Name: reconstitution of &#946;-catenin degradation in xenopus egg extract
Uploaded: 2014-06-17T20:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Reconstitution Of Î²-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract at JoVE.com

We thank Laurie Lee for critical reading of the manuscript. T.W.C is supported by an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship (12PRE6590007). M.R.B. is supported by a National Cancer Institute training grant (T32 CA119925). S.S.H is supported by National Institutes of Health (R01DK078640). E.L. is supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01GM081635 and R01GM103926).

1. Preparation of Xenopus&#160;Egg Extract
NOTE: Each frog yields approximately 1 ml&#160;of usable egg extract. Extracts from 10 frogs are typically prepared at one time, and the volume of buffer described below is for performing a 10 frog Xenopus egg extract prep. The buffer volume can be adjusted accordingly for larger or smaller preparations of egg extract. Preps generated in this manner consistently yield protein concentrations &#8805; 50 mg/ml. The process of collecting e...

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Xenopus egg extract is a robust biochemical system for investigating &#946;-catenin turnover. The concentration of &#946;-catenin in Xenopus egg extract is ~25 nM&#160;2. Under optimal conditions, the egg extract is capable of degrading &#946;-catenin at a rate of 50-100 nM/hr and is half-maximal at 200 nM24. There are several critical steps for successful reconstitution of &#946;-catenin degradation using Xenopus egg extract. These include 1) generating high quality X...

A correction was made to <a href="http://www.jove.com/video/51425">Reconstitution Of &#946;-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract</a>. At the time of publication there were some instances where an incorrect volume notation was used. These instances were corrected from:
2.1.2. Add extract to 1/10 the volume of pelleted antibody or affinity beads (e.g., 20 ml pelleted beads to 200 ml extract). In order to minimize dilution of the extract, withdraw as much liquid from the beads as possible before addition of the extract using gel loading tips with long, tapered tips.
2.2.5. Aliquot the appropriate volumes for degradation assay into pre-chilled microfuge tubes on ice. For radiolabeled &#946;-catenin degradation assays, withdraw 2-5 ml extract for each time point.
3.2.3. At the designated time point, remove 1-5 ml of the sample and mix immediately with SDS sample buffer (5x volume) to stop the reaction. To make sure the degradation reaction is completely terminated, flick tube several times and vortex vigorously.
3.2.4. Perform SDS-PAGE/autoradiography. Run 1 ml equivalents (~50 mg of protein) of the extract for each time point/lane. Degradation of &#946;-catenin in Xenopus egg extract should be evidenced by the time-dependent decrease in intensity of the radiolabeled &#946;-catenin band Figure 2. Quantify results using ImageJ, ImageQuant, or other preferred imaging software if necessary.
4.2.2. Add in vitro-translated &#946;-catenin-luciferase fusion (from 4.1) into prepared Xenopus reaction mix (from 2.2) on ice and mix well as in 3.2.1. NOTE: The activity of the &#946;-catenin luciferase that is added to the extract is typically between 20 - 50,000 relative luminescence units (RLU)/ml of extract (based on measurements obtained from 4.1.2). Starting signal should be approximately 100,000 RLU (2-5 ml of the in vitro-translated &#946;-catenin-luciferase fusion).
to:
2.1.2. Add extract to 1/10 the volume of pelleted antibody or affinity beads (e.g., 20 &#181;l pelleted beads to 200 &#181;l extract). In order to minimize dilution of the extract, withdraw as much liquid from the beads as possible before addition of the extract using gel loading tips with long, tapered tips.
2.2.5. Aliquot the appropriate volumes for degradation assay into pre-chilled microfuge tubes on ice. For radiolabeled &#946;-catenin degradation assays, withdraw 2-5 &#181;l extract for each time point.
3.2.3. At the designated time point, remove 1-5 &#181;l of the sample and mix immediately with SDS sample buffer (5x volume) to stop the reaction. To make sure the degradation reaction is completely terminated, flick tube several times and vortex vigorously.
3.2.4. Perform SDS-PAGE/autoradiography. Run 1 &#181;l equivalents (~50 mg of protein) of the extract for each time point/lane. Degradation of &#946;-catenin in Xenopus egg extract should be evidenced by the time-dependent decrease in intensity of the radiolabeled &#946;-catenin band Figure 2. Quantify results using ImageJ, ImageQuant, or other preferred imaging software if necessary.
4.2.2. Add in vitro-translated &#946;-catenin-luciferase fusion (from 4.1) into prepared Xenopus reaction mix (from 2.2) on ice and mix well as in 3.2.1. NOTE: The activity of the &#946;-catenin luciferase that is added to the extract is typically between 20 - 50,000 relative luminescence units (RLU)/&#181;l of extract (based on measurements obtained from 4.1.2). Starting signal should be approximately 100,000 RLU (2-5 &#181;l of the in vitro-translated &#946;-catenin-luciferase fusion).

