Name: affinity-based isolation of tagged nuclei from drosophila tissues for gene expression analysis
Uploaded: 2014-03-25T14:15:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Affinity-based Isolation of Tagged Nuclei from Drosophila Tissues for Gene Expression Analysis at JoVE.com

We thank Janice Fischer for providing the UAS-EGFP::Msp-300KASH plasmid. The mAB24B10 antibody was obtained from the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank developed under the auspices of the NICHD and maintained by the University of Iowa, Department of Biology. The repo-GAL4 stock (BL7415) was obtained from the Bloomington Stock Center at Indiana University. Support from the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (IRG #58-006-53) to the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research is gratefully acknowledged. Jingqun Ma is supported by an Agricultural Research at Purdue Assistantship in Food and Agriculture from Purdue University.

1. Generation and Characterization of EGFP::KASH Drosophila
<ol>
	<li>Cross Gal4 driver flies to UAS-EGFP::Msp-300KASH flies. Alternatively, recombinant flies that carry both the Gal4 driver and the UAS-EGFP::Msp-300KASH transgene can be generated using standard genetic techniques. This second approach is advantageous if large numbers of progeny are required.</li>
	<li>Characterize expression of the EGFP::KASH marker using standard microscopy techniques....

<ol>
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B., Henikoff, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell-type-specific+nuclei+purification+from+whole+animals+for+genome-wide+expression+and+chromatin+profiling.">Cell-type-specific nuclei purification from whole animals for genome-wide expression and chromatin profiling.</a> Genom. Res. 22, 766-777 (2012).</li><li>Brand, A. H., Perrimon, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Targeted+gene+expression+as+a+means+of+altering+cell+fates+and+generating+dominant+phenotypes.">Targeted gene expression as a means of altering cell fates and generating dominant phenotypes.</a> Development. 118, 401-415 (1993).</li><li>Henry, G. L., Davis, F. P., Picard, S., Eddy, S. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+type-specific+genomics+of+Drosophila+neurons.">Cell type-specific genomics of Drosophila neurons.</a> Nucleic Acids res. 40, 9691-9704 (2012).</li><li>Starr, D. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=KASH+and+SUN+proteins.">KASH and SUN proteins.</a> Curr Biol. 21, 414-415 (2011).</li><li>Fischer, J. A., 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=Drosophila+klarsicht+has+distinct+subcellular+localization+domains+for+nuclear+envelope+and+microtubule+localization+in+the+eye.">Drosophila klarsicht has distinct subcellular localization domains for nuclear envelope and microtubule localization in the eye.</a> Genetics. 168, 1385-1393 (2004).</li><li>Patterson, 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=The+functions+of+Klarsicht+and+nuclear+lamin+in+developmentally+regulated+nuclear+migrations+of+photoreceptor+cells+in+the+Drosophila+eye.">The functions of Klarsicht and nuclear lamin in developmentally regulated nuclear migrations of photoreceptor cells in the Drosophila eye.</a> Mol. Biol. Cell. 15, 600-610 (2004).</li><li>Yu, 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=The+KASH+domain+protein+MSP-300+plays+an+essential+role+in+nuclear+anchoring+during+Drosophila+oogenesis.">The KASH domain protein MSP-300 plays an essential role in nuclear anchoring during Drosophila oogenesis.</a> Dev. Biol. 289, 336-345 (2006).</li><li>Bischof, J., Maeda, R. K., Hediger, M., Karch, F., Basler, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+optimized+transgenesis+system+for+Drosophila+using+germ-line-specific+phiC31+integrases.">An optimized transgenesis system for Drosophila using germ-line-specific phiC31 integrases.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 3312-3317 (2007).</li><li>Kracklauer, M. P., Banks, S. M., Xie, X., Wu, Y., Fischer, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Drosophila+klaroid+encodes+a+SUN+domain+protein+required+for+Klarsicht+localization+to+the+nuclear+envelope+and+nuclear+migration+in+the+eye.">Drosophila klaroid encodes a SUN domain protein required for Klarsicht localization to the nuclear envelope and nuclear migration in the eye.</a> Fly. 1, 75-85 (2007).</li><li>Markstein, M., Pitsouli, C., Villalta, C., Celniker, S. E., Perrimon, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Exploiting+position+effects+and+the+gypsy+retrovirus+insulator+to+engineer+precisely+expressed+transgenes.">Exploiting position effects and the gypsy retrovirus insulator to engineer precisely expressed transgenes.</a> Nat. Genet. 40, 476-483 (2008).</li><li>Sepp, K. J., Schulte, J., Auld, V. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Peripheral+glia+direct+axon+guidance+across+the+CNS/PNS+transition+zone.">Peripheral glia direct axon guidance across the CNS/PNS transition zone.</a> Dev. Biol. 238, 47-63 (2001).</li><li>Fujita, S. C., Zipursky, S. L., Benzer, S., Ferrus, A., Shotwell, S. 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+against+the+Drosophila+nervous+system.">Monoclonal antibodies against the Drosophila nervous system.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 7929-7933 (1982).</li></ol>

