This work was supported by NIH grant GM50936 to DKB.

NOTE: Some steps of the protocol below require working in a clean fume hood. In addition, the method requires a yeast tetrad dissection microscope equipped with a 10X long working distance objective to monitor spheroplasting. The microscope should be set up in the hood ahead of time. Remove the micromanipulator arm and plate holder from the scope and place these items in a safe place away from the work area.
1. Preparation of Spheroplasts
<ol>
	<li>Grow yeast under desired conditions. Use ab...

<ol>
	<li>Loidl, J., Nairz, K., Klein, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Meiotic+chromosome+synapsis+in+a+haploid+yeast.">Meiotic chromosome synapsis in a haploid yeast.</a> Chromosoma. 100 (4), 221-228 (1991).</li><li>Loidl, J., Klein, F., Engebrecht, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+and+morphological+approaches+for+the+analysis+of+meiotic+chromosomes+in+yeast.">Genetic and morphological approaches for the analysis of meiotic chromosomes in yeast.</a> Methods in cell biology. 53, 257-285 (1998).</li><li>Lydall, D., Nikolsky, Y., Bishop, D. K., Weinert, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+meiotic+recombination+checkpoint+controlled+by+mitotic+checkpoint+genes.">A meiotic recombination checkpoint controlled by mitotic checkpoint genes.</a> Nature. 383 (6603), 840-843 (1996).</li><li>Bishop, D. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RecA+homologs+Dmc1+and+Rad51+interact+to+form+multiple+nuclear+complexes+prior+to+meiotic+chromosome+synapsis.">RecA homologs Dmc1 and Rad51 interact to form multiple nuclear complexes prior to meiotic chromosome synapsis.</a> Cell. 79, 1081-1092 (1994).</li><li>Rabitsch, K. P., Galova, M., Schleiffer, A., Buonomo, S. B., Nasmyth, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+genomics+identifies+Monopolin:+a+kinetochore+protein+required+for+segregation+of+homologs+during+meiosis+I.">Functional genomics identifies Monopolin: a kinetochore protein required for segregation of homologs during meiosis I.</a> Cell. 103 (7), 1155-1168 (2000).</li><li>Gasior, S. L., Olivares, H., Ear, U., Hari, D. M., Weichselbaum, R., Bishop, D. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Assembly+of+RecA-like+recombinases:+Distinct+roles+for+mediator+proteins+in+mitosis+and+meiosis.">Assembly of RecA-like recombinases: Distinct roles for mediator proteins in mitosis and meiosis.</a> PNAS. 98 (15), 8411-8418 (2001).</li><li>Biggins, S., Murray, A. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+budding+yeast+protein+kinase+Ipl1/Aurora+allows+the+absence+of+tension+to+activate+the+spindle+checkpoint.">The budding yeast protein kinase Ipl1/Aurora allows the absence of tension to activate the spindle checkpoint.</a> Genes &amp; Development. 15 (23), 3118-3129 (2001).</li><li>Dresser, M. E., Giroux, C. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Meiotic+chromosome+behavior+in+spread+preparations+of+yeast.">Meiotic chromosome behavior in spread preparations of yeast.</a> The Journal of Cell Biology. , (1988).</li><li>Lao, J. P., Cloud, V., 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=Meiotic+crossover+control+by+concerted+action+of+Rad51-Dmc1+in+homolog+template+bias+and+robust+homeostatic+regulation.">Meiotic crossover control by concerted action of Rad51-Dmc1 in homolog template bias and robust homeostatic regulation.</a> PLOS Genetics. 9 (12), e1003978-e1003978 (2013).</li><li>Vonesch, C., Unser, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+fast+thresholded+landweber+algorithm+for+wavelet-regularized+multidimensional+deconvolution.+IEEE+transactions+on+image+processing+:+a+publication+of+the.">A fast thresholded landweber algorithm for wavelet-regularized multidimensional deconvolution. IEEE transactions on image processing : a publication of the.</a> IEEE Signal Processing Society. 17 (4), 539-549 (2008).</li></ol>

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

The appearance of spread nuclei critically depends upon the balance between fixation and lysis/detergent treatment. As discussed above, the preservation of varying cellular structures requires the use of different PFA concentrations. For most proteins, 3% PFA is optimal. However, preservation of spindles requires use of 4% PFA. Even with a single set of reagents, the timing of lysis relative to fixation can also affect the quality of spread nuclei. For the most consistent results, the time of lysis should be normalize...