Erratum: Reconstitution Of &#946;-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract

Xenopus laevis egg extract has been used extensively to study many cell biological processes including cytoskeletal dynamics, nuclear assembly and import, apoptosis, ubiquitin metabolism, cell cycle progression, signal transduction, and protein turnover1-17. The Xenopus egg extract system is amenable to the biochemical analysis of a legion of cellular processes because egg extract represents essentially undiluted cytoplasm that contains all the essential cytoplasmic components necessary to execute these processes and enable investigation. Large quantities of egg extract can be prepared at one time for biochemical manipulations that require large amounts of material (e.g., protein purification or high-throughput screening)18-20. Another advantage is that the concentration of specific proteins in Xenopus egg extract can be precisely adjusted by addition of recombinant protein and/or immunodepletion of endogenous proteins in contrast to transfection of plasmid DNA where expression of the protein of interest is difficult to control. In addition, the lack of available recombinant proteins can be overcome by the addition of transcripts encoding the protein of interest, taking advantage of the freshly prepared Xenopus egg extract&#8217;s high capacity to translate exogenously added mRNA.
The regulation of protein degradation is critical for the control of many cellular pathways and processes21. Xenopus egg extract has been used extensively to study protein degradation as the system allows for multiple ways to monitor protein turnover without confounding influences of transcription and translation. The Wnt signaling pathway is a highly conserved signaling pathway that plays critical roles in development and disease. The turnover of &#946;-catenin, the major effector of the Wnt pathway, is highly regulated, and an increased steady-state level of &#946;-catenin is critical for the activation of Wnt target genes. The importance of &#946;-catenin degradation is highlighted by the fact that mutations in the Wnt pathway that inhibit &#946;-catenin degradation found in ~90% of all sporadic cases of colorectal cancer22. &#946;-catenin degradation by components of the Wnt pathway can be faithfully recapitulated in Xenopus egg extract to study the mechanism of its turnover as well as to identify novel small molecule modulators of its degradation2,19,20,23-29 .
Methods for the preparation of Xenopus egg extract for studying the cell cycle have been described in previous JoVE publications30-32. The current protocol describes a modification of these methods and is optimized for the degradation of [35S]-radiolabeled &#946;-catenin and luciferase-tagged &#946;-catenin in Xenopus egg extract. The radiolabeled degradation assay allows for direct visualization of protein levels via autoradiography. [35S]methionine is incorporated into the protein of interest using an in vitro translation reaction that can then be directly added to a degradation reaction. In addition, the radiolabeled protein turnover assay does not require an antibody against the protein of interest or an epitope tag, which can influence protein stability. Because even small changes in protein levels, as reflected in changes in the intensity of the radiolabeled protein band, are readily visualized by autoradiography, the [35S]-radiolabeled degradation assay represents a very useful method for visualization of protein turnover2.
Fusion of &#946;-catenin to firefly luciferase (hereafter referred to as simply &#34;luciferase&#34;) allows for precise and facile quantitative measurements of protein levels, in order to determine the kinetic properties of &#946;-catenin turnover19,20 . A major advantage of the luciferase assay is that it provides a strong quantitative system that is easily scaled up. The following protocol provides simple methods for assaying &#946;-catenin degradation and a robust, efficient, and effective method for high-throughput screening of novel &#946;-catenin modulators.