This protocol can be used to isolate or highly enrich specifically tagged nuclei from mixed cell populations in Drosophila embryonic or larval tissues. Using this protocol, nuclei can be isolated from dissected tissues in approximately 1 hr. The purity and yield of the isolated nuclei must be experimentally determined for each cell type. It can be difficult to quantify the bead-bound nuclei at the post-isolation stage of the protocol using a hemocytometer because of the beads present in the sample. Thus, if exac...

Drosophila tissues such as the central nervous system contain a complex mixture of cell types. Thus, to analyze cell-specific gene expression profiles from Drosophila tissues, it is first necessary to isolate a homogenous population of specific cells in sufficient quantities to enable downstream applications. Methods to isolate cells from intact tissues include laser microdissection, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of whole cells. While FACS has been used to isolate cells and nuclei from Drosophila embryos and from Caenorhabditis elegans for gene expression and chromatin profiling1-3, FACS and laser microdissection can be difficult to perform successfully in tissues that contain highly intermixed cell types or that contain cells with irregular morphology, such as neurons. To overcome this difficulty, nuclei rather than cells can be isolated from specific cell types and used for subsequent gene expression profiling. Importantly, microarray-based mRNA expression analysis using nuclear RNA samples shows generally comparable results with that performed using total RNA4,5. Moreover, gene expression analysis using nuclear RNA has been successfully used to study gene expression in multiple organisms including C. elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila, and humans4,52,3.
Several approaches have recently been described for the isolation of specific populations of labeled nuclei from Drosophila tissues that are suitable for gene expression analysis and/or chromatin immunoprecipitation. The batch isolation of tissue-specific chromatin for immunoprecipitation (BiTS-ChIP) method utilizes FACS to isolate fixed nuclei on the basis of cell-type specific expression of nuclear-localized GFP2. This approach has been successfully used to analyze the distribution of histone modifications and transcription factors using chromatin immunoprecipitation of isolated nuclei from the mesoderm of Drosophila embryos2. However, FACS-based approaches may be less suitable for isolating labeled nuclei that constitute only a small proportion of a mixed population due to the increased sort time needed to obtain suitable numbers for downstream applications. To overcome these limitations, several groups have utilized affinity-based isolation techniques to purify nuclei that are labeled with a specific epitope in a particular cell type. The isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types (INTACT) method developed for use in Arabidopsis thaliana6,7 has recently been adapted for use in Drosophila8. In this method, a nuclear envelope fusion protein that is a substrate for in vivo biotinylation is coexpressed with the Escherichia coli biotin ligase BirA in specific cell types. Biotin-labeled nuclei can be subsequently purified from mixed populations using streptavidin-based affinity isolation. Using this approach, nuclei were successfully labeled and isolated from the mesoderm of Drosophila embryos in which a nuclear envelope fusion protein was expressed under control of a mesoderm-specific enhancer8. The authors also generated nuclear envelope fusion proteins that can be expressed in any cell type under control of the Gal4 regulatory sequence, UAS9. This approach is capable of rapidly isolating subsets of labeled nuclei from mixed populations, but requires three separate transgenic constructs and may therefore be unsuitable for particular genetic applications. Recently, an approach has been described in which SUN (Sad1 and UNC-84) domain-containing proteins that localize to the inner membrane of the nuclear envelope were tagged with fluorescent proteins and expressed under control of the Gal4/UAS system10. Nuclei were isolated in the presence of nonionic detergent to remove the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope, and affinity-purified using magnetic beads coupled to anti-GFP antibodies. This approach was successfully used to isolate small populations of labeled nuclei from specific neuronal subtypes within the adult brain of Drosophila10.
Here, a protocol for isolation of labeled nuclei from a mixed population of cells from Drosophila larval tissue is described. This method was developed independently, but is similar to the approach described by Henry et al.10&#160;First, nuclei were labeled with a fluorescent tag that is expressed only in specific cell types in Drosophila melanogaster to facilitate the subsequent isolation of tagged nuclei from mixed populations using an affinity-based approach. To label nuclei, the KASH (Klarsicht/Anc-1/Syne homology) domain was utilized. The KASH domain is a transmembrane domain that localizes to the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope, in part through interactions with SUN domain-containing proteins within the perinuclear space11. The C-terminal KASH domain of proteins such as Drosophila Msp-300 and Klarsicht anchors these proteins to the outer nuclear membrane, while their N-terminal domains interact with cytoskeleton proteins such as actin or microtubules in the cytoplasm12-14. Constructs were generated in which the KASH domain of Drosophila Msp-300 was fused to the C-terminus of EGFP, under control of the Gal4 regulatory sequence, UAS in the pUAST-attB vector15,16. Using phiC31 site-specific integration, transgenic flies were generated in which the UAS-EGFP::Msp-300KASH transgene was inserted in the attP2 loci on chromosome 3L17. The UAS-EGFP::Msp-300KASH flies can be crossed with flies that express the Gal4 driver in a particular cell type, resulting in the targeted expression of EGFP on the outer nuclear membrane in the cell type of interest. Labeled nuclei can then be purified from mixed cell populations using antibodies against GFP coupled to magnetic beads. In this approach, the use of nonionic detergent is not required because the EGFP tag is localized to the cytoplasmic side of the outer nuclear membrane, and is therefore accessible to antibodies.
The protocol described below can be used to isolate/enrich EGFP-labeled nuclei from specific cell types in Drosophila larval tissues, to quantify the purity and yield of isolated nuclei, and to extract nuclear RNA suitable for quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) gene expression analysis. The isolation and affinity-purification of nuclei (excluding tissue dissection) can be performed in less than one hour. Results are presented showing that glial nuclei can be successfully isolated from the larval optic lobe and eye imaginal disc, and used for subsequent gene expression analysis. It is anticipated that this approach will be useful for the isolation/enrichment of labeled nuclei from embryonic and larval tissues in which the target cells constitute less than 5% of the overall population. All Drosophila stocks and plasmids generated in this study are available from the authors upon request.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1884">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">Anti-chaoptin antibody (mouse, monoclonal)</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">mAB24B10</td>
			<td style="width:828px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Anti-GFP antibody (mouse, monoclonal)</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>11814460001</td>
			<td>This specific antibody is recommended for this protocol. However, alternative antibodies could also be used.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">2X Bullseye EvaGreen qPCR Mastermix with ROX</td>
			<td>MidSci</td>
			<td>BEQPCR-R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">DAPI (4&#39;,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride salt)</td>
			<td>Biotium</td>
			<td>40011</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Dounce Homogenizer (1 ml)</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>62400-595</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Dumont #5 Tweezers, 11 cm</td>
			<td>World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td>14095</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Dynabeads Protein G for Immunoprecipitation</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10003D</td>
			<td>This specific brand of magnetic beads is recommended for this protocol.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">EpiScript Reverse Transcriptase</td>
			<td>Epicentre</td>
			<td>ERT12910K</td>
			<td><a href="http://www.epibio.com/docs/default-source/protocols/episcript-reverse-transcriptase.pdf">http://www.epibio.com/docs/default-source/protocols/episcript-reverse-transcriptase.pdf</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Falcon cell strainers, 40 &#956;m pore size</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>21008-949</td>
			<td>Alternative pore sizes could be used, depending on the size of the target cell nuclei.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Magnetic stand (8 x 1.5 ml tubes)</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>LSKMAGS08&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">Mini tube rotator</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Genemate</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">H-6700</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:599px;">Qubit starter kit</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">Q32871</td>
			<td style="width:828px;">Similar fluorescence-based methods for quantifying RNA yield could be used. <a href="http://tools.invitrogen.com/content/sfs/manuals/mp32852.pdf">http://tools.invitrogen.com/content/sfs/manuals/mp32852.pdfZ</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">RNAsecure (Ambion)</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">AM7010</td>
			<td style="width:828px;">The use of this reagent to inactivate RNAses is optional.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">RT-PCR machine Thermal Cycler</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">BioRad</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">CFX Connect Thermal Cycler</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Siliconized 9 well glass plate</td>
			<td>Hampton Research</td>
			<td>HR3-134</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">Stereomicroscope Fluorescence Adapter (Royal Blue (440 - 460nm) excitation + yellow barrier</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Nightsea</td>
			<td style="width:195px;"></td>
			<td>This adaptor enables GFP fluorescence to be examined using a typical dissecting microscope (eg Nikon)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">StereoZoom Microscope 83604 Set with 10X Wide Field Eyepieces and Universal Boom Stand</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Nikon</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">SMZ 745</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:599px;">Thermal Cycler</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">BioRad</td>
			<td style="width:195px;">T100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Trizol reagent</td>
			<td style="width:263px;">Life Technologies</td>
			<td>15596018</td>
			<td>CAUTION; Alternative RNA extraction methods can be used. <a href="http://tools.invitrogen.com/content/sfs/manuals/trizol_reagent.pdf" >http://tools.invitrogen.com/content/sfs/manuals/trizol_reagent.pdf</a></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Tween 20</td>
			<td>Amresco</td>
			<td>0777-1L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

affinity-based isolation of tagged nuclei from drosophila tissues for gene expression analysis

Drosophila melanogaster embryonic and larval tissues often contain a highly heterogeneous mixture of cell types, which can complicate the analysis of gene expression in these tissues. Thus, to analyze cell-specific gene expression profiles from Drosophila tissues, it may be necessary to isolate specific cell types with high purity and at sufficient yields for downstream applications such as transcriptional profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation. However, the irregular cellular morphology in tissues such as the central nervous system, coupled with the rare population of specific cell types in these tissues, can pose challenges for traditional methods of cell isolation such as laser microdissection and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Here, an alternative approach to characterizing cell-specific gene expression profiles using affinity-based isolation of tagged nuclei, rather than whole cells, is described. Nuclei in the specific cell type of interest are genetically labeled with a nuclear envelope-localized EGFP tag using the Gal4/UAS binary expression system. These EGFP-tagged nuclei can be isolated using antibodies against GFP that are coupled to magnetic beads. The approach described in this protocol enables consistent isolation of nuclei from specific cell types in the Drosophila larval central nervous system at high purity and at sufficient levels for expression analysis, even when these cell types comprise less than 2% of the total cell population in the tissue. This approach can be used to isolate nuclei from a wide variety of Drosophila embryonic and larval cell types using specific Gal4 drivers, and may be useful for isolating nuclei from cell types that are not suitable for FACS or laser microdissection.