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae offers many advantages for studies of molecular mechanisms of biological processes, including the study of proteins that control chromosome function. Although there are well-known advantages of budding yeast for genetic, molecular, and biochemical studies, cytological studies of the distribution of proteins in the cell&#8217;s nucleus is complicated by its small size. The typical yeast nucleus has a diameter of less than one micron, which is only about 5 times the resolution limit of visible light. Thus, the amount of information about the distribution of nuclear proteins that can be obtained from conventional immunostaining or by using fluorescent protein tags, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP), is limited. A useful approach to characterizing the subnuclear distribution of proteins is chromosome surface spreading. This approach involves removing the cell wall, disrupting cell and nuclear membranes, and allowing the insoluble contents of the nucleus to settle onto the surface of a microscope slide. These insoluble components include the nuclear matrix and the chromosomes. In addition to allowing removal of soluble nuclear contents, which enhances the ability to detect chromatin bound proteins, the chromosome spreading method results in substantial decompression of chromosomes such that the spread nuclei have diameters of around 3 to 5 &#181;m (for diploid meiotic nuclei) and 2 to 3 &#181;m for diploid mitotic nuclei. This decompression allows detection of nuclear substructure that is relatively difficult or impossible to resolve in intact nuclei.
An obvious shortcoming to chromosome spreading is the possibility that the spreading procedure may partially or completely disrupt the structure of interest. Of particular concern is that a particular chromosome bound protein might be lost as a consequence of the spreading procedure. This potential complication should be kept in mind when interpreting data. One example of a protein that is sensitive to the spreading procedure is beta-tubulin. Under some conditions, the spindle, which is comprised mainly of tubulin, is preserved during spreading3. Visualization of the spindle is often useful to stage nuclei of interest. However, visualizing tubulin requires treatment with a high concentration fixative; spindles are lost under the standard conditions described below. This example illustrates that, when analyzing the distribution of a previously uncharacterized protein, it is important to vary the concentration of fixative to determine how sensitive the protein is to such variation. In spite of the concern regarding the impact of the spreading conditions on chromosome structure, the utility and power of the spreading method has been demonstrated in many contexts and has broad utility in characterization of mitotic and, especially meiotic cells4-7.
Two spreading methods have been used extensively. The first of these methods, developed by Dresser and Giroux8, avoids the use of detergent and can yield spread preparations that appear to have relatively well-preserved chromosome morphology when stained for the DNA-specific dye DAPI. However, this method is relatively difficult to perfect and the quality of the spread nuclei varies dramatically, when one region of a slide is compared to other regions. This problem can complicate quantitative approaches that involve imaging many unselected nuclei from one slide to avoid data acquisition bias. The second chromosome spreading method, developed by Loidl and Klein1, involves balancing fixation by paraformaldehyde, with lysis and chromatin decompression promoted by a detergent solution. When properly performed, this method gives very reproducible results with less region-to-region variation compared to the Dresser and Giroux method. This presentation focuses on a modified version of the method of Loidl and Klein, because of its reliability and simplicity.
Chromosome spreading is not complicated or time-consuming; up to 100 slides can be prepared for immunostaining in a single day. Furthermore, the spread preparations may be stored in the freezer for years prior to immunostaining, and thus labs can develop a repository of frozen chromosome spreads that can be used when new biological questions arise or new staining reagents become available.
The chromosome spreading method is most commonly used in combination with immunostaining and widefield fluorescence microscopy, but it is also possible to prepare slides for super-resolution light microscopic methods such as stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Zymolyase</td>
			<td>US Biological&#160;</td>
			<td>Z1004</td>
			<td>Prepare 20 mg/mL solution in 50 mM Tris pH 7.5 supplemented with 2% glucose. Prepare fresh each experiment and store at 4&#176;C until ready for use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lipsol&#160;</td>
			<td>L.I.P. Ltd&#160;</td>
			<td>no longer commercially available</td>
			<td>Prepare 1% (v/v) solution in water. Store on ice.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NP-40</td>
			<td>USB</td>
			<td>19628</td>
			<td>Prepare 1% (v/v) solution in water. Store on ice.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tween 20</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P2287</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Slides</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>2948-75x25</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Standard coverslip</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>12-544-E or 12-540-B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High resolution coverslips</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>12-542-B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Photo-Flo 200 solution</td>
			<td>Kodak</td>
			<td>P-7417</td>
			<td>Prepare 0.2% (v/v) solution in water.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TBS</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>137 mM NaCl, 2.7 mM KCl, 24.7 mM Tris, pH 8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BSA</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A2153</td>
			<td>Prepare a 1% (w/v) solution in TBS. Store at 4&#176;C for up to a month.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Primary antibody</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alexa Fluor 488 Donkey Anti-Rabbit</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>A-21206</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IgG (H+L) Antibody</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vectashield mounting media with DAPI</td>
			<td>Vector 
			Laboratories</td>
			<td>H-1200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ProLong Gold</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>P36930</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plastic slide box</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>03-448-1</td>
			<td>Store slides containing dried spreads in slots at -20&#176;C. Also, use as a wet chamber.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cardboard slide box</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>12-587-10</td>
			<td>Use to conveniently transport stained/sealed slides or store at 4&#176;C.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Coplin jar</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>08-816</td>
			<td>Use as a wash basin for slides.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