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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Name of Reagent/ Material</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:243px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG)</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">ProSpec</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">hor-272-A</td>
			<td>Reconstituted with distilled water before use.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Human Chorionic Gonadotropin</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">CG10-10VL</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Potassium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BP366-1</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Sodium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Research Products International</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S23020-5000.0</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Magnesium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BP214-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Calcium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AC42352-5000</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">HEPES</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BP310-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Cysteine</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Acros Organics</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AC17360-1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Leupeptin</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">L2884-10MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Aprotinin</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A1153-10MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Pepstatin</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P4265-5MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Cytochalasin B</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C8273-10MG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">3 mL syringe: Luer Lock tip</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">309657</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">27G1 needle</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Becton Dickinson</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">305109</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">96 well solid white polystyrene microplate, round bottomed</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Corning</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">3605</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Steady-Glo Luciferase assay system</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">E2520</td>
			<td>Store long-term at -80, can store for up to 1 month at -20</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">TNT Sp6 coupled reticulocyte lysate system</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">L4600</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">TNT Sp6 High-yield Wheat Germ protein expression system</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">L3260</td>
			<td>Generally higher yield than reticulocyte lysate&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">EasyTag Express Protein Labeling Mix [S35]</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Perkin Elmer</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NEG772007MC</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Creatine phosphate</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">27920-5G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">ATP</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A2383-5G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Creatine phosphokinase</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C3755-35KU</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D8418-50ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Dual-Glo luciferase assay system</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Promega</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">E2920</td>
			<td>Same storage conditions as Steady-Glo</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">50 mL Centrifuge tubes</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">0556214D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sorvall SS-34 fixed angle rotor</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">28020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">115 V 50/60 Hz Minicentrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">05-090-128</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">mMessage mMachine Sp6 kit</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Ambion</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AM1340</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Anti-Firefly Luciferase antibody</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Abcam</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">ab16466</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Anti-GSK3 antibody</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">BD Transduction Laboratories</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">610201</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;"></td>
			<td style="width:132px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;"></td>
			<td style="width:132px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;"></td>
			<td style="width:132px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;"></td>
			<td style="width:132px;"></td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Name of Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">FLUOStar Optima</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">BMG Labtech</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sorvall RC-6 Plus Centrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">16&#176;C Incubator</td>
			<td style="width:132px;">Percival Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

reconstitution of &#946;-catenin degradation in xenopus egg extract

Xenopus laevis egg extract is a well-characterized, robust system for studying the biochemistry of diverse cellular processes. Xenopus egg extract has been used to study protein turnover in many cellular contexts, including the cell cycle and signal transduction pathways1-3. Herein, a method is described for isolating Xenopus egg extract that has been optimized to promote the degradation of the critical Wnt pathway component, &beta;-catenin. Two different methods are described to assess &beta;-catenin protein degradation in Xenopus egg extract. One method is visually informative ([35S]-radiolabeled proteins), while the other is more readily scaled for high-throughput assays (firefly luciferase-tagged fusion proteins). The techniques described can be used to, but are not limited to, assess &beta;-catenin protein turnover and identify molecular components contributing to its turnover. Additionally, the ability to purify large volumes of homogenous Xenopus egg extract combined with the quantitative and facile readout of luciferase-tagged proteins allows this system to be easily adapted for high-throughput screening for modulators of &beta;-catenin degradation.

