission+at+functionally+distinct+synapses+in+descending+reflex+pathways+of+the+rat+colon.">Nicotinic transmission at functionally distinct synapses in descending reflex pathways of the rat colon.</a> Neurogastroenterol Motil. 15 (2), 161-171 (2003).</li><li>Johnson, C. D., Epstein, M. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Monoclonal+antibodies+and+polyvalent+antiserum+to+chicken+choline+acetyltransferase.">Monoclonal antibodies and polyvalent antiserum to chicken choline acetyltransferase.</a> J Neurochem. 46 (3), 968-976 (1986).</li><li>Tooyama, I., Kimura, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+protein+encoded+by+an+alternative+splice+variant+of+choline+acetyltransferase+mRNA+is+localized+preferentially+in+peripheral+nerve+cells+and+fibers.">A protein encoded by an alternative splice variant of choline acetyltransferase mRNA is localized preferentially in peripheral nerve cells and fibers.</a> J Chem Neuroanat. 17 (4), 217-226 (2000).</li><li>Koga, T., Bellier, J. -. P., Kimura, H., Tooyama, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immunoreactivity+for+Choline+Acetyltransferase+of+Peripheral-Type+(pChAT)+in+the+Trigeminal+Ganglion+Neurons+of+the+Non-Human+Primate+Macaca+fascicularis.">Immunoreactivity for Choline Acetyltransferase of Peripheral-Type (pChAT) in the Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons of the Non-Human Primate Macaca fascicularis.</a> Acta histochemica et cytochemica. 46 (2), 59-64 (2013).</li><li>Sang, Q., Young, H. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+identification+and+chemical+coding+of+cholinergic+neurons+in+the+small+and+large+intestine+of+the+mouse.">The identification and chemical coding of cholinergic neurons in the small and large intestine of the mouse.</a> Anat Rec. 251 (2), 185-199 (1998).</li><li>Lei, J., Howard, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeted+deletion+of+Hand2+in+enteric+neural+precursor+cells+affects+its+functions+in+neurogenesis,+neurotransmitter+specification+and+gangliogenesis,+causing+functional+aganglionosis.">Targeted deletion of Hand2 in enteric neural precursor cells affects its functions in neurogenesis, neurotransmitter specification and gangliogenesis, causing functional aganglionosis.</a> Development (Cambridge, England). 138 (21), 4789-4800 (2011).</li><li>Erickson, C. S., Lee, S. J., Barlow-Anacker, A. J., Druckenbrod, N. R., Epstein, M. L., Gosain, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Appearance+of+cholinergic+myenteric+neurons+during+enteric+nervous+system+development:+comparison+of+different+ChAT+fluorescent+mouse+reporter+lines.">Appearance of cholinergic myenteric neurons during enteric nervous system development: comparison of different ChAT fluorescent mouse reporter lines.</a> Neurogastroenterol Motil. 26 (6), 874-884 (2014).</li><li>Teitelbaum, D. H., Caniano, D. A., Qualman, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+pathophysiology+of+Hirschsprung's-associated+enterocolitis:+importance+of+histologic+correlates.">The pathophysiology of Hirschsprung's-associated enterocolitis: importance of histologic correlates.</a> J Pediatr Surg. 24 (12), 1271-1277 (1989).</li><li>Aslam, A., Spicer, R. D., Corfield, A. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Children+with+Hirschsprung's+disease+have+an+abnormal+colonic+mucus+defensive+barrier+independent+of+the+bowel+innervation+status.">Children with Hirschsprung's disease have an abnormal colonic mucus defensive barrier independent of the bowel innervation status.</a> J Pediatr Surg. 32 (8), 1206-1210 (1997).</li><li>Puig, I., Champeval, D., De Santa Barbara, P., Jaubert, F., Lyonnet, S., Larue, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Deletion+of+Pten+in+the+mouse+enteric+nervous+system+induces+ganglioneuromatosis+and+mimics+intestinal+pseudoobstruction.">Deletion of Pten in the mouse enteric nervous system induces ganglioneuromatosis and mimics intestinal pseudoobstruction.</a> J Clin Invest. 119 (12), 3586-3596 (2009).</li></ol>

Our laboratory and others have shown that intestinal defects in HSCR are not restricted to the aganglionic colon but extended proximally, even into the ganglionated small intestine5,15,16. These alterations include changes in ENS neuronal density and neurotransmitter phenotype and may account for dysmotility that has been observed in patients with HSCR. We have utilized the above techniques in our efforts to understand the determinants of ENS formation. Specifically, these techniques have been employed to visu...

