Questo lavoro è stato finanziato in parte dal NIH R01 # DE021475 (CTM), un NIH predoctoral formazione di Grant 5T32GM007127 (PAE), e un Graduate Research Fellowship NSF (NAE). Ringraziamo Kevin Schwalbach per l&#39;esecuzione di BAC recombineering e iniezioni, Nick Donde per la generazione di dati di sequenziamento Sanger CRISPR, e Katherine Lipari per il feedback utile sul protocollo di iniezione.

Gli autori non hanno nulla da rivelare.

Iniettano embrioni stickleback una cella per transgenesi o la modifica del genoma presenta tre sfide principali. In primo luogo, relativamente agli embrioni di zebrafish, lo spinarello embrionali corion è dura e spesso rompere gli aghi. Questo problema può essere superato parzialmente usando micropipette di vetro più spesse e più forti e iniettando perpendicolare al corion (vedi protocollo, figura 2). Assicurare che il meno acqua possibile si aggiunge agli embrioni (quanto basta per causare il corio...

Una componente fondamentale di capire come la biodiversità si pone è la determinazione delle basi genetiche e di sviluppo dei cambiamenti fenotipici evoluti in natura. Il pesce Spinarello, Gasterosteus aculeatus, è emerso come un ottimo modello per studiare le basi genetiche dell&#39;evoluzione. Spinarelli hanno subito molti cambiamenti evolutivi adattativi come i pesci marini hanno colonizzato gli ambienti di acqua dolce innumerevoli intorno nell&#39;emisfero settentrionale, con conseguente morfologica drammatico, fisiologici, e cambiamenti comportamentali 1. I genomi di individui di ventuno popolazioni stickleback sono stati sequenziati e assemblati, e una mappa linkage alta densità è stato generato per migliorare ulteriormente il gruppo 2,3. Esperimenti di mappatura genetici hanno identificato regioni genomiche sottostante fenotipi evoluti 4 - 6, e in alcuni casi, i ruoli funzionali di geni specifici sono stati testati 7,8. Un certo numero di regioni genomiche sottostanti cambiamenti morfologici sono stati identificati con promettenti geni candidati, ma questi candidati non sono ancora stati testati funzionalmente 9 - 12. Inoltre, spinarelli sono modelli comuni per gli studi di genetica delle popolazioni / genomica 13,14, speciazione 15, il comportamento 1, endocrinologia 16, ecotossicologia 17, l&#39;immunologia 18 e parassitologia 19. Futuri studi in ciascuno di questi settori beneficeranno della possibilità di eseguire manipolazioni genetiche funzionali in spinarelli. Oltre a manipolare le sequenze codificanti, i ruoli dei geni candidati possono essere valutate studiando le loro sequenze -regulatory cis e funzionalmente crescente, decrescente o eliminando espressione del gene candidato. Microiniezione e transgenesi metodi in spinarelli sono ben stabiliti 7,8,20 e sono stati inizialmente sviluppati utilizzando un meganuclease-mediataMetodo 21 descritto per primo nel Medaka 22. Il metodo microiniezione modificato presentato qui è stato ottimizzato sia per la transgenesi Tol2-mediata e recentemente sviluppato reagenti di modifica del genoma tra Talens e CRISPRs. Modifiche a cis -regulatory elementi sono pensati per essere critico per l&#39;evoluzione morfologica, come cis -regulatory cambiamenti possono evitare le conseguenze negative pleiotropici di codifica mutazioni 23. Pertanto, prova e il confronto putative sequenze -regulatory cis è diventato un obiettivo centrale di un numero crescente di studi evolutivi. Inoltre, la maggior parte delle varianti di malattie umane sono varianti normative 24,25 e sistemi modello vertebrati sono dolorosamente necessari per studiare cis Funzione di un elemento -regulatory e la logica. I pesci che fertilizzare i loro embrioni esternamente in gran numero offrono potenti sistemi di vertebrati a studiare -Regolamento cis. Il sistema di trasposoni Tol2, in cui commDNA gn per essere integrato nel genoma è fiancheggiato da Tol2 trasposasi siti di legame e di co-iniettato con Tol2 trasposasi mRNA, funziona con alta efficienza per l&#39;integrazione con successo plasmide costruisce sui genomi di pesce 26 - 28. In genere, un potenziale Enhancer è clonato a monte di un promotore basale (come hsp70l 29) e del gene reporter fluorescente come EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) o mCherry in una spina dorsale Tol2 e iniettato con trasposasi mRNA 26. L&#39;osservazione di espressione del reporter fluorescente, sia in embrioni o discendenti con transgeni stabilmente integrati iniettati, fornisce informazioni sulla regolazione spazio-temporale dell&#39;espressione genica guidato dal enhancer putativo. In ulteriori esperimenti, esaltatori validati possono essere utilizzati per guidare sovraespressione tessuto-specifica dei geni di interesse. Per l&#39;analisi delle più grandi regioni -regulatory cis, di alta qualità genom grande insertolibrerie IC utilizzando cromosomi batterici artificiali (BAC) sono stati costruiti per entrambe le marine e di acqua dolce spinarelli 30. Questi BAC possono essere recombineered per sostituire un gene con un gene reporter fluorescente nel contesto di un grande (150-200 kb) regione genomica 31. Il reporter fluorescente viene poi espressa in un modello spazio-temporale, come determinato dal sequenze regolatrici all&#39;interno del BAC. Per gli studi nei pesci, siti Tol2 possono essere aggiunti alla BAC per facilitare genomico integrazione 32,33. Nelle fasi successive di sviluppo, quando l&#39;ibridazione in situ è tecnicamente impegnativo, la lettura fluorescenza del