A schematic of &#946;-catenin degradation in Xenopus egg extract is shown in Figure 2A. 35S-labeled &#946;-catenin was incubated in Xenopus egg extract, aliquots (1 ml extract equivalent) were removed at the appropriate times, and samples were subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by autoradiography. &#946;-catenin degradation by components of the Wnt pathway is mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system2, and degradation of [35S]-radiolabeled &#946;-catenin i...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Reconstitution Of Î²-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract at JoVE.com

Reconstitution Of &#946;-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract

A method is described for analyzing protein degradation using radiolabeled and luciferase-fusion proteins in Xenopus egg extract and its adaptation for high-throughput screening for small molecule modulators of protein degradation.

Reconstitution Of &#946;-catenin Degradation In Xenopus Egg Extract

Xenopus laevis egg extract is a well-characterized, robust system for studying the biochemistry of diverse cellular processes. Xenopus egg extract has ...

reconstitution-of-catenin-degradation-in-xenopus-egg-extract

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Preparation and Fractionation of Xenopus laevis Egg Extracts

Crude and fractionated Xenopus egg extracts can be used to provide ingredients for reconstituting cellular processes for morphological and biochemical analysis. Egg lysis and differential centrifugation are used to prepare the crude extract which in turn in used to prepare fractionated extracts and light membrane preparations.

Crude and fractionated Xenopus egg extracts can be used to provide ingredients for reconstituting cellular processes for morphological and biochemical analysis. Egg lysis and differential centrifugation are used to prepare the crude extract which in turn in used to prepare fractionated extracts and light membrane preparations.

Crude and fractionated Xenopus egg extracts can be used to provide ingredients for reconstituting cellular processes for morphological and biochemical ...

In Vitro Nuclear Assembly Using Fractionated Xenopus Egg Extracts

Nuclear membrane assembly is an essential step in the cell division cycle; this process can be replicated in the test tube by combining Xenopus sperm chromatin, cytosol, and light membrane fractions. Complete nuclei are formed, including nuclear membranes with pore complexes, and these reconstituted nuclei are capable of normal nuclear processes.

Nuclear membrane assembly is an essential step in the cell division cycle; this process can be replicated in the test tube by combining Xenopus sperm chromatin, cytosol, and light membrane fractions. Complete nuclei are formed, including nuclear membranes with pore complexes, and these reconstituted nuclei are capable of normal nuclear processes.

Nuclear membrane assembly is an essential step in the cell division cycle; this process can be replicated in the test tube by combining Xenopus sperm ...

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes

The protocol presented here is designed to study the activation of the large conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels. The protocol may also be used to study the structure-function relationship for other ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors1. BK channels are widely expressed in different tissues and have been implicated in many physiological functions, including regulation of smooth muscle contraction, frequency tuning of inner hair cells and regulation of neurotransmitter release2-6. BK channels are activated by membrane depolarization and by intracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ 6-9. Therefore, the protocol is designed to control both the membrane voltage and the intracellular solution. In this protocol, messenger RNA of BK channels is injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes (stage V-VI) followed by 2-5 days of incubation at 18&deg;C10-13. Membrane patches that contain single or multiple BK channels are excised with the inside-out configuration using patch clamp techniques10-13. The intracellular side of the patch is perfused with desired solutions during recording so that the channel activation under different conditions can be examined. To summarize, the mRNA of BK channels is injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes to express channel proteins on the oocyte membrane; patch clamp techniques are used to record currents flowing through the channels under controlled voltage and intracellular solutions.

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Ionic current of BK channels is recorded using patch clamp techniques. BK channels are expressed in Xenopus oocytes by injecting messenger RNA. The intracellular solution during patch clamp recordings is controlled by a perfusion system.

The protocol presented here is designed to study the activation of the large conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channels. The protocol may ...

