A Versatile Pipeline for Analyzing Dynamic Changes in Nuclear Bodies in a Variety of Cell Types

Summary

This method describes an immunofluorescence protocol and quantification pipeline for evaluating protein distribution with varied nuclear organization patterns in human T lymphocytes. This protocol provides step-by-step guidance, starting from sample preparation and continuing through the execution of semi-automated analysis in Fiji, concluding with data handling by a Google Colab notebook.

Abstract

Various nuclear processes, such as transcriptional control, occur within discrete structures known as foci that are discernable through the immunofluorescence technique. Investigating the dynamics of these foci under diverse cellular conditions via microscopy yields valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms governing cellular identity and functions. However, performing immunofluorescence assays across different cell types and assessing alterations in the assembly, diffusion, and distribution of these foci present numerous challenges. These challenges encompass complexities in sample preparation, determination of parameters for analyzing imaging data, and management of substantial data volumes. Moreover, existing imaging workflows are often tailored for proficient users, thereby limiting accessibility to a broader audience.

In this study, we introduce an optimized immunofluorescence protocol tailored for investigating nuclear proteins in different human primary T cell types that can be customized for any protein of interest and cell type. Furthermore, we present a method for unbiasedly quantifying protein staining, whether they form distinct foci or exhibit a diffuse nuclear distribution.

Our proposed method offers a comprehensive guide, from cellular staining to analysis, leveraging a semi-automated pipeline developed in Jython and executable in Fiji. Furthermore, we provide a user-friendly Python script to streamline data management, publicly accessible on a Google Colab notebook. Our approach has demonstrated efficacy in yielding highly informative immunofluorescence analyses for proteins with diverse patterns of nuclear organization across different contexts.

Introduction

The organization of the eukaryotic genome is governed by multiple layers of epigenetic modifications¹, coordinating several nuclear functions that can occur within specialized compartments called nuclear bodies or condensates². Within these structures, processes such as transcription initiation³, RNA processing^4,5,6, DNA repair^7,8, ribosome biogenesis^9,10,11

Protocol

The use of human samples for research purposes was approved by the Ethics Committees of the Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico (Milan), and informed consent was obtained from all subjects (authorization numbers: 708_2020). The protocol is organized into three primary sections: immunofluorescence execution, image acquisition, and image analysis. On average, it necessitates 4 working days to be completed (Figure 1.......

Discussion

In this study, we present a method for performing immunofluorescence experiments on nuclear proteins in human T lymphocytes. This method offers flexibility for use with various cell types through minor modifications in fixation and permeabilization steps, as described previously^30,31.

Our imaging workflow builds upon established techniques outlined in the literature, specifically FindFoci and 3D Suite^22,

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1.5 mL Safe-Lock Tubes	Eppendord	#0030121503	Protocol section 1
10 mL Serological pipettes	VWR	#612-3700	Protocol section 1
20 µL barrier pipette tip	Thermo Scientific	#2149P-HR	Protocol section 1
50 mL Polypropylene Conical Tube	Falcon	#352070	Protocol section 1
200 µL barrier pipette tip	Thermo Scientific	#2069-HR	Protocol section 1
antifade solution - ProlongGlass - mountingmedia	Invitrogen	#P36984	Step 1.3.12
BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin)	Sigma	#A7030	Step 1.3.6., 1.3.8.
CD4+ T Cell Isolation Kit	Miltenyi Biotec	#130-096-533	Step 1.1.2.
DAPI (4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)	Invitrogen	Cat#D1306	Step 1.3.10.
Dry ice			Step 1.3.1.
Dynabeads Human T-activator anti-CD3/anti-CD28 bead	Life Technologies	#1131D	magnetic beads step 1.1.4.
EtOH	Carlo Erba	#4146320	Step 1.2.1.1.
FACSAria SORP	BD Bioscences		Step 1.1.3. Equipped with BD FACSDiva Software version 8.0.3
FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum)	Life Technologies	#10270106	Step 1.1.4
FICOLL PAQUE PLUS	Euroclone	GEH17144003F32	Step 1.1.1.
FIJI Version 2.14.0	-	-	Protocol section 3
Glass coverslip (10 mm, thickness 1.5 H)	Electron Microscopy Sciences	#72298-13	Step 1.2.1.
Glycerol	Sigma	#G5516	Step 1.2.7-1.3.1.
Goat anti-Rabbit AF568 secondary antibody	Invitrogen	A11036	Step 1.3.8.
HCl	Sigma	#320331	Step 1.3.4.
human neutralizing anti-IL-4	Miltenyi Biotec	Cat#130-095-753	Step 1.1.4.
human recombinant IL-12	Miltenyi Biotec	Cat#130-096-704	Step 1.1.4.
human recombinant IL-2	Miltenyi Biotec	Cat#130-097-744	Step 1.1.4.
Leica TCS SP5 Confocal microscope	Leica Microsystems	-	Protocol section 2, Equipped with HCX PL APO 63x, 1.40 NA oil immersion objective, with an additional 3x zoom. Pinhole size : 0.8 AU. Line average 2×. Frame size 1024×1024 pixel.
MEM Non-Essential Amino Acids Solution	Life Technologies	#11140035	Step 1.1.4.
Microscope Slides	VWR	#631-1552	Step 1.3.12.
Mouse monoclonal anti-Human CD4 APC-Cy7 (RPA-T4 clone)	BD Bioscience	#557871	Step 1.1.3.
Mouse monoclonal anti-Human CD45RA PECy5 (5H9 clone)	BD Bioscience	#552888	Step 1.1.3.
Mouse monoclonal anti-Human CD45RO APC (UCHL1 clone)	Miltenyi Biotec	#130-113-546	Step 1.1.3.
Multiwell 24 well	Falcon	#353047	Protocol section 1
Normal Goat Serum	Invitrogen	PCN5000	Step 1.3.6., 1.3.8.
PBS	Life Technologies	#14190094	Protocol section 1
Penicillin/Streptomycin solution	Life Technologies	#15070063	Step 1.1.4.
PFA	Sigma	#P6148	Step 1.2.4.
poly-L-lysine	Sigma	#P8920	1.2.1.
Primary antibody - BRD4	Abcam	#ab128874	Step 1.3.6.
Primary antibody - SUZ12	Cel Signalling	mAb #3737	Step 1.3.6.
RPMI 1640 W/GLUTAMAX-I	Life Technologies	#61870010	Step 1.1.4.
Sodium Pyruvate	Life Technologies	#11360039	Step 1.1.4.
Triton X-100	Sigma	#T8787	Step 1.2., 1.3.
TWEEN 20	Sigma	#P9416	Step 1.3.
Tweezers	-	-	Protocol section 1