Name: determination of sialic acids in liver and milk samples of wild-type and cmah knock-out mice.
Uploaded: 2017-07-14T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Determination of Sialic Acids in Liver and Milk Samples of Wild-type and CMAH Knock-out Mice. at JoVE.com

This work was supported in part by the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 31471703, A0201300537 and 31671854 to J.V. and L.L.), and the 100 Foreign Talents Plan (grant number JSB2014012 to J.V.).

Procedures involving animal subjects have been approved by the Ethical Committee of the Experimental Animal Center of Nanjing Agricultural University in accordance to the National Guidelines for Experimental Animal Welfare (Ministry of Science and Technology, PR of China, 2006) with the animals housed in a SPF facility (Permission ID: SYXK-J-2011-0037).
1. Cmah Knock-out Mouse Model
<ol>
	<li>Use wild-type C57Bl/6 mice from the Comparative Medicine Centre of Yangzhou University (Chi...

<ol>
	<li>Lamari, F. N., Karamanos, N. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Separation+methods+for+sialic+acids+and+critical+evaluation+of+their+biologic+relevance.">Separation methods for sialic acids and critical evaluation of their biologic relevance.</a> J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 781 (1-2), 3-19 (2002).</li><li>Irie, A., Koyama, S., Kozutsumi, Y., Kawasaki, T., Suzuki, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+molecular+basis+for+the+absence+of+N-glycolylneuraminic+acid+in+humans.">The molecular basis for the absence of N-glycolylneuraminic acid in humans.</a> J Biol Chem. 273 (25), 15866-15871 (1998).</li><li>Chou, H. 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II. A colorimetric resorcinol-hydrochloric acid method.</a> Biochim Biophys Acta. 24 (3), 604-611 (1957).</li><li>Warren, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+thiobarbituric+acid+assay+of+sialic+acids.">The thiobarbituric acid assay of sialic acids.</a> J Biol Chem. 234 (8), 1971-1975 (1959).</li><li>Kakehi, K., Maeda, K., Teramae, M., Honda, S., Takai, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+sialic+acids+by+gas+chromatography+of+the+mannosamine+derivatives+released+by+the+action+of+N-acetylneuraminate+lyase.">Analysis of sialic acids by gas chromatography of the mannosamine derivatives released by the action of N-acetylneuraminate lyase.</a> J Chromatogr. 272 (1), 1-8 (1983).</li><li>Wheeler, S. F., Domann, P., Harvey, D. 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The herein presented protocol allows the phenotypical assessment of homozygous Cmah knock-out mice by analyzing and quantifying the relative amounts of Neu5Gc of milk and liver samples. The analysis was performed using a standard HPLC setup with fluorescence detection. The most critical step of this procedure is the preparation of the anion exchange columns and performing the anion exchange chromatography; to settle the resin properly and to collect the right washing and elution fractions takes a bit of practice...

N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc) are the most common sialic acids in most mammals1. Although able of synthesizing Neu5Ac endogenously, humans are not capable of producing Neu5Gc due to a primary exon deletion on the CMAH gene encoding for a CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase2,3. However, animal-based food products can be dietary sources of Neu5Gc4,5,6, leading to the production of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies and therefore trigger an immune response towards Neu5Gc7. This dietary effect of Neu5Gc is suspected to contribute to chronic inflammation and various other diseases8,9,10. In order to comprehensively understand the effects of Neu5Gc in humans, an animal model for the systematic study of the effects of foodborne sialic acids is highly desirable. Although protocols based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for analyzing of knock-out mice are well established and a convenient way for the genotypical assessment, the functional analysis of phenotype on the metabolic level requires more specific analysis methods. The phenotype of a Cmah knock-out mouse model can be assessed by isolating and analyzing the composition of sialic acids in liver or milk samples. Several methods for the detection of sialic acids in animal tissues have been reported previously: reacting sialic acids with resorcinol11 or thiobarbituric acid12 result in the formation of a chromophoric product and can be simply analyzed using a platereader based setup, but only the total sialic acid content may be determined. Alternatively, the analysis of sialic acids was also described using gas chromatography13, MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry14 or amperometric methods15. However, the most commonly applied sialic acid analysis methods are based on hydrolytic release, followed by fluorescence derivatization and subsequent high performance liquid chromatography16,17,18.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="684">
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		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;width:147px;">Chemicals:</td>
			<td style="width:144px;"></td>
			<td style="width:143px;"></td>
			<td style="width:251px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">N-acetylneuraminic acid</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A0812</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">N-glycolylneuraminic acid</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td align="right">50644</td>
			<td>1 mg aliquot should be sufficient</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">o-Phenylenediamine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td align="right">694975</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Sodium hydrogen sulfite</td>
			<td>J&#38;K Scientific Ltd</td>
			<td align="right">75234</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Tools/Materials:</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">3 mL SPE tubes</td>
			<td>Supelco</td>
			<td>Sigma 57024</td>
			<td>empty solid phase extraction columns</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Luer stopcock</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S7396</td>
			<td>to stop the flow of the SPE tube</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Dowex 1X8</td>
			<td>Dow Chemicals</td>
			<td>Sigma 44340</td>
			<td>200-400 mesh</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Dounce tissue grinder</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D8938</td>
			<td>tight fit</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">HPLC Analysis:</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">High-recovery HPLC vial</td>
			<td>Agilent Technologies</td>
			<td>#5188-2788</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">HPLC System</td>
			<td>Shimadzu</td>
			<td>Nexera</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Fluorescence Detector for HPLC</td>
			<td>Shimadzu</td>
			<td>RF-20Axs</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">HPLC Column</td>
			<td>Phenomenex</td>
			<td>Hyperclone ODS</td>
			<td>250x4.6 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="24">
			<td height="24" style="height:24px;">LCMS-grade H2O</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>#WX00011</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">LCMS-grade Acetonitrile</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>#100029</td>
			<td>Hypergrade</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" style="height:20px;">Ammonium hydroxide solution</td>
			<td>Fluka</td>
			<td>#44273</td>
			<td>puriss. P.a.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

determination of sialic acids in liver and milk samples of wild-type and cmah knock-out mice.

CMAH (cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase) is responsible for the oxidation of cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acids in mammals. However, humans cannot oxidize cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid to cytidine monophosphate-N-glycolylneuraminic acid due to a primary exon deletion of the CMAH gene. To understand the effects and implications of the lack of CMAH activity in more detail, a Cmah knock-out model in mice is of keen interest in basic and applied research. The analysis method to determine the phenotype of this mouse model is herein described in detail, and is based on the detection of both N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-glycolylenuraminic acid in the liver and milk of wild-type and Cmah knock-out mice. Endogenous sialic acids are released and derivatized with o-phenylenediamine to generate fluorogenic derivatives, which can be subsequently analyzed by HPLC. The presented protocol can be also applied for the analysis of milk and tissue samples from various other origins, and may be of use to investigate the nutritional and health effects of N-glycolylneuraminic acid.

A schematic overview of the described analysis method is shown in Figure 1 and includes the isolation of sialic acids from milk and liver samples of wild-type and Cmah knock-out mutant mice, and the fluorescence derivatization and HPLC analysis of these components. Figure 2 and Figure 3 show representative HPLC chromatograms of derivatized sialic acids of milk and liver samples from homo- an...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Determination of Sialic Acids in Liver and Milk Samples of Wild-type and CMAH Knock-out Mice. at JoVE.com

Determination of Sialic Acids in Liver and Milk Samples of Wild-type and CMAH Knock-out Mice.

We describe a HPLC-based method for the determination of N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-glycolylenuraminic acid in mouse liver and milk.

Determination of Sialic Acids in Liver and Milk Samples of Wild-type and CMAH Knock-out Mice.

CMAH (cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase) is responsible for the oxidation of cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acids in ...

The overall goal of this methodology is the detection of N-Acetylneuraminic acid and N-Glycolylneuraminic acid in the liver and milk of wild-type and CMAH knock-out mice using HPLC analysis. This method can help to answer questions in the field of glycoscience, specifically the effect genotypes of CMAH mouse models have on the actual sialic acid contents of these animals. The main advantage that this technique has in comparison to genetic screens is that relative sialic acid levels can be determined also for heterozygous mice.Evaluating this method will be Cui Cao and Wang Wenjiao, two graduate students from our laboratory. Begin this procedure with collection of mouse milk and mouse liver tissue from CMAH knock-out mice as described in the text protocol. To isolate sialic acids from milk, transfer 50 microliters of milk into a 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube, and add 1.2 milliliters of prepared aqueous acetic acid solution.To isolate sialic acids from liver tissue, gently thaw 20 to 50 milligram of mouse liver and transfer it into a dounce tissue grinder. Add 1.2 milliliters of the aqueous acetic acid solution and homogenize the tissue by gentle shearing for 10 seconds. Transfer the resulting suspension into a 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube.Next, incubate the acidified milk or tissue suspension for four hours at 80 degrees Celsius. Then, centrifuge the sample at 14 thousand times g for 10 minutes. Transfer the top 1000 microliters of the supernatant into a fresh 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube.Remove the solvent by centrifugal evaporation at room temperature to complete dryness. Redissolve the sample in 500 microliters of distilled water. Next, prepare a microanion exchange column by transferring 200 milligrams of anion exchange resin per sample into empty 3 milliliter tubes with an attached stopcock.Add 2 milliliters of the aqueous acetic acid solution to replace the chloride ions in the resin with acetate ion. Close the stopcock as soon as the solvent reaches the top of the resin. Gently add 2 milliliters of distilled water and open the stopcock.Stop the flow as soon as most of the solvent reaches the top of the resin. Make sure that the resin is always covered with solvent. Then, wash the resin column two more times with two milliliters of distilled water for removing the excess acetate.Transfer the resulting 500 microliters of sample solvent onto the resin column and discard the flow-through. Gently was the resin with 2 milliliters of distilled water. Elute the sample anions from the resin using 1 milliliter of a 50 millimolar ammonium acetate solution into a 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube.Remove the solvent by centrifugal evaporation at room temperature to dryness. Weigh between 5 and 8 milligrams of N-Acetylneuraminic acid on an analytical balance into a 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube. Note the exact weight and add 164 microliters of distilled water for every milligram.Obtain N-Glycolylneuraminic acid in smaller quantities at a moderate price, such as in 1 milligram aliquots. Add 154 microliters of distilled water directly to compound to obtain a stock solution of approximately 20 millimolar Neu5Gc. Transfer the solution into a 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube.This solution can be stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius for up to 12 months. Combine 5 microliters from each stock solution into a fresh 1.5 milliliter centrifuge tube. Then, remove the solvent by centrifugal evaporation at room temperature to dryness.Add 20 microliters of the OPD solution to the sialic acid samples derived from mouse milk, mouse liver, or the mixed sialic acid standard. Vortex the sample vigorously for 30 seconds. Then, incubate the samples for four hours at 80 degrees Celsius in the dark.After letting the samples cool down for five minutes, add 80 microliters of distilled water. Then, centrifuge the tubes at 14 thousand times g for one minute. Next, transfer 80 microliters from the supernatant into a 300 microliter high-recovery HPLC vial.The derivitized sialic acid samples can be stored at four to six degrees Celsius for up to one week. Analyze the samples using a standard HPLC system connected to an online fluorescence detector. Use a reversed phase C18 column with a 250 millimeter length and 4.6 millimeter diameter for the analysis.After preparing solvent A and solvent B, and setting up the HPLC run as detailed in the protocol, inject 50 microliters of the sample into the HPLC system. Monitor eluence using the fluorescence detector excitation wavelength of 373 nanometers and an emission wavelength of 448 nanometers. Finally, calculate the relative amount of Neu5Gc as described in the text protocol.Shown here are representative HPLC chromatograms of fluorescence labeled sialic acids from milk samples, derived from homozygous knock-out CMAH mice and heterozygous knock-out CMAH mice. wild-type mice are also shown. Similarly, chromatograms of the mouse liver derived fluorescence labeled sialic acids are shown here.Comparing the relative amounts of Neu5Gc shows that homozygous CMAH knock-out mice contain no Neu5Gc, whereas heterzygous CMAH knock-outs and wild-type mice contain between 10 and 75%Neu5Gc. Once mastered, samples can be prepared within eight hours if the procedure was performed properly. And the samples can be analyzed by HPLC autosampling overnight.While attempting this procedure, it's important to remember to perform the isolation of sialic acid and the derivitization procedure on the same day. Following the procedure, other methods like mass spectrometric analysis can be performed in order to confirm the nature of the obtained fluorescent signals. The development of this technique allows researchers to explore the sialic acid distribution in biological samples.Don't forget that working with concentrated acetic acid and formic acid can be extremely hazardous, and precautions such as wearing protective gear should always be taken while performing this procedure.

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Biology

Quantitation of &gamma;H2AX Foci in Tissue Samples

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are particularly lethal and genotoxic lesions, that can arise either by endogenous (physiological or pathological) processes or by exogenous factors, particularly ionizing radiation and radiomimetic compounds. Phosphorylation of the H2A histone variant, H2AX, at the serine-139 residue, in the highly conserved C-terminal SQEY motif, forming &gamma;H2AX, is an early response to DNA double-strand breaks1. This phosphorylation event is mediated by the phosphatidyl-inosito 3-kinase (PI3K) family of proteins, ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), DNA-protein kinase catalytic subunit and ATM and RAD3-related (ATR)2. Overall, DSB induction results in the formation of discrete nuclear &gamma;H2AX foci which can be easily detected and quantitated by immunofluorescence microscopy2. Given the unique specificity and sensitivity of this marker, analysis of &gamma;H2AX foci has led to a wide range of applications in biomedical research, particularly in radiation biology and nuclear medicine. The quantitation of &gamma;H2AX foci has been most widely investigated in cell culture systems in the context of ionizing radiation-induced DSBs. Apart from cellular radiosensitivity, immunofluorescence based assays have also been used to evaluate the efficacy of radiation-modifying compounds. In addition, &gamma;H2AX has been used as a molecular marker to examine the efficacy of various DSB-inducing compounds and is recently being heralded as important marker of ageing and disease, particularly cancer3. Further, immunofluorescence-based methods have been adapted to suit detection and quantitation of &gamma;H2AX foci ex vivo and in vivo4,5. Here, we demonstrate a typical immunofluorescence method for detection and quantitation of &gamma;H2AX foci in mouse tissues.

Quantitation of &#947;H2AX Foci in Tissue Samples

Quantitation of DNA double-strand breaks on the basis of &gamma;H2AX foci has become an invaluable tool, particularly in radiation biology, for the evaluation of tissue radiosensitivity and effects of radiation modifying compounds. Here we demonstrate the use of an immunofluorescence assay for quantitation of &gamma;H2AX foci in tissue samples.

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are particularly lethal and genotoxic lesions, that can arise either by endogenous (physiological or pathological) ...

Identifying the Effects of BRCA1 Mutations on Homologous Recombination using Cells that Express Endogenous Wild-type BRCA1

The functional analysis of missense mutations can be complicated by the presence in the cell of the endogenous protein. Structure-function analyses of the BRCA1 have been complicated by the lack of a robust assay for the full length BRCA1 protein and the difficulties inherent in working with cell lines that express hypomorphic BRCA1 protein1,2,3,4,5. We developed a system whereby the endogenous BRCA1 protein in a cell was acutely depleted by RNAi targeting the 3'-UTR of the BRCA1 mRNA and replaced by co-transfecting a plasmid expressing a BRCA1 variant. One advantage of this procedure is that the acute silencing of BRCA1 and simultaneous replacement allow the cells to grow without secondary mutations or adaptations that might arise over time to compensate for the loss of BRCA1 function. This depletion and add-back procedure was done in a HeLa-derived cell line that was readily assayed for homologous recombination activity. The homologous recombination assay is based on a previously published method whereby a recombination substrate is integrated into the genome (Figure 1)6,7,8,9. This recombination substrate has the rare-cutting I-SceI restriction enzyme site inside an inactive GFP allele, and downstream is a second inactive GFP allele. Transfection of the plasmid that expresses I-SceI results in a double-stranded break, which may be repaired by homologous recombination, and if homologous recombination does repair the break it creates an active GFP allele that is readily scored by flow cytometry for GFP protein expression. Depletion of endogenous BRCA1 resulted in an 8-10-fold reduction in homologous recombination activity, and add-back of wild-type plasmid fully restored homologous recombination function. When specific point mutants of full length BRCA1 were expressed from co-transfected plasmids, the effect of the specific missense mutant could be scored. As an example, the expression of the BRCA1(M18T) protein, a variant of unknown clinical significance10, was expressed in these cells, it failed to restore BRCA1-dependent homologous recombination. By contrast, expression of another variant, also of unknown significance, BRCA1(I21V) fully restored BRCA1-dependent homologous recombination function. This strategy of testing the function of BRCA1 missense mutations has been applied to another biological system assaying for centrosome function (Kais et al, unpublished observations). Overall, this approach is suitable for the analysis of missense mutants in any gene that must be analyzed recessively.

We provide a method for testing BRCA1 variants in a tissue culture based assay for homologous recombination repair of DNA damage by depleting endogenous BRCA1 protein from a cell using RNAi and replacing it with a BRCA1 point mutant that contains a coding change.

The functional analysis of missense mutations can be complicated by the presence in the cell of the endogenous protein. Structure-function analyses of the ...

Concentration Determination of Nucleic Acids and Proteins Using the Micro-volume Bio-spec Nano Spectrophotometer

Nucleic Acid quantitation procedures have advanced significantly in the last three decades. More and more, molecular biologists require consistent small-volume analysis of nucleic acid samples for their experiments. The BioSpec-nano provides a potential solution to the problems of inaccurate, non-reproducible results, inherent in current DNA quantitation methods, via specialized optics and a sensitive PDA detector. The BioSpec-nano also has automated functionality such that mounting, measurement, and cleaning are done by the instrument, thereby eliminating tedious, repetitive, and inconsistent placement of the fiber optic element and manual cleaning.
In this study, data is presented on the quantification of DNA and protein, as well as on measurement reproducibility and accuracy. Automated sample contact and rapid scanning allows measurement in three seconds, resulting in excellent throughput. Data analysis is carried out using the built-in features of the software. The formula used for calculating DNA concentration is:
Sample Concentration = DF &middot; (OD260-OD320)&middot; NACF (1)
Where DF = sample dilution factor and NACF = nucleic acid concentration factor.
The Nucleic Acid concentration factor is set in accordance with the analyte selected1.
Protein concentration results can be expressed as &mu;g/ mL or as moles/L by entering e280 and molecular weight values respectively. When residue values for Tyr, Trp and Cysteine (S-S bond) are entered in the e280Calc tab, the extinction coefficient values are calculated as e280 = 5500 x (Trp residues) + 1490 x (Tyr residues) + 125 x (cysteine S-S bond). The e280 value is used by the software for concentration calculation.
In addition to concentration determination of nucleic acids and protein, the BioSpec-nano can be used as an ultra micro-volume spectrophotometer for many other analytes or as a standard spectrophotometer using 5 mm pathlength cells.

This communication presents data on the accuracy and reproducibility of the BioSpec-nano UV-VIS spectrophotometer for dsDNA and protein quantitation. Even with ultra-small volumes (1 to 2 L), reproducibility is excellent, while the automated wiping function improves throughput and results in minimal carryover for more precise results.

Nucleic Acid quantitation procedures have advanced significantly in the last three decades.  More and more, molecular biologists require consistent ...

In vivo Liver Endocytosis Followed by Purification of Liver Cells by Liver Perfusion

The liver is the metabolic center of the mammalian body and serves as a filter for the blood. The basic architecture of the liver is illustrated in figure 1 in which more than 85% of the liver mass is composed of hepatocytes and the remaining 15% of the cellular mass is composed of Kupffer cells (KCs), stellate cells (HSCs), and sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs). SECs form the blood vessel walls within the liver and contain specialized morphology called fenestrae within in the cytoplasm. Fenestration of the cytoplasm is the appearance of holes (&tilde;100 &mu;m) within the cells so that the SECs act as a sieve in which most chylomicrons, chylomicron remnants and macromolecules, but not cells, pass through to the hepatocytes and HSCs 1 (Fig. 1). Due to the lack of a basement membrane, the gap between the SECs and hepatocytes form the Space of Disse. HSCs occupy this space and play a prominent role in regulation and response to injury, storage of retinoic acid and immunoregulation of the liver 2.
SECs are among the most endocytically active cells of the body displaying an array of scavenger receptors on their cell surface 3. These include SR-A, Stabilin-1 and Stabilin-2. Generally, small colloidal particles less than 230 nm and macromolecules in buffer phase are taken up by SECs, whereas, large particles and cellular debris is endocytosed (phagocytosed) by KCs 4. Thus, the bulk clearance of extracellular material such as the glycosaminoglycans from blood is largely dependent on the health and endocytic functions of SECs 5,6. For example, an increase in blood hyaluronan levels is indicative of liver disease ranging from mild to more severe forms 7.
With the exception of one report 8, there are no immortalized SEC cell lines in existence. Even this immortalized cell line is de-differentiated in that it does not express scavenger receptors that are present on primary SECs (our data, not shown). All cell biological studies must be performed on primary cells obtained freshly from the animal. Unfortunately, SECs dedifferentiate under standard culture conditions and must be used within 1 or 2 days upon isolation from the animal. Differentiation of SECs is marked by the expression of Stabilin-2 or HARE receptor 9 , CD31, and the presence of cytoplasmic fenestration 1. Differentiation of SECs can be extended by the addition of VEGF in culture media or by culturing cells in hepatocyte conditioned medium 10,11.
In this report, we will demonstrate the endocytic activity of SECs in the intact organ using radio-labeled heparin for hyaluronan for the SEC-specific Stabilin-2 receptor. We will then purify hepatocytes and SECs from the perfused liver to measure endocytosis.

In vivo Liver Endocytosis Followed by Purification of Liver Cells by Liver Perfusion

The study of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) must be performed with primary cells obtained from the animal as no cell lines exist. This method relies on liver digestion and differential centrifugation for SEC purification for subsequent culturing and experimentation.

The liver is the metabolic center of the mammalian body and serves as a filter for the blood.  The basic architecture of the liver is illustrated in ...

A PCR-based Genotyping Method to Distinguish Between Wild-type and Ornamental Varieties of Imperata cylindrica

Wild-type I. cylindrica (cogongrass) is one of the top ten worst invasive plants in the world, negatively impacting agricultural and natural resources in 73 different countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, New Zealand, Oceania and the Americas1-2. Cogongrass forms rapidly-spreading, monodominant stands that displace a large variety of native plant species and in turn threaten the native animals that depend on the displaced native plant species for forage and shelter. To add to the problem, an ornamental variety [I. cylindrica var. koenigii (Retzius)] is widely marketed under the names of Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra', Red Baron, and Japanese blood grass (JBG). This variety is putatively sterile and noninvasive and is considered a desirable ornamental for its red-colored leaves. However, under the correct conditions, JBG can produce viable seed (Carol Holko, 2009 personal communication) and can revert to a green invasive form that is often indistinguishable from cogongrass as it takes on the distinguishing characteristics of the wild-type invasive variety4 (Figure 1). This makes identification using morphology a difficult task even for well-trained plant taxonomists. Reversion of JBG to an aggressive green phenotype is also not a rare occurrence. Using sequence comparisons of coding and variable regions in both nuclear and chloroplast DNA, we have confirmed that JBG has reverted to the green invasive within the states of Maryland, South Carolina, and Missouri. JBG has been sold and planted in just about every state in the continental U.S. where there is not an active cogongrass infestation. The extent of the revert problem in not well understood because reverted plants are undocumented and often destroyed.
Application of this molecular protocol provides a method to identify JBG reverts and can help keep these varieties from co-occurring and possibly hybridizing. Cogongrass is an obligate outcrosser and, when crossed with a different genotype, can produce viable wind-dispersed seeds that spread cogongrass over wide distances5-7. JBG has a slightly different genotype than cogongrass and may be able to form viable hybrids with cogongrass. To add to the problem, JBG is more cold and shade tolerant than cogongrass8-10, and gene flow between these two varieties is likely to generate hybrids that are more aggressive, shade tolerant, and cold hardy than wild-type cogongrass. While wild-type cogongrass currently infests over 490 million hectares worldwide, in the Southeast U.S. it infests over 500,000 hectares and is capable of occupying most of the U.S. as it rapidly spreads northward due to its broad niche and geographic potential3,7,11. The potential of a genetic crossing is a serious concern for the USDA-APHIS Federal Noxious Week Program. Currently, the USDA-APHIS prohibits JBG in states where there are major cogongrass infestations (e.g., Florida, Alabama, Mississippi). However, preventing the two varieties from combining can prove more difficult as cogongrass and JBG expand their distributions. Furthermore, the distribution of the JBG revert is currently unknown and without the ability to identify these varieties through morphology, some cogongrass infestations may be the result of JBG reverts. Unfortunately, current molecular methods of identification typically rely on AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms) and DNA sequencing, both of which are time consuming and costly. Here, we present the first cost-effective and reliable PCR-based molecular genotyping method to accurately distinguish between cogongrass and JBG revert.

A PCR-based Genotyping Method to Distinguish Between Wild-type and Ornamental Varieties of Imperata cylindrica

We provide a cost-effective and rapid molecular genotyping protocol that employs variety-specific PCR primers that target DNA sequence differences within the chloroplast trnL-F spacer region to differentiate between varieties of Imperata cylindrica (cogongrass) that cannot be distinguished by morphology alone. These varieties include the federally listed noxious weed, cogongrass and closely-related, wide-spread ornamental variety, I. cylindrica var. koenigii (Japanese blood grass).

Wild-type I. cylindrica (cogongrass) is one of the top ten worst invasive plants in the world, negatively impacting agricultural and natural resources in ...

Do-It-Yourself Device for Recovery of Cryopreserved Samples Accidentally Dropped into Cryogenic Storage Tanks

Liquid nitrogen is colorless, odorless, extremely cold (-196 &deg;C) liquid kept under pressure. It is commonly used as a cryogenic fluid for long term storage of biological materials such as blood, cells and tissues 1,2. The cryogenic nature of liquid nitrogen, while ideal for sample preservation, can cause rapid freezing of live tissues on contact - known as 'cryogenic burn'2, which may lead to severe frostbite in persons closely involved in storage and retrieval of samples from Dewars. Additionally, as liquid nitrogen evaporates it reduces the oxygen concentration in the air and might cause asphyxia, especially in confined spaces2.
In laboratories, biological samples are often stored in cryovials or cryoboxes stacked in stainless steel racks within the Dewar tanks1. These storage racks are provided with a long shaft to prevent boxes from slipping out from the racks and into the bottom of Dewars during routine handling. All too often, however, boxes or vials with precious samples slip out and sink to the bottom of liquid nitrogen filled tank. In such cases, samples could be tediously retrieved after transferring the liquid nitrogen into a spare container or discarding it. The boxes and vials can then be relatively safely recovered from emptied Dewar. However, the cryogenic nature of liquid nitrogen and its expansion rate makes sunken sample retrieval hazardous. It is commonly recommended by Safety Offices that sample retrieval be never carried out by a single person. Another alternative is to use commercially available cool grabbers or tongs to pull out the vials3. However, limited visibility within the dark liquid filled Dewars poses a major limitation in their use.
In this article, we describe the construction of a Cryotolerant DIY retrieval device, which makes sample retrieval from Dewar containing cryogenic fluids both safe and easy.

Here we present a low cost, durable cryotolerant device for sample retrieval from Dewar tanks filled with liquid nitrogen. The ease of construction and modular design of the device makes the process of sample retrieval from cryogenic tanks safe and easy.

Liquid nitrogen is colorless, odorless, extremely cold (-196 &deg;C) liquid kept under pressure. It is commonly used as a cryogenic fluid for long term ...

Milk Collection Methods for Mice and Reeves' Muntjac Deer

Animal models are commonly used throughout research laboratories to accomplish what would normally be considered impractical in a pathogen&#8217;s native host. Milk collection from animals allows scientists the opportunity to study many aspects of reproduction including vertical transmission, passive immunity, mammary gland biology, and lactation. Obtaining adequate volumes of milk for these studies is a challenging task, especially from small animal models. Here we illustrate an inexpensive and facile method for milk collection in mice and Reeves&#8217; muntjac deer that does not require specialized equipment or extensive training. This particular method requires two researchers: one to express the milk and to stabilize the animal, and one to collect the milk in an appropriate container from either a Muntjac or mouse model. The mouse model also requires the use of a P-200 pipetman and corresponding pipette tips. While this method is low cost and relatively easy to perform, researchers should be advised that anesthetizing the animal is required for optimal milk collection.

Milk collection from animal models facilitates various research avenues: understanding passive immunity, identifying pathogens responsible for vertical transmission and, through the use of transgenic mice, even commercial production of proteins found in human breast milk. Here we illustrate a simple method for milk collection in mice and Reeves&#8217; muntjac deer.

Animal models are commonly used throughout research laboratories to accomplish what would normally be considered impractical in a pathogen&#8217;s native ...

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues

S-Adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet or SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTase) catalyze the transfer of the activated methyl group from AdoMet to specific positions in DNA, RNA, proteins and small biomolecules. This natural methylation reaction can be expanded to a wide variety of alkylation reactions using synthetic cofactor analogues. Replacement of the reactive sulfonium center of AdoMet with an aziridine ring leads to cofactors which can be coupled with DNA by various DNA MTases. These aziridine cofactors can be equipped with reporter groups at different positions of the adenine moiety and used for Sequence-specific Methyltransferase-Induced Labeling of DNA (SMILing DNA). As a typical example we give a protocol for biotinylation of pBR322 plasmid DNA at the 5&#8217;-ATCGAT-3&#8217; sequence with the DNA MTase M.BseCI and the aziridine cofactor 6BAz in one step. Extension of the activated methyl group with unsaturated alkyl groups results in another class of AdoMet analogues which are used for methyltransferase-directed Transfer of Activated Groups (mTAG). Since the extended side chains are activated by the sulfonium center and the unsaturated bond, these cofactors are called double-activated AdoMet analogues. These analogues not only function as cofactors for DNA MTases, like the aziridine cofactors, but also for RNA, protein and small molecule MTases. They are typically used for enzymatic modification of MTase substrates with unique functional groups which are labeled with reporter groups in a second chemical step. This is exemplified in a protocol for fluorescence labeling of histone H3 protein. A small propargyl group is transferred from the cofactor analogue SeAdoYn to the protein by the histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) MTase Set7/9 followed by click labeling of the alkynylated histone H3 with TAMRA azide. MTase-mediated labeling with cofactor analogues is an enabling technology for many exciting applications including identification and functional study of MTase substrates as well as DNA genotyping and methylation detection.

DNA and proteins are sequence-specifically labeled with affinity or fluorescent reporter groups using DNA or protein methyltransferases and synthetic cofactor analogues. Depending on the cofactor specificity of the enzymes, aziridine or double activated cofactor analogues are employed for one- or two-step labeling.

S-Adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet or SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTase) catalyze the transfer of the activated methyl group from AdoMet to specific ...

Determination of Fatty Acid Oxidation and Lipogenesis in Mouse Primary Hepatocytes

Lipid metabolism in liver is complex. In addition to importing and exporting lipid via lipoproteins, hepatocytes can oxidize lipid via fatty acid oxidation, or alternatively, synthesize new lipid via de novo lipogenesis. The net sum of these pathways is dictated by a number of factors, which in certain disease states leads to fatty liver disease. Excess hepatic lipid accumulation is associated with whole body insulin resistance and coronary heart disease. Tools to study lipid metabolism in hepatocytes are useful to understand the role of hepatic lipid metabolism in certain metabolic disorders.
In the liver, hepatocytes regulate the breakdown and synthesis of fatty acids via &#946;-fatty oxidation and de novo lipogenesis, respectively. Quantifying metabolism in these pathways provides insight into hepatic lipid handling. Unlike in vitro quantification, using primary hepatocytes, making measurements in vivo is technically challenging and resource intensive. Hence, quantifying &#946;-fatty acid oxidation and de novo lipogenesis in cultured mouse hepatocytes provides a straight forward method to assess hepatocyte lipid handling. 
Here we describe a method for the isolation of primary mouse hepatocytes, and we demonstrate quantification of &#946;-fatty acid oxidation and de novo lipogenesis, using radiolabeled substrates.

De novo lipogenesis and &#946;-fatty acid oxidation constitute key metabolic pathways in hepatocyte, pathways that are perturbed in several metabolic disorders, including fatty liver disease. Here we demonstrate isolation of mouse primary hepatocytes and describe quantification of &#946;-fatty acid oxidation and lipogenesis.

Lipid metabolism in liver is complex. In addition to importing and exporting lipid via lipoproteins, hepatocytes can oxidize lipid via fatty acid ...

Milk Collection in the Rat Using Capillary Tubes and Estimation of Milk Fat Content by Creamatocrit

Milk, as the sole source of nutrition for the newborn mammal, provides the necessary nutrients and energy for offspring growth and development. It also contains a vast number of bioactive compounds that greatly affect the development of the neonate. The analysis of milk components will help elucidate key factors that link maternal metabolism and health with offspring growth and development. The laboratory rat represents a popular model organism for maternal studies, and rat milk can be used to examine the effect of various maternal physiological, nutritional, and pharmacological interventions on milk components, which may then impact offspring health. Here a simple method of manually collecting milk from the lactating rat that can be performed by a single investigator, does not require specialized vacuum or suction equipment, and provides sufficient milk for subsequent downstream analysis is described. A method for estimating the fat content of milk by measuring the percentage of cream within the milk sample, known as the creamatocrit, is also presented. These methods can ultimately be used to increase insight into maternal-child health and to elucidate maternal factors that are involved in proper growth and development of offspring.

Milk is a primary source of nutrition for the neonate. Analysis of milk components may provide insight into maternal factors that affect offspring health. This protocol describes a manual method of collecting milk samples from the lactating rat, which can then be used for further downstream analysis.

Milk, as the sole source of nutrition for the newborn mammal, provides the necessary nutrients and energy for offspring growth and development. It also ...