Study of the DNA Damage Checkpoint using Xenopus Egg Extracts

On a daily basis, cells are subjected to a variety of endogenous and environmental insults. To combat these insults, cells have evolved DNA damage checkpoint signaling as a surveillance mechanism to sense DNA damage and direct cellular responses to DNA damage. There are several groups of proteins called sensors, transducers and effectors involved in DNA damage checkpoint signaling (Figure 1). In this complex signaling pathway, ATR (ATM and Rad3-related) is one of the major kinases that can respond to DNA damage and replication stress. Activated ATR can phosphorylate its downstream substrates such as Chk1 (Checkpoint kinase 1). Consequently, phosphorylated and activated Chk1 leads to many downstream effects in the DNA damage checkpoint including cell cycle arrest, transcription activation, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis or senescence (Figure 1). When DNA is damaged, failing to activate the DNA damage checkpoint results in unrepaired damage and, subsequently, genomic instability. The study of the DNA damage checkpoint will elucidate how cells maintain genomic integrity and provide a better understanding of how human diseases, such as cancer, develop.
Xenopus laevis egg extracts are emerging as a powerful cell-free extract model system in DNA damage checkpoint research. Low-speed extract (LSE) was initially described by the Masui group1. The addition of demembranated sperm chromatin to LSE results in nuclei formation where DNA is replicated in a semiconservative fashion once per cell cycle.
The ATR/Chk1-mediated checkpoint signaling pathway is triggered by DNA damage or replication stress 2. Two methods are currently used to induce the DNA damage checkpoint: DNA damaging approaches and DNA damage-mimicking structures 3. DNA damage can be induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, &gamma;-irradiation, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), mitomycin C (MMC), 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO), or aphidicolin3, 4. MMS is an alkylating agent that inhibits DNA replication and activates the ATR/Chk1-mediated DNA damage checkpoint 4-7. UV irradiation also triggers the ATR/Chk1-dependent DNA damage checkpoint 8. The DNA damage-mimicking structure AT70 is an annealed complex of two oligonucleotides poly-(dA)70 and poly-(dT)70. The AT70 system was developed in Bill Dunphy's laboratory and is widely used to induce ATR/Chk1 checkpoint signaling 9-12.
Here, we describe protocols (1) to prepare cell-free egg extracts (LSE), (2) to treat Xenopus sperm chromatin with two different DNA damaging approaches (MMS and UV), (3) to prepare the DNA damage-mimicking structure AT70, and (4) to trigger the ATR/Chk1-mediated DNA damage checkpoint in LSE with damaged sperm chromatin or a DNA damage-mimicking structure.

Study of the DNA Damage Checkpoint using Xenopus Egg Extracts

Xenopus egg extract is a useful model system to investigate the DNA damage checkpoint. This protocol is for the preparation of Xenopus egg extracts and DNA damage checkpoint inducing reagents. These techniques are adaptable to a variety of DNA damaging approaches in the study of the DNA damage checkpoint signaling.

On a daily basis, cells are subjected to a variety of endogenous and environmental insults. To combat these insults, cells have evolved DNA damage ...

Production of Xenopus tropicalis Egg Extracts to Identify Microtubule-associated RNAs

Many organisms localize mRNAs to specific subcellular destinations to spatially and temporally control gene expression. Recent studies have demonstrated that the majority of the transcriptome is localized to a nonrandom position in cells and embryos. One approach to identify localized mRNAs is to biochemically purify a cellular structure of interest and to identify all associated transcripts. Using recently developed high-throughput sequencing technologies it is now straightforward to identify all RNAs associated with a subcellular structure. To facilitate transcript identification it is necessary to work with an organism with a fully sequenced genome. One attractive system for the biochemical purification of subcellular structures are egg extracts produced from the frog Xenopus laevis. However, X. laevis currently does not have a fully sequenced genome, which hampers transcript identification. In this article we describe a method to produce egg extracts from a related frog, X. tropicalis, that has a fully sequenced genome. We provide details for microtubule polymerization, purification and transcript isolation. While this article describes a specific method for identification of microtubule-associated transcripts, we believe that it will be easily applied to other subcellular structures and will provide a powerful method for identification of localized RNAs.

Production of Xenopus tropicalis Egg Extracts to Identify Microtubule-associated RNAs

We describe the collection of unfertilized Xenopus tropicalis eggs and production of a meiosis II-arrested egg extract. This egg extract can be used to purify microtubules and microtubule-associated RNAs.