BAC può essere utilizzato per studiare gli schemi di espressione genica, come è stato dimostrato per stickleback proteina morfogenetica 6 (BMP6) 20. Inoltre, i modelli di espressione fluorescenti in un individuo possono essere monitorati nel corso del tempo, che non può essere realizzato con l&#39;ibridazione in situ. BAC può essere utilizzato anche per aggiungere un additional copia di una regione genomica di aumentare il dosaggio di un gene di interesse. Per lo studio della funzione del gene, editing genoma è un campo esplosivo espansione che può essere utilizzato per produrre cambiamenti mirati a sequenze genomiche in un&#39;ampia varietà di organismi 34. Trascrizione attivatore-come nucleasi effettrici (Talens) sono, nucleasi modulari sequenza-specifiche originariamente isolato da agenti patogeni delle piante che possono essere progettati proprio per legarsi direttamente ad una sequenza genomica di scelta e di generare un doppio filamento pausa 35,36. Cluster regolarmente intervallati brevi ripetizioni palindromi (CRISPR) / sistemi CAS sono stati originariamente trovati nei batteri e utilizzare un RNA guida e la proteina Cas9 per generare una pausa in una sequenza di DNA bersaglio complementare alla guida 37. La successiva riparazione della rottura a doppio filamento creato da entrambe le Talens e CRISPRs spesso lascia dietro di sé una piccola inserimento o la cancellazione, che possono interferire con la funzione della sequenza bersaglio35-37. In spinarelli, Talens sono stati utilizzati per distruggere l&#39;espressione genica di mira un potenziatore 20, ed entrambi Talens e CRISPRs hanno prodotto con successo le mutazioni in sequenze codificanti (dati non pubblicati). Un protocollo dettagliato per la generazione di CRISPRs per l&#39;utilizzo in zebrafish può essere utilizzato come linea guida per sviluppare CRISPRs per spinarelli 38. esperimenti di modifica transgenici e genoma richiedono l&#39;introduzione di acidi nucleici in un appena fecondato embrione unicellulare. Con l&#39;introduzione del transgene strumento o del genoma di modifica nelle prime fasi di sviluppo, il numero di cellule figlie geneticamente manipolate in l&#39;embrione è massimizzata. embrioni iniettati vengono poi proiettati visivamente per fluorescenza o molecolarmente sottoposti a screening per le modifiche del genoma. Se le cellule che contribuiscono alla linea germinale sono mirati con successo, il transgene o mutazioni possono essere trasmessi a un sottoinsieme di prole, anche quando post-iniezione letale è elevata. Il pesce a mosaico possono essere outcrossed oincrocia e la loro prole proiettato per recuperare i alleli mutanti o un transgene stabilmente integrata di interesse. Questo protocollo descrive i metodi per l&#39;introduzione di transgeni e l&#39;editing di reagenti genoma in embrioni spinarello uno-cellula e di monitoraggio per le modifiche genomiche di successo.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="647">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Stereomicroscope with transillumination</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Leica</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S6e/ KL300 LED</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Manual micromanipulator</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MM33</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Marzhauser M33 Micromanipulator</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Pressure Injecion system</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MPPI-3</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Back pressure unit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BPU</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Micropipette holder kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MPIP</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Magnetic base holder</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Magnetic base</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Foot switch</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">FSW</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Iron plate (magnetic base)</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Narishige</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">IP</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Flaming/Brown Micropipette Puller</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sutter Instrument</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P-97</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Disposable transfer pipettes</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">13-711-7M</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">0.5% phenol red in DPBS</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P0290</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">injection tracer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">#5 forceps, biologie dumoxel&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">11252-30</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">for needle breaking</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Micropipette Storage Jar</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">E210</td>
			<td>holds needles</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">6&#34;, 6 teeth per inch plaster drywall saw</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Lenox</td>
			<td>20571 (S636RP)</td>