A functioning Enteric Nervous System (ENS), which controls motility, nutrient absorption, and local blood flow, is essential to life1. The ENS is formed by neural crest cells (NCC) that proliferate, migrate and colonize the gut, where they differentiate into ganglia containing neurons and glial cells. Hirschsprung&#8217;s Disease (HSCR, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man), a multigeneic congenital disorder with an incidence of 1 in 4,000 live births, can be considered the prototypic disease for studying disrupted ENS formation. In HSCR, NCC fail to migrate to and colonize variable lengths of the distal hindgut2. Additionally, other common gastrointestinal (GI) developmental defects in the pediatric population, such as anorectal malformations, intestinal atresias, and motility disorders are associated with disturbances in basic ENS functions, and are likely associated with subtle, underappreciated, anatomic changes and functional changes in the ENS3-6. Therefore, techniques that allow us to understand the developmental determinants of ENS formation may shed light on the pathogenesis and potential treatment of pediatric GI tract disorders.
Following migration and colonization, NCC differentiates into neurons with markers specific for their neurotransmitter phenotype. Cholinergic neurons comprise approximately 60% of enteric neurons7, and can be detected by staining for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the synthesizing enzyme for the excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Historically, attempts to visualize cholinergic neurons were confounded by differing antigen specificity of antibodies directed against central nervous system (CNS) ChAT versus peripheral nervous system (PNS) ChAT8-10. However, antibodies directed against placental ChAT recognize both central and peripheral ChAT11-13, and we have recently described techniques that allow for visualization of ENS cholinergic neurons with high sensitivity earlier in development than has been achieved with ChAT reporter lines14.
Here, we present a technique for dissecting, fixing and immunostaining of the murine embryonic GI tract to visualize ENS neurotransmitter expression in neurons. For these studies, we have utilized ChAT-Cre mice mated with R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato animals to produce ChAT-Cre;R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato mice (defined as ChAT-Cre tdTomato throughout the manuscript). These animals were then mated with homozygous ChAT-GFP reporter mice, to obtain mice expressing both fluorescent reporters that detect ChAT expression14. These two reporter animals are on a C57BL/6J background and are commercially available (Jackson Laboratories, Bar Harbor, ME).

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Phosphate Buffered Saline</td>
			<td>Oxoid</td>
			<td>BR0014G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sucrose</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>S2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Azide</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>BP9221</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine Serum Albumin</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>BP1605</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>X100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>158127</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>60 mm Petri dishes</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>FB0875713A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fluorescence scope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>SMZ-18 stereoscope</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dissection microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>SMZ-18 stereoscope</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fine forceps</td>
			<td>Fine science tools</td>
			<td>11252-20</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5 mL Eppendorf tubes</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>20170-038</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fluoromount-G</td>
			<td>SouthernBiotech, Birmingham, AL</td>
			<td>0100-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glass slides</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>12-550-15</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cover glass</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>16004-330</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Confocal microscope</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td>Nikon A1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nikon Elements</td>
			<td>Nikon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

immunostaining to visualize murine enteric nervous system development

The enteric nervous system is formed by neural crest cells that proliferate, migrate and colonize the gut. Following colonization, neural crest cells must then differentiate into neurons with markers specific for their neurotransmitter phenotype. Cholinergic neurons, a major neurotransmitter phenotype in the enteric nervous system, are identified by staining for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the synthesizing enzyme for acetylcholine. Historical efforts to visualize cholinergic neurons have been hampered by antibodies with differing specificities to central nervous system versus peripheral nervous system ChAT. We and others have overcome this limitation by using an antibody against placental ChAT, which recognizes both central and peripheral ChAT, to successfully visualize embryonic enteric cholinergic neurons. Additionally, we have compared this antibody to genetic reporters for ChAT and shown that the antibody is more reliable during embryogenesis. This protocol describes a technique for dissecting, fixing and immunostaining of the murine embryonic gastrointestinal tract to visualize enteric nervous system neurotransmitter expression.

We have previously described the generation of mice expressing both GFP and tdTomato fluorescent reporters that detect ChAT expression14. Briefly, ChAT-Cre mice were mated with R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato animals to produce ChAT-Cre;R26R:floxSTOP:tdTomato mice (called ChAT-Cre tdTomato). These animals were then mated with homozygous ChAT-GFP reporter mice. Embryos were isolated and tissues were dissected prior to being fixed and immunostained as above, with the antibodie...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Immunostaining to Visualize Murine Enteric Nervous System Development at JoVE.com

Immunostaining to Visualize Murine Enteric Nervous System Development

The enteric nervous system is formed by neural crest cells that proliferate, migrate and colonize the gut. Neural crest cells differentiate into neurons with markers specific for their neurotransmitter phenotype. This protocol describes a technique for dissecting, fixing and immunostaining of the murine embryonic gastrointestinal tract to visualize enteric nervous system neurotransmitter expression.

The enteric nervous system is formed by neural crest cells that proliferate, migrate and colonize the gut. Following colonization, neural crest cells must ...

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Optimized Ex-ovo Culturing of Chick Embryos to Advanced Stages of Development

Research in anatomy, embryology, and developmental biology has largely relied on the use of model organisms. In order to study development in live embryos model organisms, such as the chicken, are often used. The chicken is an excellent model organism due to its low cost and minimal maintenance, however they present observational challenges because they are enclosed in an opaque eggshell. In order to properly view the embryo as it develops, the shell must be windowed or removed. Both windowing and ex ovo techniques have been developed to assist researchers in the study of embryonic development. However, each of the methods has limitations and challenges. Here, we present a simple, optimized ex ovo culture technique for chicken embryos that enables the observation of embryonic development from stage HH 19 into late stages of development (HH 40), when many organs have developed. This technique is easy to adopt in both undergraduate classes and more advanced research laboratories where embryo manipulations are conducted.

Optimized Ex-ovo Culturing of Chick Embryos to Advanced Stages of Development

Viewing and accessing the chicken embryo during development can be challenging. We have developed an ex ovo method that is simple, cost effective, and can easily be used in a classroom or research setting. This method provides access to the embryo into late stages of embryonic development (HH 40).

Research in anatomy, embryology, and developmental biology has largely relied on the use of model organisms. In order to study development in live embryos ...

Using Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy to Image Zebrafish Eye Development

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is gaining more and more popularity as a method to image embryonic development. The main advantages of LSFM compared to confocal systems are its low phototoxicity, gentle mounting strategies, fast acquisition with high signal to noise ratio and the possibility of imaging samples from various angles (views) for long periods of time. Imaging from multiple views unleashes the full potential of LSFM, but at the same time it can create terabyte-sized datasets. Processing such datasets is the biggest challenge of using LSFM. In this protocol we outline some solutions to this problem. Until recently, LSFM was mostly performed in laboratories that had the expertise to build and operate their own light sheet microscopes. However, in the last three years several commercial implementations of LSFM became available, which are multipurpose and easy to use for any developmental biologist. This article is primarily directed to those researchers, who are not LSFM technology developers, but want to employ LSFM as a tool to answer specific developmental biology questions. 
Here, we use imaging of zebrafish eye development as an example to introduce the reader to LSFM technology and we demonstrate applications of LSFM across multiple spatial and temporal scales. This article describes a complete experimental protocol starting with the mounting of zebrafish embryos for LSFM. We then outline the options for imaging using the commercially available light sheet microscope. Importantly, we also explain a pipeline for subsequent registration and fusion of multiview datasets using an open source solution implemented as a Fiji plugin. While this protocol focuses on imaging the developing zebrafish eye and processing data from a particular imaging setup, most of the insights and troubleshooting suggestions presented here are of general use and the protocol can be adapted to a variety of light sheet microscopy experiments.

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy is an excellent tool for imaging embryonic development. It allows recording of long time-lapse movies of live embryos in near physiological conditions. We demonstrate its application for imaging zebrafish eye development across wide spatio-temporal scales and present a pipeline for fusion and deconvolution of multiview datasets.

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is gaining more and more popularity as a method to image embryonic development. The main advantages of LSFM ...

A Novel Mammary Fat Pad Transplantation Technique to Visualize the Vessel Generation of Vascular Endothelial Stem Cells

Endothelial cells (ECs) are the fundamental building blocks of the vascular architecture and mediate vascular growth and remodeling to ensure proper vessel development and homeostasis. However, studies on endothelial lineage hierarchy remain elusive due to the lack of tools to gain access as well as to directly evaluate their behavior in vivo. To address this shortcoming, a new tissue model to study angiogenesis using the mammary fat pad has been developed. The mammary gland develops mostly in the postnatal stages, including puberty and pregnancy, during which robust epithelium proliferation is accompanied by extensive vascular remodeling. Mammary fat pads provide space, matrix, and rich angiogenic stimuli from the growing mammary epithelium. Furthermore, mammary fat pads are located outside the peritoneal cavity, making them an easily accessible grafting site for assessing the angiogenic potential of exogenous cells. This work also describes an efficient tracing approach using fluorescent reporter mice to specifically label the targeted population of vascular endothelial stem cells (VESCs) in vivo. This lineage tracing method, coupled with subsequent tissue whole-mount microscopy, enable the direct visualization of targeted cells and their descendants, through which the proliferation capability can be quantified and the differentiation commitment can be fate-mapped. Using these methods, a population of bipotent protein C receptor (Procr) expressing VESCs has recently been identified in multiple vascular systems. Procr+ VESCs, giving rise to both new ECs and pericytes, actively contribute to angiogenesis during development, homeostasis, and injury repair. Overall, this manuscript describes a new mammary fat pad transplantation and in vivo lineage tracing techniques that can be used to evaluate the stem cell properties of VESCs.

This work demonstrates a novel approach to assess the proliferation, differentiation, and vessel-forming potential of vascular endothelial stem cells (VESCs) through mammary fat pad transplantation followed by whole-mount tissue preparation for microscopic observation. A lineage tracing strategy to investigate the behavior of VESCs in vivo is also presented.

Endothelial cells (ECs) are the fundamental building blocks of the vascular architecture and mediate vascular growth and remodeling to ensure proper ...

Multi-Photon Time Lapse Imaging to Visualize Development in Real-time: Visualization of Migrating Neural Crest Cells in Zebrafish Embryos

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A combination of the advanced optical techniques of laser scanning microscopy with long wavelength multi-photon fluorescence excitation was implemented to capture high-resolution, three-dimensional, real-time imaging of neural crest migration in Tg(sox10:EGFP) and Tg(foxd3:GFP) zebrafish embryos.

Congenital eye and craniofacial anomalies reflect disruptions in the neural crest, a transient population of migratory stem cells that give rise to ...

Organotypic Culture Method to Study the Development Of Embryonic Chicken Tissues

The embryonic chicken is commonly used as a reliable model organism for vertebrate development. Its accessibility and short incubation period makes it ideal for experimentation. Currently, the study of these developmental pathways in the chicken embryo is conducted by applying inhibitors and drugs at localized sites and at low concentrations using a variety of methods. In vitro tissue&#160;culturing is a technique that enables the study of tissues separated from the host organism, while simultaneously bypassing many of the physical limitations present when working with whole embryos, such as the susceptibility of embryos to high doses of potentially lethal chemicals. Here, we present an organotypic culturing protocol for culturing the embryonic chicken half head in vitro, which presents new opportunities for the examination of developmental processes beyond the currently established methods.

Here, we present an organotypic culturing protocol to grow embryonic chicken organs in vitro. Using this method, the development of embryonic chicken tissue can be studied, while maintaining a high degree of control over the culture environment.

The embryonic chicken is commonly used as a reliable model organism for vertebrate development. Its accessibility and short incubation period makes it ...

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Computational Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline to Study the Distribution of Nuclei, Proteins, and the Cytoskeleton

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The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) germline is used to study several biologically important processes including stem cell development, apoptosis, and ...

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Mammalian females periodically ovulate an almost constant number of oocytes during each estrus cycle. To sustain such regularity and periodicity, ...

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The majority of work on the neuronal specification has been carried out in genetically and physiologically tractable models such as C. elegans, Drosophila ...

Three-dimensional Angiogenesis Assay System using Co-culture Spheroids Formed by Endothelial Colony Forming Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Studies in the field of angiogenesis have been aggressively growing in the last few decades with the recognition that angiogenesis is a hallmark of more than 50 different pathological conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, oculopathy, cardiovascular diseases, and tumor metastasis. During angiogenesis drug development, it is crucial to use in vitro assay systems with appropriate cell types and proper conditions to reflect the physiologic angiogenesis process. To overcome limitations of current in vitro angiogenesis assay systems using mainly endothelial cells, we developed a 3-dimensional (3D) co-culture spheroid sprouting assay system. Co-culture spheroids were produced by two human vascular cell precursors, endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with a ratio of 5 to 1. ECFCs+MSCs spheroids were embedded into type I collagen matrix to mimic the in vivo extracellular environment. A real-time cell recorder was utilized to continuously observe the progression of angiogenic sprouting from spheroids for 24 h. Live cell fluorescent labeling technique was also applied to tract the localization of each cell type during sprout formation. Angiogenic potential was quantified by counting the number of sprouts and measuring the cumulative length of sprouts generated from the individual spheroids. Five randomly-selected spheroids were analyzed per experimental group. Comparison experiments demonstrated that ECFCs+MSCs spheroids showed greater sprout number and cumulative sprout length compared with ECFCs-only spheroids. Bevacizumab, an FDA-approved angiogenesis inhibitor, was tested with the newly-developed co-culture spheroid assay system to verify its potential to screen anti-angiogenic drugs. The IC50 value for ECFCs+MSCs spheroids compared to the ECFCs-only spheroids was closer to the effective plasma concentration of bevacizumab obtained from the xenograft tumor mouse model. The present study suggests that the 3D ECFCs+MSCs spheroid angiogenesis assay system is relevant to physiologic angiogenesis, and can predict an effective plasma concentration in advance of animal experiments.

Three-dimensional co-culture spheroid angiogenesis assay system is designed to mimic the physiologic angiogenesis. Co-culture spheroids are formed by two human vascular cell precursors, ECFCs and MSCs, and embedded in collagen gel. The new system is effective for evaluating angiogenic modulators, and provides more relevant information to the in vivo study.

Studies in the field of angiogenesis have been aggressively growing in the last few decades with the recognition that angiogenesis is a hallmark of more ...

Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization in Zebrafish Embryos and Tube Formation Assay in iPSC-ECs to Study the Role of Endoglin in Vascular Development

Vascular development is determined by the sequential expression of specific genes, which can be studied by performing in situ hybridization assays in zebrafish during different developmental stages. To investigate the role of endoglin(eng) in vessel formation during the development of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia&#160;(HHT), morpholino-mediated targeted knockdown of eng in zebrafish are used to study its temporal expression and associated functions. Here, whole-mount in situ RNA hybridization (WISH) is employed for the analysis of eng and its downstream genes in zebrafish embryos. Also, tube formation assays are performed in HHT patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell-differentiated&#160;endothelial cells (iPSC-ECs; with eng mutations). A specific signal amplifying system using the whole amount In Situ Hybridization &#8211; WISH provides higher resolution and lower background results compared to traditional methods. To obtain a better signal, the post-fixation time is adjusted to 30 min after probe hybridization. Because fluorescence staining is not sensitive in zebrafish embryos, it is replaced with diaminobezidine (DAB) staining here. In this protocol, HHT&#160;patient-derived iPSC lines containing an eng mutation are differentiated into endothelial cells. After coating a plate with basement membrane matrix for 30 min at 37 &#176;C, iPSC-ECs are seeded as a monolayer into wells and kept at 37 &#176;C for 3 h. Then, the tube length and number of branches are calculated using microscopic images. Thus, with this improved WISH protocol, it is shown that reduced eng expression affects endothelial progenitor formation in zebrafish embryos. This is further confirmed by tube formation assays using iPSC-ECs derived from a patient with HHT. These assays confirm the role for eng in early vascular development.

Presented here is a protocol for whole-mount in situ RNA hybridization analysis in zebrafish and tube formation assay in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells to study the role of endoglin in vascular formation.

Vascular development is determined by the sequential expression of specific genes, which can be studied by performing in situ hybridization assays in ...