Many  organisms localize mRNAs to specific subcellular destinations to spatially and  temporally control gene expression. Recent studies have demonstrated ...

Facial Transplants in Xenopus laevis Embryos

Craniofacial birth defects occur in 1 out of every 700 live births, but etiology is rarely known due to limited understanding of craniofacial development. To identify where signaling pathways and tissues act during patterning of the developing face, a 'face transplant' technique has been developed in embryos of the frog Xenopus laevis. A region of presumptive facial tissue (the "Extreme Anterior Domain" (EAD)) is removed from a donor embryo at tailbud stage, and transplanted to a host embryo of the same stage, from which the equivalent region has been removed. This can be used to generate a chimeric face where the host or donor tissue has a loss or gain of function in a gene, and/or includes a lineage label. After healing, the outcome of development is monitored, and indicates roles of the signaling pathway within the donor or surrounding host tissues. Xenopus is a valuable model for face development, as the facial region is large and readily accessible for micromanipulation. Many embryos can be assayed, over a short time period since development occurs rapidly. Findings in the frog are relevant to human development, since craniofacial processes appear conserved between Xenopus and mammals.

Facial Transplants in Xenopus laevis Embryos

A technique for transplanting "Extreme Anterior Domain" facial tissue between Xenopus laevis embryos has been developed. Tissue can be moved from one gene expression background into another, allowing the study of local requirements for craniofacial development and for signaling interactions between facial regions.

Craniofacial birth defects occur in 1 out of every 700 live births, but etiology is rarely known due to limited understanding of craniofacial development. ...

The Xenopus Oocyte Cut-open Vaseline Gap Voltage-clamp Technique With Fluorometry

The cut-open oocyte Vaseline gap (COVG) voltage clamp technique allows for analysis of electrophysiological and kinetic properties of heterologous ion channels in oocytes. Recordings from the cut-open setup are particularly useful for resolving low magnitude gating currents, rapid ionic current activation, and deactivation. The main benefits over the two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) technique include increased clamp speed, improved signal-to-noise ratio, and the ability to modulate the intracellular and extracellular milieu.
Here, we employ the human cardiac sodium channel (hNaV1.5), expressed in Xenopus oocytes, to demonstrate the cut-open setup and protocol as well as modifications that are required to add voltage clamp fluorometry capability.
The properties of fast activating ion channels, such as hNaV1.5, cannot be fully resolved near room temperature using TEVC, in which the entirety of the oocyte membrane is clamped, making voltage control difficult. However, in the cut-open technique, isolation of only a small portion of the cell membrane allows for the rapid clamping required to accurately record fast kinetics while preventing channel run-down associated with patch clamp techniques.
In conjunction with the COVG technique, ion channel kinetics and electrophysiological properties can be further assayed by using voltage clamp fluorometry, where protein motion is tracked via cysteine conjugation of extracellularly applied fluorophores, insertion of genetically encoded fluorescent proteins, or the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into the region of interest1. This additional data yields kinetic information about voltage-dependent conformational rearrangements of the protein via changes in the microenvironment surrounding the fluorescent molecule.

The Xenopus Oocyte Cut-open Vaseline Gap Voltage-clamp Technique With Fluorometry

The cut-open Vaseline gap approach is used to obtain low noise recordings of ionic and gating currents from voltage-dependent ion channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes with high resolution of fast channel kinetics. With minor modification, voltage clamp fluorometry can be coupled to the cut-open oocyte protocol.

The cut-open oocyte Vaseline gap (COVG) voltage clamp technique allows for analysis of electrophysiological and kinetic properties of heterologous ion ...

Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus

Xenopus has become an important tool for dissecting the mechanisms governing craniofacial development and defects. A method to quantify orofacial development will allow for more rigorous analysis of orofacial phenotypes upon abrogation with substances that can genetically or molecularly manipulate gene expression or protein function. Using two dimensional images of the embryonic heads, traditional size dimensions-such as orofacial width, height and area- are measured. In addition, a roundness measure of the embryonic mouth opening is used to describe the shape of the mouth. Geometric morphometrics of these two dimensional images is also performed to provide a more sophisticated view of changes in the shape of the orofacial region. Landmarks are assigned to specific points in the orofacial region and coordinates are created. A principle component analysis is used to reduce landmark coordinates to principle components that then discriminate the treatment groups. These results are displayed as a scatter plot in which individuals with similar orofacial shapes cluster together. It is also useful to perform a discriminant function analysis, which statistically compares the positions of the landmarks between two treatment groups. This analysis is displayed on a transformation grid where changes in landmark position are viewed as vectors. A grid is superimposed on these vectors so that a warping pattern is displayed to show where significant landmark positions have changed. Shape changes in the discriminant function analysis are based on a statistical measure, and therefore can be evaluated by a p-value. This analysis is simple and accessible, requiring only a stereoscope and freeware software, and thus will be a valuable research and teaching resource.

Quantification of Orofacial Phenotypes in Xenopus

A method to quantify the orofacial size and shape of Xenopus laevis embryos has been developed. In this protocol, traditional size measurements are combined with geometric morphometrics to allow for more sophisticated analyses of orofacial development and defects.

Xenopus has become an important tool for dissecting the mechanisms governing craniofacial development and defects. A method to quantify orofacial ...

Functional Reconstitution and Channel Activity Measurements of Purified Wildtype and Mutant CFTR Protein

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a unique channel-forming member of the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) superfamily of transporters. The phosphorylation and nucleotide dependent chloride channel activity of CFTR has been frequently studied in whole cell systems and as single channels in excised membrane patches. Many Cystic Fibrosis-causing mutations have been shown to alter this activity. While a small number of purification protocols have been published, a fast reconstitution method that retains channel activity and a suitable method for studying population channel activity in a purified system have been lacking. Here rapid methods are described for purification and functional reconstitution of the full-length CFTR protein into proteoliposomes of defined lipid composition that retains activity as a regulated halide channel. This reconstitution method together with a novel flux-based assay of channel activity is a suitable system for studying the population channel properties of wild type CFTR and the disease-causing mutants F508del- and G551D-CFTR. Specifically, the method has utility in studying the direct effects of phosphorylation, nucleotides and small molecules such as potentiators and inhibitors on CFTR channel activity. The methods are also amenable to the study of other membrane channels/transporters for anionic substrates.

Described here is a rapid and effective procedure for functional reconstitution of purified wild-type and mutant CFTR protein that preserves activity for this chloride channel, which is defective in Cystic Fibrosis. Iodide efflux from reconstituted proteoliposomes mediated by CFTR allows studies of channel activity and the effects of small molecules.

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a unique channel-forming member of the ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) superfamily of ...

Cycloheximide Chase Analysis of Protein Degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Regulation of protein abundance is crucial to virtually every cellular process. Protein abundance reflects the integration of the rates of protein synthesis and protein degradation. Many assays reporting on protein abundance (e.g., single-time point western blotting, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, or growth-based reporter assays) do not allow discrimination of the relative effects of translation and proteolysis on protein levels. This article describes the use of cycloheximide chase followed by western blotting to specifically analyze protein degradation in the model unicellular eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast). In this procedure, yeast cells are incubated in the presence of the translational inhibitor cycloheximide. Aliquots of cells are collected immediately after and at specific time points following addition of cycloheximide. Cells are lysed, and the lysates are separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for western blot analysis of protein abundance at each time point. The cycloheximide chase procedure permits visualization of the degradation kinetics of the steady state population of a variety of cellular proteins. The procedure may be used to investigate the genetic requirements for and environmental influences on protein degradation.

Cycloheximide Chase Analysis of Protein Degradation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Protein abundance reflects the rates of both protein synthesis and protein degradation. This article describes the use of cycloheximide chase followed by western blotting to analyze protein degradation in the model unicellular eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast).