Name: preparation and morphological analysis of chick cranial neural crest cell cultures
Uploaded: 2022-06-27T13:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation and Morphological Analysis of Chick Cranial Neural Crest Cell Cultures at JoVE.com

We thank Corinne A. Fairchild and Katie L. Vermillion, who participated in developing our version of the chick cranial neural fold culture protocol.

Any variety of Gallus gallus breeds may be used, including White Leghorn, Golden Sex Link, or Rhode Island Red. The chicken eggs used in the present study were of various breeds and obtained from multiple sources, including local farms and hatcheries.
1. Preparation of solutions and materials
<ol>
	<li>Prepare Ringer&#39;s solution by mixing 123.3 mM NaCl, 1.53 mM CaCl2, 4.96 mM KCl, 0.809 mM Na2HPO4, and 0.147 mM KH2PO<su...

<ol>
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L., Lidberg, K. A., Gammill, L. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cytoplasmic+protein+methylation+is+essential+for+neural+crest+migration.">Cytoplasmic protein methylation is essential for neural crest migration.</a> Journal of Cell Biology. 204 (1), 95-109 (2014).</li><li>Yang, X., Li, J., Zeng, W., Li, C., Mao, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Elongator+Protein+3+(Elp3)+stabilizes+Snail1+and+regulates+neural+crest+migration+in+Xenopus.">Elongator Protein 3 (Elp3) stabilizes Snail1 and regulates neural crest migration in Xenopus.</a> Scientific Reports. 6 (1), 1-9 (2016).</li><li>Gonzalez Malagon, S. 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H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dissection+of+xenopus+laevis+neural+crest+for+in+vitro+explant+culture+or+in+vivo+transplantation.">Dissection of xenopus laevis neural crest for in vitro explant culture or in vivo transplantation.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (85), e51118 (2014).</li><li>Malagon, S. G. G., 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=Dissection,+culture+and+analysis+of+primary+cranial+neural+crest+cells+from+mouse+for+the+study+of+neural+crest+cell+delamination+and+migration.">Dissection, culture and analysis of primary cranial neural crest cells from mouse for the study of neural crest cell delamination and migration.</a> Journal of Visualized Experiments. (152), e60051 (2019).</li><li>Theveneau, E., Mayor, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neural+crest+delamination+and+migration:+From+epithelium-to-mesenchyme+transition+to+collective+cell+migration.">Neural crest delamination and migration: From epithelium-to-mesenchyme transition to collective cell migration.</a> Developmental Biology. 366 (1), 34-54 (2012).</li><li>Conrad, G. W., Bee, J. A., Roche, S. M., Teillet, M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fabrication+of+microscalpels+by+electrolysis+of+tungsten+wire+in+a+meniscus.">Fabrication of microscalpels by electrolysis of tungsten wire in a meniscus.</a> Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 50 (1), 123-127 (1993).</li><li>Hamburger, V., Hamilton, H. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+series+of+normal+stages+in+the+development+of+the+chick+embryo.">A series of normal stages in the development of the chick embryo.</a> Journal of Morphology. 88 (1), 49-92 (1951).</li><li>Gammill, L. S., Jacques-Fricke, B., Roffers-Agarwal, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Embryological+and+genetic+manipulation+of+chick+development.">Embryological and genetic manipulation of chick development.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 1920, 75-97 (2019).</li><li>Vandekerckhove, J., Deboben, A., Nassal, M., Wieland, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+phalloidin+binding+site+of+F-actin.">The phalloidin binding site of F-actin.</a> The EMBO Journal. 4 (11), 2815-2818 (1985).</li><li>Bronner-Fraser, M. <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+the+early+stages+of+trunk+neural+crest+migration+in+avian+embryos+using+monoclonal+antibody+HNK-1.">Analysis of the early stages of trunk neural crest migration in avian embryos using monoclonal antibody HNK-1.</a> Developmental Biology. 115 (1), 44-55 (1986).</li><li>Schindelin, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fiji:+An+open-source+platform+for+biological-image+analysis.">Fiji: An open-source platform for biological-image analysis.</a> Nature Methods. 9 (7), 676-682 (2012).</li><li>Soille, P., Vincent, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Determining+watersheds+in+digital+pictures+via+flooding+simulations.">Determining watersheds in digital pictures via flooding simulations.</a> Visual Communications and Image Processing '90: Fifth in a Series. (1360), 240-250 (1990).</li><li>Haupt, A., Minc, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=How+cells+sense+their+own+shape+-+mechanisms+to+probe+cell+geometry+and+their+implications+in+cellular+organization+and+function.">How cells sense their own shape - mechanisms to probe cell geometry and their implications in cellular organization and function.</a> Journal of Cell Science. 131 (6), (2018).</li><li>Ezin, M., Fraser, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chapter+11+time-lapse+imaging+of+the+early+avian+embryo.">Chapter 11 time-lapse imaging of the early avian embryo.</a> Methods in Cell Biology. 87, 211-236 (2008).</li><li>Kulesa, P. M., Bailey, C. M., Cooper, C., Fraser, S. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+ovo+live+imaging+of+avian+embryos.">In ovo live imaging of avian embryos.</a> Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. 5 (6), (2010).</li><li>McKinney, M. C., Kulesa, P. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Live+imaging+of+the+neural+crest+cell+epithelial-to-mesenchymal+transition+in+the+chick+embryo.">Live imaging of the neural crest cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the chick embryo.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 2179, 107-114 (2021).</li><li>Gustafson, C. M., Roffers-Agarwal, J., Gammill, L. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chick+cranial+neural+crest+cells+release+extracellular+vesicles+that+are+critical+for+their+migration.">Chick cranial neural crest cells release extracellular vesicles that are critical for their migration.</a> Journal of Cell Science. , (2022).</li><li>Williams, R., Sauka-Spengler, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ex+ovo+electroporation+of+early+chicken+embryos.">Ex ovo electroporation of early chicken embryos.</a> STAR Protocols. 2 (2), 100424 (2021).</li><li>Moulton, J. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Using+morpholinos+to+control+gene+expression.">Using morpholinos to control gene expression.</a> Current Protocols in Nucleic Acid Chemistry. 68 (1), 4-30 (2017).</li><li>Gandhi, 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=A+single-plasmid+approach+for+genome+editing+coupled+with+long-term+lineage+analysis+in+chick+embryos.">A single-plasmid approach for genome editing coupled with long-term lineage analysis in chick embryos.</a> Development. 148 (7), (2021).</li><li>Williams, R. 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The technique described here provides an adaptable method of isolating chick neural folds and plating them to create cultures of migratory cranial NCCs. These cultures provide simplified 2D conditions for easy analysis of chick NCC migration and morphology that can supplement more technically challenging in ovo imaging methods24,25,26. While this in vitro method is relatively simple, consistent results depend o...

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a transient cell population in vertebrate embryos. NCCs are specified at the borders of the neural plate and undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to migrate from the dorsal neural tube1. After EMT, NCCs disperse extensively throughout the embryo, ultimately differentiating and contributing to various structures, including the craniofacial skeleton, outflow tract of the heart, and the majority of the peripheral nervous system2. Changes in cell polarity, the cytoskeleton, and adhesion properties underly this shift from a premigratory to a migratory cell population3. Studying NCC EMT and migration provides insights into fundamental mechanisms of cell motility and informs efforts to prevent and treat birth defects and cancer metastasis.
While in vivo analysis is vital for understanding NCC developmental processes in an embryonic context, in vitro methods offer visual and physical accessibility that facilitate additional experimental avenues. In a simplified 2D environment, NCC morphology, cytoskeletal structures, and distance migrated can be evaluated. Moreover, the effects of genetic or soluble factor perturbation on migratory behaviors of motile NCCs can be analyzed4,5,6,7,8,9,10. In addition, isolated premigratory or migratory NCCs can be collected, pooled, and used for high-throughput methodologies to study the developmental regulation of NCCs through proteomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic profiling7,11. While methods are available for preparing cranial NCCs from various developmental model organisms12,13,14, this article demonstrates the mechanics of the approach for those first learning to culture cranial NCC from chick embryos.
The current protocol describes a versatile technique for preparing chick cranial NCC cultures (Figure 1). Because NCCs migrate readily from explanted neural folds onto a culture substrate, chick NCCs naturally segregate from embryonic tissue, and primary cultures are easily generated. As midbrain NCCs migrate&#160;en masse&#160;from the cranial neural folds (in contrast to the protracted, cell-by-cell delamination in the trunk15), these cultures consist mainly of migratory cranial neural crest cells, with initial neural fold excision providing a collection method for premigratory NCCs.&#160;A basic method for dissecting and culturing chick cranial neural folds is detailed, and suggestions for different applications and variations on this method are offered.
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/63799/63799fig01v2.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Schematic overview of the chick cranial neural fold culture protocol. (A,B) Cranial neural folds (outlined in blue) are excised from a chick embryo with five somites (shown in dorsal view in A). Grey bands, cardiac crescent. (C) When plated on fibronectin, migratory neural crest cells emerge from the neural folds and disperse onto the substrate. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/63799/63799fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>AxioObserver equipped with an LSM710 confocal scan head controlled by ZEN 3.0 SR software&#160;</td>
			<td>Zeiss</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Used alpha Plan-Apochromat 100x/1.46 Oil DIC M27 objective</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CaCl2</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>C3306</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chamber dishes (glass bottom, single or divided)</td>
			<td>MatTek; Cell Vis</td>
			<td>P35G-1.5-14-C (MatTek) X000NOJQGX (Cellvis) 
			X000NOK1OJ (Cellvis)</td>
			<td>Single chamber 35 mm or 4 chamber 35 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cover glass</td>
			<td>Carolina Biological Supply Company</td>
			<td>633029, 633031, 633033, 633035, 633037</td>
			<td>circles, 0.13&#8211;0.17 mm thickness, available in 12-25 mm diameter&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM/F12</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>11320033</td>
			<td>Alternative for L15 media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Egg incubator</td>
			<td>Sportsman</td>
			<td>1502</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FBS&#160;</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>10437-028</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fibronectin</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>CB-40008A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Filter paper</td>
			<td>Whatman</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>grade 3MM chromatography</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forceps (blunt)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific; Thomas Scientific</td>
			<td>08-890 (Fisher);1141W97 (Thomas)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forceps (fine)</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>11252-20</td>
			<td>Dumont #5</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Image J</td>
			<td>https://fiji.sc/</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Free image analysis software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>KCl</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P3911</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>KH2PO4</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P0662</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L15 media</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>11415064</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-glutamine</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>25030</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mounting Media (Vectashield or ProLong Gold)</td>
			<td>Vector Laboratories; Thermofisher Scientific</td>
			<td>H-1700 (Vectashield); P36930 (ProLong Gold)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Na2HPO4</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S9638</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>S9888</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P6148</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin/streptomycin</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>15140-148</td>
			<td>10,000 Units/mL Penicillin; 10,000 mg/mL Streptomycin</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri Dishes</td>
			<td>VWR (or similar)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>60 mm, 100 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Phalloidin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P1951</td>
			<td>multiple flurophores available</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pin holder</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>26016-12</td>
			<td>For tungsten needle (alternative for spring scissors)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scissors (dissection)</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>14061-10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Spring Scissors</td>
			<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td>15000-08</td>
			<td>2.5 mm cutting edge (alternative for tungsten needle)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sylgard</td>
			<td>Krayden</td>
			<td>Sylgard 184</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe Filters</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>SLGVM33RS</td>
			<td>Millex-GV Syringe Filter Unit, 0.22 &#181;m, PVDF, 33 mm, gamma sterilized</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tissue culture dishes</td>
			<td>Sarstedt</td>
			<td>83-3900</td>
			<td>35 mm culture dishes for bulk neural fold cultures</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Triton X-100</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>X100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tungsten wire</td>
			<td>Variety of sources</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>0.01&#34; diameter for tungsten needle (alternative for spring scissors)</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