			<td>hold eggs for injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">13 cm x 13 cm glass plate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">any hardware store</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">-</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Borosilicate glass capillaries, 1.0 mm OD/0.58 mm ID&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">1B100-F4</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">*harder glass than zebrafish injection capillaries</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">150 x 15mm petri dish</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">FB0875714</td>
			<td>raise stickleback embryos</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">35 x 10mm petri dish</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">08-757-100A</td>
			<td>store eggs pre-injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Instant Ocean Salt</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Instant Ocean</td>
			<td>SS15-10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sodium Bicarbonate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>S5761-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Tricaine methanesulfonate/MS-222</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Western Chemical Inc</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MS222</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">fish anaesthesia/euthanasia</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Sp6 transcription kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Ambion</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AM1340</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">For transcription of TALENs and transposase mRNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">RNeasy cleanup kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">74104</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">purify transposase or TALEN RNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">QiaQuick PCR cleanup kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">28104</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">clean up plasmids for injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Proteinase K 20 mg/ml</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Ambion</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AM2546</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">for DNA preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Nucleobond BAC 100 kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Clontech</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">740579</td>
			<td>for BAC DNA preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">NotI</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">R0189L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Phusion polymerase</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">F-530L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Qiagen PlasmidPlus Midi kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">12943</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">contains endotoxin rinse buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">QIAQuick Gel Extraction</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">28704&#160;</td>
			<td>for sequencing induced mutations</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Phenol:chloroform:Isoamyl alcohol</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>P2069-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sodium acetate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>S2889-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Ethanol (molecular biology grade)</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>E7023-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Agarose</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A9539</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">50X Tris-acetate-EDTA buffer</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">B49</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">0.5-10KbRNA ladder</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">15623-200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Nanodrop&#160; Spectrophotometer</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Nanodrop 2000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>158127-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">10X PBS</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>70011-044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">1kb Plus DNA Ladder</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>10787-018</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Potassium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>P9541-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Magnesium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>M8266-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">NP-40</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>28324</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Tween 20</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>P1379-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Tris pH 8.3</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Teknova</td>
			<td>T1083</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">12-strip PCR tube</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AB-1113</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

