I thank Jeannie T. Lee for supervision of this project when I was in the Lee laboratory and Tyler Broering for editing the manuscript. This work was supported by the Basil O&#8217;Connor Starter Scholar Award from the March of Dimes Foundation and the NIH Grant GM098605.

1. 3D Slide Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the following reagents:
	<ol>
		<li>CSK buffer: 100 mM NaCl, 300 mM sucrose, 10 mM PIPES, 3 mM MgCl2. Adjust pH to 6.8 with 1 M NaOH. Store the CSK buffer at 4 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>CSK buffer with 0.5% Triton X-100: Add 200 &#956;l of Triton X-100 to 40 ml of CSK buffer. Mix the solution using magnetic stirrer until Triton X-100 is completely dissolved. Store the CSK buffer with 0.5% Triton X-100 at 4 &#176;C.</li>
		<li>4% Paraformaldehyde (PFA)&#8211;PBS, pH 7.4: Di...

<ol>
	<li>Peters, A. H., Plug, A. W., van Vugt, M. J., de Boer, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+drying-down+technique+for+the+spreading+of+mammalian+meiocytes+from+the+male+and+female+germline.">A drying-down technique for the spreading of mammalian meiocytes from the male and female germline.</a> Chromosome Res. 5, 66-68 (1997).</li><li>Namekawa, S. H., 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=Postmeiotic+sex+chromatin+in+the+male+germline+of+mice.">Postmeiotic sex chromatin in the male germline of mice.</a> Curr Biol. 16, 660-667 (2006).</li><li>Namekawa, S. H., Lee, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Detection+of+nascent+RNA,+single-copy+DNA+and+protein+localization+by+immunoFISH+in+mouse+germ+cells+and+preimplantation+embryos.">Detection of nascent RNA, single-copy DNA and protein localization by immunoFISH in mouse germ cells and preimplantation embryos.</a> Nat Protoc. 6, 270-284 (2011).</li><li>Mahadevaiah, S. K., Costa, Y., Turner, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Using+RNA+FISH+to+study+gene+expression+during+mammalian+meiosis.">Using RNA FISH to study gene expression during mammalian meiosis.</a> Methods in molecular biology. 558, 433-444 (2009).</li><li>Hall, L. L., 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=An+ectopic+human+XIST+gene+can+induce+chromosome+inactivation+in+postdifferentiation+human+HT-1080+cells.">An ectopic human XIST gene can induce chromosome inactivation in postdifferentiation human HT-1080 cells.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 99, 8677-8682 (2002).</li><li>Huynh, K. D., Lee, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Inheritance+of+a+pre-inactivated+paternal+X+chromosome+in+early+mouse+embryos.">Inheritance of a pre-inactivated paternal X chromosome in early mouse embryos.</a> Nature. 426, 857-862 (2003).</li><li>Namekawa, S. H., VandeBerg, J. L., McCarrey, J. R., Lee, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sex+chromosome+silencing+in+the+marsupial+male+germ+line.">Sex chromosome silencing in the marsupial male germ line.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104, 9730-9735 (2007).</li><li>Namekawa, S. H., Payer, B., Huynh, K. D., Jaenisch, R., Lee, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Two-step+imprinted+X+inactivation:+repeat+versus+genic+silencing+in+the+mouse.">Two-step imprinted X inactivation: repeat versus genic silencing in the mouse.</a> Mol Cell Biol. 30, 3187-3205 (2010).</li><li>Ichijima, Y., 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=MDC1+directs+chromosome-wide+silencing+of+the+sex+chromosomes+in+male+germ+cells.">MDC1 directs chromosome-wide silencing of the sex chromosomes in male germ cells.</a> Genes Dev. 25, 959-971 (2011).</li><li>Sin, H. S., 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=RNF8+regulates+active+epigenetic+modifications+and+escape+gene+activation+from+inactive+sex+chromosomes+in+post-meiotic+spermatids.">RNF8 regulates active epigenetic modifications and escape gene activation from inactive sex chromosomes in post-meiotic spermatids.</a> Genes Dev. 26, 2737-2748 (2012).</li></ol>

The author has nothing to disclose.

In 3D slide preparation, the permeabilization step precedes the fixation step. These steps are performed directly on seminiferous tubules, thereby preserving the three-dimensional chromatin structure. An alternate option to preserving chromatin structure for RNA/DNA FISH is to perform the permeabilization step and the fixation step simultaneously. This alternate technique has been performed in marsupial germ cells and in mouse preimplantation embryos7,8. However, if the fixation step precedes the permeabilizat...