surface spreading and immunostaining of yeast chromosomes

The small size of nuclei of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae limits the utility of light microscopy for analysis of the subnuclear distribution of chromatin-bound proteins. Surface spreading of yeast nuclei results in expansion of chromatin without loss of bound proteins. A method for surface spreading balances fixation of DNA bound proteins with detergent treatment. The method demonstrated is slightly modified from that described by Josef Loidl and Franz Klein1,2. The method has been used to characterize the localization of many chromatin-bound proteins at various stages of the mitotic cell cycle, but is especially useful for the study of meiotic chromosome structures such as meiotic recombinosomes and the synaptonemal complex. We also describe a modification that does not require use of Lipsol, a proprietary detergent, which was called for in the original procedure, but no longer commercially available. An immunostaining protocol that is compatible with the chromosome spreading method is also described.

The appearance of spread nuclei critically depends upon the balance between chromosome fixation and de-compaction. Even when the reagents are properly balanced, variation in the degree of chromosome de-compaction can occur in different regions of the same slide and/or between different slides. Thus, the quality of spreads in a given region of a slide should be assessed before images are interpreted.
The effects of &#8220;overspreading&#8221; and &#8220;underspreading&#8221; can be illustrated ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Surface Spreading and Immunostaining of Yeast Chromosomes at JoVE.com

Surface Spreading and Immunostaining of Yeast Chromosomes

A method for surface-spreading chromosomes from budding yeast is presented. This method is derived from a method previously described by Loidl and Klein. In addition, we demonstrate a procedure for immunostaining of spread chromosomes.

The small size of nuclei of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae limits the utility of light microscopy for analysis of the subnuclear distribution ...

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9.8K Views.  University of Chicago. A method for surface-spreading chromosomes from budding yeast is presented. This method is derived from a method previously described by Loidl and Klein. In addition, we demonstrate a procedure for immunostaining of spread chromosomes.