microinjection for transgenesis and genome editing in threespine sticklebacks

Il pesce Spinarello è emersa come un potente sistema per studiare la base genetica di una vasta gamma di morfologica, fisiologica, e fenotipi comportamentali. I fenotipi notevolmente diverse che si sono evoluti come le popolazioni marine si adattano agli ambienti di acqua dolce innumerevoli, combinata con la capacità di attraversare le forme marine e d&#39;acqua dolce, forniscono un sistema di vertebrati raro in cui la genetica può essere utilizzato per mappare regioni genomiche il controllo sia evoluto tratti. Eccellenti risorse genomiche sono ora disponibili, facilitando molecolare dissezione genetica dei cambiamenti evoluti. Mentre gli esperimenti di mappatura generano liste di geni candidati interessanti, manipolazioni genetiche funzionali sono necessari per testare il ruolo di questi geni. regolazione genica può essere studiato con plasmidi reporter transgenici e BAC integrate nel genoma utilizzando il sistema trasposasi Tol2. Funzioni di specifici geni candidati e gli elementi -regulatory cis possono essere valutate inducendo miratamutazioni con Talen e CRISPR / Cas9 reagenti modifica del genoma. Tutti i metodi richiedono l&#39;introduzione di acidi nucleici in fecondate embrioni spinarello un cellulare, un compito reso difficile dalla fitta corion di embrioni stickleback e il relativamente piccolo e sottile blastomeri. Qui, un protocollo dettagliato per la microiniezione di acidi nucleici in embrioni spinarello è descritto per le applicazioni transgeniche e la modifica del genoma per studiare l&#39;espressione genica e la funzione, così come le tecniche per valutare il successo di transgenesi e recuperare le linee stabili.

Per transgeni Reporter gene che hanno attività enhancer, iniezione di successo si tradurrà in specifico, espressione cellulare del transgene (Figura 4A, 4C). Pesci iniettati possono essere outcrossed per produrre linee stabili (esempio di una linea stabile BAC mostrato nella Figura 4B). L&#39;iniezione di DNA in embrioni stickleback in genere si traduce in letalità di gran lunga superiore rispetto alla sola RNA. È tipico vedere fino ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks at JoVE.com

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Microiniezione per Transgenesi e Genome Editing in Threespine spinarelli

Manipolazioni transgeniche e la modifica del genoma sono fondamentali per il collaudo funzionale i ruoli dei geni ed elementi -regulatory cis. Ecco una dettagliata protocollo microiniezione per la generazione di modifiche genomiche (compresi costrutti Tol2-mediate fluorescenti giornalista transgene, Talens, e CRISPRs) è presentato per il pesce modello emergente, il Spinarello.

The threespine stickleback fish has emerged as a powerful system to study the genetic basis of a wide variety of morphological, physiological, and ...

microinjection-for-transgenesis-genome-editing-threespine

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

13.8K Views.  University of California, Berkeley.  Manipolazioni transgeniche e la modifica del genoma sono fondamentali per il collaudo funzionale i ruoli dei geni ed elementi -regulatory cis. Ecco una dettagliata protocollo microiniezione per la generazione di modifiche genomiche (compresi costrutti Tol2-mediate fluorescenti giornalista transgene, Talens, e CRISPRs) è presentato per il pesce modello emergente, il Spinarello. 

Video: Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Genome-wide Snapshot of Chromatin Regulators and States in Xenopus Embryos by ChIP-Seq

The recruitment of chromatin regulators and the assignment of chromatin states to specific genomic loci are pivotal to cell fate decisions and tissue and organ formation during development. Determining the locations and levels of such chromatin features in vivo will provide valuable information about the spatio-temporal regulation of genomic elements, and will support aspirations to mimic embryonic tissue development in vitro. The most commonly used method for genome-wide and high-resolution profiling is chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-Seq). This protocol outlines how yolk-rich embryos such as those of the frog Xenopus can be processed for ChIP-Seq experiments, and it offers simple command lines for post-sequencing analysis. Because of the high efficiency with which the protocol extracts nuclei from formaldehyde-fixed tissue, the method allows easy upscaling to obtain enough ChIP material for genome-wide profiling. Our protocol has been used successfully to map various DNA-binding proteins such as transcription factors, signaling mediators, components of the transcription machinery, chromatin modifiers and post-translational histone modifications, and for this to be done at various stages of embryogenesis. Lastly, this protocol should be widely applicable to other model and non-model organisms as more and more genome assemblies become available.