In testes, germ cells differentiate from diploid spermatogonia through meiosis into mature, haploid spermatozoa. During this process, the nuclear chromatin structure of germ cells is continuously and dynamically remodeled. Surface spreads are commonly used for the cytological examination of individual spermatogenic cells. A prevailing method of surface spreads employs hypotonic treatment by which individual spermatogenic cells are spread and flattened1. These conditions are optimal for detailed analysis of meiotic chromosomes. Chromosomal features such as synaptic status and recombination foci are easily observed using this method. However, the hypotonic treatment disrupts subnuclear chromatin architecture, thus this technique is not suitable for structural analysis of nuclei. Consequently, an improved method has been designed to preserve the three-dimensional chromatin structure of testicular germ cells. This method has been termed as the three-dimensional (3D) slide method (Figure 1). The 3D slide method has enabled the detection of nascent RNA localization in nuclei because it was initially optimized to examine gene expression and chromatin states during testicular germ cell differentiation by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)2,3. This 3D method is also applicable to the combination of immunofluorescence, DNA, and RNA FISH. Additionally, this method has aided in the discovery of postmeiotic sex chromatin (PMSC), a silent compartment of the sex chromosomes found in postmeiotic spermatids2.
The 3D slide method was originally optimized through the combination of two essential steps of slide preparation commonly used for nuclear staining: the fixation step designed to fix nuclear materials&#160;and the permeabilization step intended to remove cytoplasmic materials in order to improve the accessibility of staining reagents, such as antibodies and FISH probes. As previously described in another publication3, it has been determined that the permeabilization step must precede the fixation step in order to obtain optimal results with low cytoplasmic background. In this 3D slide method, the permeabilization step and subsequent fixation step are performed directly on seminiferous tubules&#160;and are followed by the mechanical dissociation of germ cells with forceps prior to cytospinning onto slides. An alternative method for RNA FISH of spermatogenic cells was developed in another laboratory4. In this method, consistent with the 3D method, the permeabilization step must precede the fixation step in order to obtain optimal results of RNA FISH.
The following protocol describes the 3D slide method and provides an example of a possible application, Cot-1 RNA FISH for the detection of nuclear nascent RNAs. Cot-1 DNA consists of repetitive elements in the genome. Here, a Cot-1 DNA probe is hybridized to an intron and UTR of the nascent transcripts, thereby detecting the transcriptionally active regions in nucleus5,6. 3D slides are versatile and can be applied to a combination of immunofluorescence, DNA and RNA FISH techniques in order to obtain detailed examination of spatial relationships between chromatin architecture.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="562">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Cot-1 DNA&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">18440-016</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Stratagene Prime-It Fluor Fluorescence Labeling Kit</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Agilent</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">
			300380
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Herring sperm DNA Solution</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15634-017</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Ethanol, 200 proof (absolute)</td>
			<td>Pharmco-AAPER</td>
			<td align="right">111000200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sodium acetate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S2889</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Formamide deionized</td>
			<td>American Bioanalytical</td>
			<td>AB00600-00500</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sodium citrate tribasic dihydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C8532</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Bovine serum albumin</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Lifeblood Medical</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">77110-100</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Dextran sulfate sodium salt from Leuconostoc spp.</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">D6001</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">RPMI 1640</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A10491-01</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Sucrose</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S0389</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">PIPES</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P6757</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Magnesium chloride hexahydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">M0250</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">T8787</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">76240</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Sodium hydroxide</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">221465</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Phosphate buffered saline</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P4417</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">VECTASHIELD Mounting Medium with DAPI</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Vector Laboratories</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">H1200</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Ribonucleoside-vanadyl complex</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S1402S</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Illustra MicroSpin G-50 Columns</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">27-5330-01</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Microcentrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">5424</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Forceps</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">VWR</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">300-050</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Microcentrifuge tubes</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Bioexpress</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">C-3262-1</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Cytospin 3</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Shandon</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:297px;">Coplin jar</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">08-815</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Superfrost /Plus Microscope Slides</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td>12-550-15</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">4-well dish</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">12-566-301</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Cover glass&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">12-544-G</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:297px;">Air incubator</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Revolutionary Science</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">RS-IF-203</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

slide preparation method to preserve three-dimensional chromatin architecture of testicular germ cells

During testicular germ cell differentiation, the structure of nuclear chromatin dynamically changes. The following describes a method designed to preserve the three-dimensional chromatin arrangement of testicular germ cells found in mice; this method has been termed as the three-dimensional (3D) slide method. In this method, testicular tubules are directly treated with a permeabilization step that removes cytoplasmic material, followed by a fixation step that fixes nuclear materials. Tubules are then dissociated, the cell suspension is cytospun, and cells adhere to slides. This method improves sensitivity towards detection of subnuclear structures and is applicable for immunofluorescence, DNA, and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and the combination of these detection methods. As an example of a possible application of the 3D slide method, a Cot-1 RNA FISH is shown to detect nascent RNAs. The 3D slide method will facilitate the detailed examination of spatial relationships between chromatin structure, DNA, and RNA during testicular germ cell differentiation.

A representative result of a 3D slide is shown in Figure 2. In this experiment, Cot-1 RNA FISH was performed to detect nascent transcription together with immunostaining using anti CBX1 and &#947;H2AX antibodies. To combine RNA FISH and immunostaining, immunostaining was performed first, followed by RNA FISH as described in3. CBX1 is a heterochromatin protein that localizes to pericentromeric heterochromatin and silent sex chromosomes in meiosis called an XY body (or sex body). &#947;H2AX is a...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Slide Preparation Method to Preserve Three-dimensional Chromatin Architecture of Testicular Germ Cells at JoVE.com

Slide Preparation Method to Preserve Three-dimensional Chromatin Architecture of Testicular Germ Cells

The material here describes a method developed to preserve the three-dimensional chromatin structure of testicular germ cells. This has been termed the three-dimensional (3D) slide method. This method improves sensitivity for detection of subnuclear structures and is applicable for immunofluorescence, DNA, and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

During testicular germ cell differentiation, the structure of nuclear chromatin dynamically changes. The following describes a method designed to preserve ...

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7.3K ビュー.  Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. ここでの材料は精巣生殖細胞の三次元クロマチン構造を維持するために開発された方法を記述する。これは三次元(3D)スライド法と呼ばれます。この方法は、亜核組織の検出感度を向上させ、免疫蛍光、DNA、および蛍光をその 中で の蛍光(FISH)に適用可能です。