The repo-GAL4 driver (Bloomington stock number 7415) is specifically expressed in glial cells in the Drosophila nervous system at multiple stages of development18. Flies were generated that stably express UAS-EGFP::Msp-300KASH under control of the repo-GAL4 driver using standard genetic techniques. To characterize the expression pattern of the EGFP::KASH transgene in these flies, the pattern of GFP expression in the dissected optic lobe and eye imaginal disc from ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Affinity-based Isolation of Tagged Nuclei from Drosophila Tissues for Gene Expression Analysis at JoVE.com

Affinity-based Isolation of Tagged Nuclei from Drosophila Tissues for Gene Expression Analysis

Drosophila tissues often contain a heterogeneous mixture of cell types.&#160;To examine gene expression in specific cell types from a particular tissue, nuclei can be genetically tagged and subsequently isolated using an affinity-based approach. Isolated nuclei can be used for downstream applications such as gene expression analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation.

Affinity-based Isolation of Tagged Nuclei from Drosophila Tissues for Gene Expression Analysis

Drosophila melanogaster embryonic and larval tissues often contain a highly heterogeneous mixture of cell types, which can complicate the analysis of gene ...

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This procedure shows how to use the Gene Pulser MXcell electroporation system to rapidly and easily identify the best electroporation conditions for mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or other primary cells. Considerations for troubleshooting are also discussed in the associated video.

Robotics and Dynamic Image Analysis for Studies of Gene Expression in Plant Tissues

Gene expression in plant tissues is typically studied by destructive extraction of compounds from plant tissues for in vitro analyses. The methods presented here utilize the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene for continual monitoring of gene expression in the same pieces of tissues, over time. The gfp gene was placed under regulatory control of different promoters and introduced into lima bean cotyledonary tissues via particle bombardment. Cotyledons were then placed on a robotic image collection system, which consisted of a fluorescence dissecting microscope with a digital camera and a 2-dimensional robotics platform custom-designed to allow secure attachment of culture dishes. Images were collected from cotyledonary tissues every hour for 100 hours to generate expression profiles for each promoter. Each collected series of 100 images was first subjected to manual image alignment using ImageReady to make certain that GFP-expressing foci were consistently retained within selected fields of analysis. Specific regions of the series measuring 300 x 400 pixels, were then selected for further analysis to provide GFP Intensity measurements using ImageJ software. Batch images were separated into the red, green and blue channels and GFP-expressing areas were identified using the threshold feature of ImageJ. After subtracting the background fluorescence (subtraction of gray values of non-expressing pixels from every pixel) in the respective red and green channels, GFP intensity was calculated by multiplying the mean grayscale value per pixel by the total number of GFP-expressing pixels in each channel, and then adding those values for both the red and green channels. GFP Intensity values were collected for all 100 time points to yield expression profiles. Variations in GFP expression profiles resulted from differences in factors such as promoter strength, presence of a silencing suppressor, or nature of the promoter. In addition to quantification of GFP intensity, the image series were also used to generate time-lapse animations using ImageReady. Time-lapse animations revealed that the clear majority of cells displayed a relatively rapid increase in GFP expression, followed by a slow decline. Some cells occasionally displayed a sudden loss of fluorescence, which may be associated with rapid cell death. Apparent transport of GFP across the membrane and cell wall to adjacent cells was also observed. Time lapse animations provided additional information that could not otherwise be obtained using GFP Intensity profiles or single time point image collections.

We report a method for introduction, tracking and quantitative analysis of GFP expression in plant cells. This method utilizes a custom-designed robotics system for semi-continuous image collection from large numbers of samples, over time. We also demonstrate the use of ImageJ and ImageReady for analysis of image series.

Gene expression in plant tissues is typically studied by destructive extraction of compounds from plant tissues for in vitro analyses. The methods ...