Genome-wide Snapshot of Chromatin Regulators and States in Xenopus Embryos by ChIP-Seq

The question of how chromatin regulators and chromatin states affect the genome in vivo is key to our understanding of how early cell fate decisions are made in the developing embryo. ChIP-Seq&#8212;the most popular approach to investigate chromatin features at a global level&#8212;is outlined here for Xenopus embryos.

Genoma Snapshot dei regolatori della cromatina e membri<em&gt; Xenopus</em&gt; Gli embrioni da Chip-Seq

The recruitment of chromatin regulators and the assignment of chromatin states to specific genomic loci are pivotal to cell fate decisions and tissue and ...

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Biologia dello sviluppo

Mosaic Zebrafish Transgenesis for Functional Genomic Analysis of Candidate Cooperative Genes in Tumor Pathogenesis

Comprehensive genomic analysis has uncovered surprisingly large numbers of genetic alterations in various types of cancers. To robustly and efficiently identify oncogenic &#8220;drivers&#8221; among these tumors and define their complex relationships with concurrent genetic alterations during tumor pathogenesis remains a daunting task. Recently, zebrafish have emerged as an important animal model for studying human diseases, largely because of their ease of maintenance, high fecundity, obvious advantages for in vivo imaging, high conservation of oncogenes and their molecular pathways, susceptibility to tumorigenesis and, most importantly, the availability of transgenic techniques suitable for use in the fish. Transgenic zebrafish models of cancer have been widely used to dissect oncogenic pathways in diverse tumor types. However, developing a stable transgenic fish model is both tedious and time-consuming, and it is even more difficult and more time-consuming to dissect the cooperation of multiple genes in disease pathogenesis using this approach, which requires the generation of multiple transgenic lines with overexpression of the individual genes of interest followed by complicated breeding of these stable transgenic lines. Hence, use of a mosaic transient transgenic approach in zebrafish offers unique advantages for functional genomic analysis in vivo. Briefly, candidate transgenes can be coinjected into one-cell-stage wild-type or transgenic zebrafish embryos and allowed to integrate together into each somatic cell in a mosaic pattern that leads to mixed genotypes in the same primarily injected animal. This permits one to investigate in a faster and less expensive manner whether and how the candidate genes can collaborate with each other to drive tumorigenesis. By transient overexpression of activated ALK in the transgenic fish overexpressing MYCN, we demonstrate here the cooperation of these two oncogenes in the pathogenesis of a pediatric cancer, neuroblastoma that has resisted most forms of contemporary treatment.

The goal of this study is to demonstrate how the mosaic transgenesis strategy can be used in zebrafish to rapidly and efficiently assess the relative contributions of multiple oncogenes in tumor initiation and progression in vivo.

Mosaic Zebrafish Transgenesi per analisi genomica funzionale di geni candidati cooperative in Tumor Patogenesi

Comprehensive genomic analysis has uncovered surprisingly large numbers of genetic alterations in various types of cancers.  To robustly and efficiently ...

Analysis of Zebrafish Larvae Skeletal Muscle Integrity with Evans Blue Dye

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders. In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle membrane is a critical disease determinant. To date, numerous neuromuscular conditions display degenerating muscle fibers with abnormal membrane integrity; this is most commonly observed in muscular dystrophies. Evans Blue Dye (EBD) is a vital, cell permeable dye that is rapidly taken into degenerating, damaged, or apoptotic cells; in contrast, it is not taken up by cells with an intact membrane. EBD injection is commonly employed to ascertain muscle integrity in mouse models of neuromuscular diseases. However, such EBD experiments require muscle dissection and/or sectioning prior to analysis. In contrast, EBD uptake in zebrafish is visualized in live, intact preparations. Here, we demonstrate a simple and straightforward methodology for performing EBD injections and analysis in live zebrafish. In addition, we demonstrate a co-injection strategy to increase efficacy of EBD analysis. Overall, this video article provides an outline to perform EBD injection and characterization in zebrafish models of neuromuscular disease.

In this study, we describe a straightforward method to perform Evans Blue Dye (EBD) analysis on zebrafish larvae. This technique is a powerful tool for the characterization of skeletal muscle integrity and delineation of zebrafish models of muscular dystrophy, and is a valuable method for the development of novel therapeutics.

Analisi delle larve Zebrafish muscolo scheletrico Integrità con Blu di Evans Dye

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders.  In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle ...

Technique to Target Microinjection to the Developing Xenopus Kidney

The embryonic kidney of Xenopus&#160;laevis (frog), the pronephros, consists of a single nephron, and can be used as a model for kidney disease. Xenopus embryos are large, develop externally, and can be easily manipulated by microinjection or surgical procedures. In addition, fate maps have been established for early Xenopus embryos. Targeted microinjection into the individual blastomere that will eventually give rise to an organ or tissue of interest can be used to selectively overexpress or knock down gene expression within this restricted region, decreasing secondary effects in the rest of the developing embryo. In this protocol, we describe how to utilize established Xenopus fate maps to target the developing Xenopus kidney (the pronephros), through microinjection into specific blastomere of 4- and 8-cell embryos. Injection of lineage tracers allows verification of the specific targeting of the injection. After embryos have developed to stage 38 - 40, whole-mount immunostaining is used to visualize pronephric development, and the contribution by targeted cells to the pronephros can be assessed. The same technique can be adapted to target other tissue types in addition to the pronephros.

Technique to Target Microinjection to the Developing Xenopus Kidney

Here, we present a protocol to use fate maps and lineage tracers to target injections into individual blastomeres that give rise to the kidney of Xenopus laevis embryos.

Tecnica a Target microiniezione per lo sviluppo<em&gt; Xenopus</em&gt; Kidney

The embryonic kidney of Xenopus&#160;laevis (frog), the pronephros, consists of a single nephron, and can be used as a model for kidney disease. Xenopus ...

Identification of Critical Conditions for Immunostaining in the Pea Aphid Embryos: Increasing Tissue Permeability and Decreasing Background Staining

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, with a sequenced genome and abundant phenotypic plasticity, has become an emerging model for genomic and developmental studies. Like other aphids, A. pisum propagate rapidly via parthenogenetic viviparous reproduction, where the embryos develop within egg chambers in an assembly-line fashion in the ovariole. Previously we have established a robust platform of whole-mount in situ hybridization allowing detection of mRNA expression in the aphid embryos. For analyzing the expression of protein, though, established protocols for immunostaining the ovarioles of asexual viviparous aphids did not produce satisfactory results. Here we report conditions optimized for increasing tissue permeability and decreasing background staining, both of which were problems when applying established approaches. Optimizations include: (1) incubation of proteinase K (1 &#181;g/ml, 10 min), which was found essential for antibody penetration in mid- and late-stage aphid embryos; (2) replacement of normal goat serum/bovine serum albumin with a blocking reagent supplied by a Digoxigenin (DIG)-based buffer set and (3) application of methanol rather hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for bleaching endogenous peroxidase; which significantly reduced the background staining in the aphid tissues. These critical conditions optimized for immunostaining will allow effective detection of gene products in the embryos of A. pisum and other aphids.

A protocol of whole-mount immunostaining on aphid embryos is presented, in which critical conditions for decreasing background staining and increasing tissue permeability are addressed. These conditions are specifically developed for effective detection of protein expression in the embryonic tissues of aphids.

Individuazione di condizioni critiche per Immunostaining nel pisello afide embrioni: l&#39;aumento del tessuto Permeabilità e diminuire la colorazione di fondo

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, with a sequenced genome and abundant phenotypic plasticity, has become an emerging model for genomic and developmental ...