Using an Automated Cell Counter to Simplify Gene Expression Studies: siRNA Knockdown of IL-4 Dependent Gene Expression in Namalwa Cells

The use of siRNA mediated gene knockdown is continuing to be an important tool in studies of gene expression.  siRNA studies are being conducted not only to study the effects of downregulating single genes, but also to interrogate signaling pathways and other complex interaction networks.  These pathway analyses require both the use of relevant cellular models and methods that cause less perturbation to the cellular physiology.  Electroporation is increasingly being used as an effective way to introduce siRNA and other nucleic acids into difficult to transfect cell lines and primary cells without altering the signaling pathway under investigation. There are multiple critical steps to a successful siRNA experiment, and there are ways to simplify the work while improving the data quality at several experimental stages.  To help you get started with your siRNA mediated gene knockdown project, we will demonstrate how to perform a pathway study complete from collecting and counting the cells prior to electroporation through post transfection real-time PCR gene expression analysis.  The following study investigates the role of the transcriptional activator STAT6 in IL-4 dependent gene expression of CCL17 in a Burkitt lymphoma cell line (Namalwa).  The techniques demonstrated are useful for a wide range of siRNA-based experiments on both adherent and suspension cells.  We will also show how to streamline cell counting with the TC10 automated cell counter, how to electroporate multiple samples simultaneously using the MXcell electroporation system, and how to simultaneously assess RNA quality and quantity with the Experion automated electrophoresis system.

This procedure describes a quick and easy workflow to introduce siRNA into difficult to transfect cell lines and follow gene expression by real-time PCR. Use of an automated cell counter, multi-well electroporation plate, and automated electrophoresis station provide quick and reliable results without the need for expensive robotic handling.

The use of siRNA mediated gene knockdown is continuing to be an important tool in studies of gene expression.  siRNA studies are being conducted not only ...

Paraffin-Embedded and Frozen Sections of Drosophila Adult Muscles

The molecular characterization of muscular dystrophies and myopathies in humans has revealed the complexity of muscle disease and genetic analysis of muscle specification, formation and function in model systems has provided valuable insight into muscle physiology. Therefore, identifying and characterizing molecular mechanisms that underlie muscle damage is critical. The structure of adult Drosophila multi-fiber muscles resemble vertebrate striated muscles 1 and the genetic tractability of Drosophila has made it a great system to analyze dystrophic muscle morphology and characterize the processes affecting muscular function in ageing adult flies 2. Here we present the histological technique for preparing paraffin-embedded and frozen sections of Drosophila thoracic muscles. These preparations allow for the tissue to be stained with classical histological stains and labeled with protein detecting dyes, and specifically cryosections are ideal for immunohistochemical detection of proteins in intact muscles. This allows for analysis of muscle tissue structure, identification of morphological defects, and detection of the expression pattern for muscle/neuron-specific proteins in Drosophila adult muscles. These techniques can also be slightly modified for sectioning of other body parts.

Paraffin-Embedded and Frozen Sections of Drosophila Adult Muscles

Identification of mechanisms underlying muscle damage is crucial. Here we present the histological technique for preparing paraffin-embedded and frozen sections of Drosophila thoracic muscles. This allows analysis of muscle morphology and localization of protein and other muscle cell components.

The molecular characterization of muscular dystrophies and myopathies in humans has revealed the complexity of muscle disease and genetic analysis of ...