Microstructured Devices for Optimized Microinjection and Imaging of Zebrafish Larvae

Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful model of various human diseases and a useful tool for an increasing range of experimental studies, spanning fundamental developmental biology through to large-scale genetic and chemical screens. However, many experiments, especially those related to infection and xenograft models, rely on microinjection and imaging of embryos and larvae, which are laborious techniques that require skill and expertise. To improve the precision and throughput of current microinjection techniques, we developed a series of microstructured devices to orient and stabilize zebrafish embryos at 2 days post fertilization (dpf) in ventral, dorsal, or lateral orientation prior to the procedure. To aid in the imaging of embryos, we also designed a simple device with channels that orient 4 zebrafish laterally in parallel against a glass cover slip. Together, the tools that we present here demonstrate the effectiveness of photolithographic approaches to generate useful devices for the optimization of zebrafish techniques.

Microinjection of zebrafish embryos and larvae is a crucial but challenging technique used in many zebrafish models. Here, we present a range of microscale tools to aid in the stabilization and orientation of zebrafish for both microinjection and imaging.

Dispositivi microstrutturati Microinjection ottimizzata e Imaging delle larve di Zebrafish

Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful model of various human diseases and a useful tool for an increasing range of experimental studies, spanning ...

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing

Binary transcription systems are powerful genetic tools widely used for visualizing and manipulating cell fate and gene expression in specific groups of cells or tissues in model organisms. These systems contain two components as separate transgenic lines. A driver line expresses a transcriptional activator under the control of tissue-specific promoters/enhancers, and a reporter/effector line harbors a target gene placed downstream to the binding site of the transcription activator. Animals harboring both components induce tissue-specific transactivation of a target gene expression. Precise spatiotemporal expression of the gene in targeted tissues is critical for unbiased interpretation of cell/gene activity. Therefore, developing a method for generating exclusive cell/tissue-specific driver lines is essential. Here we present a method to generate highly tissue-specific targeted expression system by employing a &#34;Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/CRISPR-associated&#34; (CRISPR/Cas)-based genome editing technique. In this method, the endonuclease Cas9 is targeted by two chimeric guide RNAs (gRNA) to specific sites in the first coding exon of a gene in the Drosophila genome to create double-strand breaks (DSB). Subsequently, using an exogenous donor plasmid containing the transactivator sequence, the cell-autonomous repair machinery enables homology-directed repair (HDR) of the DSB, resulting in precise deletion and replacement of the exon with the transactivator sequence. The knocked-in transactivator is expressed exclusively in cells where the cis-regulatory elements of the replaced gene are functional. The detailed step-by-step protocol presented here for generating a binary transcriptional driver expressed in Drosophila fgf/branchless-producing epithelial/neuronal cells can be adopted for any gene- or tissue-specific expression.

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing

Here, we present a method for generating tissue-specific binary transcription systems in Drosophila by replacing the first coding exon of genes with transcription drivers. The CRISPR/Cas9-based method places a transactivator sequence under the endogenous regulation of a replaced gene, and consequently facilitates transctivator expression exclusively in gene-specific spatiotemporal patterns.

Una strategia efficace per la generazione di sistemi di trascrizione binario tessuto-specifici in Drosophila genoma modificando

Binary transcription systems are powerful genetic tools widely used for visualizing and manipulating cell fate and gene expression in specific groups of ...

Microinjection-based System for In Vivo Implantation of Embryonic Cardiomyocytes in the Avian Embryo