In vitro Reconstitution of the Active T. castaneum Telomerase

Efforts to isolate the catalytic subunit of telomerase, TERT, in sufficient quantities for structural studies, have been met with limited success for more than a decade. Here, we present methods for the isolation of the recombinant Tribolium castaneum TERT (TcTERT) and the reconstitution of the active T. castaneum telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex in vitro.
Telomerase is a specialized reverse transcriptase1 that adds short DNA repeats, called telomeres, to the 3' end of linear chromosomes2 that serve to protect them from end-to-end fusion and degradation. Following DNA replication, a short segment is lost at the end of the chromosome3 and without telomerase, cells continue dividing until eventually reaching their Hayflick Limit4. Additionally, telomerase is dormant in most somatic cells5 in adults, but is active in cancer cells6 where it promotes cell immortality7.
The minimal telomerase enzyme consists of two core components: the protein subunit (TERT), which comprises the catalytic subunit of the enzyme and an integral RNA component (TER), which contains the template TERT uses to synthesize telomeres8,9. Prior to 2008, only structures for individual telomerase domains had been solved10,11. A major breakthrough in this field came from the determination of the crystal structure of the active12, catalytic subunit of T. castaneum telomerase, TcTERT1.
Here, we present methods for producing large quantities of the active, soluble TcTERT for structural and biochemical studies, and the reconstitution of the telomerase RNP complex in vitro for telomerase activity assays. An overview of the experimental methods used is shown in Figure 1.

In vitro Reconstitution of the Active T. castaneum Telomerase

Efforts to isolate the catalytic subunit of telomerase, TERT, in sufficient quantities for structural studies, have been met with limited success for more than a decade. Here, we present methods for the isolation of the recombinant Tribolium castaneum TERT (TcTERT) and the reconstitution of the active T. castaneum telomerase ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex in vitro.

Efforts to isolate the catalytic subunit of telomerase, TERT, in sufficient quantities for structural studies, have been met with limited success for more ...

Analysis of Global RNA Synthesis at the Single Cell Level following Hypoxia

Hypoxia or lowering of the oxygen availability is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. At the molecular level, cells initiate a particular transcriptional program in order to mount an appropriate and coordinated cellular response. The cell possesses several oxygen sensor enzymes that require molecular oxygen as cofactor for their activity. These range from prolyl-hydroxylases to histone demethylases. The majority of studies analyzing cellular responses to hypoxia are based on cellular populations and average studies, and as such single cell analysis of hypoxic cells are seldom performed. Here we describe a method of analysis of global RNA synthesis at the single cell level in hypoxia by using Click-iT RNA imaging kits in an oxygen controlled workstation, followed by microscopy analysis and quantification.&nbsp; Using cancer cells exposed to hypoxia for different lengths of time, RNA is labeled and measured in each cell. This analysis allows the visualization of temporal and cell-to-cell changes in global RNA synthesis following hypoxic stress.

We describe a technique for analysis of global RNA synthesis in hypoxia using imaging. Click-chemistry labeling of RNA has not previously been performed under hypoxia and allows visualization of global RNA changes at the single cell level. This approach complements the existing averaged RNA techniques, allowing direct visualization of cell-to-cell changes in global RNA synthesis.

Hypoxia or lowering of the oxygen availability is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. At the molecular level, cells initiate a ...

Measurement of Metabolic Rate in Drosophila using Respirometry

Metabolic disorders are a frequent problem affecting human health. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate metabolism is a crucial scientific task. Many disease causing genes in humans have a fly homologue, making Drosophila a good model to study signaling pathways involved in the development of different disorders. Additionally, the tractability of Drosophila simplifies genetic screens to aid in identifying novel therapeutic targets that may regulate metabolism. In order to perform such a screen a simple and fast method to identify changes in the metabolic state of flies is necessary. In general, carbon dioxide production is a good indicator of substrate oxidation and energy expenditure providing information about metabolic state. In this protocol we introduce a simple method to measure CO2 output from flies. This technique can potentially aid in the identification of genetic perturbations affecting metabolic rate.

Measurement of Metabolic Rate in Drosophila using Respirometry

Metabolic disorders are among one of the most common diseases in humans. The genetically tractable model organism D. melanogaster can be used to identify novel genes that regulate metabolism. This paper describes a relatively simple method which allows studying the metabolic rate in flies by measuring their CO2 production.