Interpreting the relative impact of cell autonomous patterning versus extrinsic microenvironmental influence on cell lineage determination represents a general challenge in developmental biology research. In the embryonic heart, this can be particularly difficult as regional differences in the expression of transcriptional regulators, paracrine/juxtacrine signaling cues, and hemodynamic force are all known to influence cardiomyocyte maturation. A simplified method to alter a developing cardiomyocyte's molecular and biomechanical microenvironment would, therefore, serve as a powerful technique to examine how local conditions influence cell fate and function. To address this, we have optimized a method to physically transplant juvenile cardiomyocytes into ectopic locations in the heart or the surrounding embryonic tissue. This allows us to examine how microenvironmental conditions influence cardiomyocyte fate transitions at single cell resolution within the intact embryo. Here, we describe a protocol in which embryonic myocytes can be isolated from a variety of cardiac sub-domains, dissociated, fluorescently labeled, and microinjected into host embryos with high precision. Cells can then be directly analyzed in situ using a variety of imaging and histological techniques. This protocol is a powerful alternative to traditional grafting experiments that can be prohibitively difficult in a moving tissue such as the heart. The general outline of this method can also be adapted to a variety of donor tissues and host environments, and its ease of use, low cost, and speed make it a potentially useful application for a variety of developmental studies.

In this method, embryonic cardiac tissues are surgically microdissected, dissociated, fluorescently labeled, and implanted into host embryonic tissues. This provides a platform for studying the individual or tissue level developmental organization under ectopic hemodynamic conditions, and/or altered paracrine/juxtacrine environments.

Sistema basato su microiniezione per In Vivo l'impianto di cardiomiociti embrionali nell'embrione aviaria

Interpreting the relative impact of cell autonomous patterning versus extrinsic microenvironmental influence on cell lineage determination represents a ...

Egg Microinjection and Efficient Mating for Genome Editing in the Firebrat Thermobia domestica

The firebrat Thermobia domestica is an ametabolous, wingless species that is suitable for studying the developmental mechanisms of insects that led to their successful evolutionary radiation on the earth. The application of genetic tools such as genome editing is the key to understanding genetic changes that are responsible for evolutionary transitions in an Evo-Devo approach. In this article, we describe our current protocol for generating and maintaining mutant strains of T. domestica. We report a dry injection method, as an alternative to the reported wet injection method, that allows us to obtain stably high survival rates in injected embryos. We also report an optimized environment setting to mate adults and obtain subsequent generations with high efficiency. Our method underlines the importance of taking each species&#8217; unique biology into account for the successful application of genome editing methods to non-traditional model organisms. We predict that these genome editing protocols will help in implementing T. domestica as a laboratory model and to further accelerate the development and application of useful genetic tools in this species.

Egg Microinjection and Efficient Mating for Genome Editing in the Firebrat Thermobia domestica

We provide a detailed protocol for rearing, microinjection of eggs and for efficient mating of the firebrat Thermobia domestica to generate and maintain mutant strains after genome editing.

Microiniezione delle uova e accoppiamento efficiente per l'editing genomico nella Termbia domestica Firebrat

The firebrat Thermobia domestica is an ametabolous, wingless species that is suitable for studying the developmental mechanisms of insects that led to ...

Brain Organoid Generation from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Home-Made Mini Bioreactors

The iPSC-derived brain organoid is a promising technology for in vitro modeling the pathologies of the nervous system and drug screening. This technology has emerged recently. It is still in its infancy and has some limitations unsolved yet. The current protocols do not allow obtaining organoids to be consistent enough for drug discovery and preclinical studies. The maturation of organoids can take up to a year, pushing the researchers to launch multiple differentiation processes simultaneously. It imposes additional costs for the laboratory in terms of space and equipment. In addition, brain organoids often have a necrotic zone in the center, which suffers from nutrient and oxygen deficiency. Hence, most current protocols use a circulating system for culture medium to improve nutrition.
Meanwhile, there are no inexpensive dynamic systems or bioreactors for organoid cultivation. This paper describes a protocol for producing brain organoids in compact and inexpensive home-made mini bioreactors. This protocol allows obtaining high quality organoids in large quantities.

Here we describe a protocol for generating brain organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). To obtain brain organoids in large quantities and of high quality, we use home-made mini bioreactors.

Generazione di organoidi cerebrali da cellule staminali pluripotenti indotte in mini bioreattori fatti in casa

The iPSC-derived brain organoid is a promising technology for in vitro modeling the pathologies of the nervous system and drug screening. This technology ...

Microiniezione per Transgenesi e Genome Editing in Threespine spinarelli

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