preparation and morphological analysis of chick cranial neural crest cell cultures

During vertebrate development, neural crest cells (NCCs) migrate extensively and differentiate into various cell types that contribute to structures like the craniofacial skeleton and the peripheral nervous system. While it is critical to understand NCC migration in the context of a 3D embryo, isolating migratory cells in 2D culture facilitates visualization and functional characterization, complementing embryonic studies. The present protocol demonstrates a method for isolating chick cranial neural folds to generate primary NCC cultures. Migratory NCCs emerge from neural fold explants plated onto a fibronectin-coated substrate. This results in dispersed, adherent NCC populations that can be assessed by staining and quantitative morphological analyses. This simplified culture approach is highly adaptable and can be combined with other techniques. For example, NCC emigration and migratory behaviors can be evaluated by time-lapse imaging or functionally queried by including inhibitors or experimental manipulations of gene expression (e.g., DNA, morpholino, or CRISPR electroporation). Because of its versatility, this method provides a powerful system for investigating cranial NCC development.

An overview of the present protocol is shown in Figure 1. The incubated eggs were opened, and the yolk, with the embryo on the surface, was isolated by gently pouring into the palm of a gloved hand (Figure 2A,B). After clearing away the albumin (Figure 2C), filter paper frames were applied to the yolk membrane surrounding the embryo to facilitate cutting and lifting the embryo from the yolk, which begins to spill aw...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation and Morphological Analysis of Chick Cranial Neural Crest Cell Cultures at JoVE.com

Preparation and Morphological Analysis of Chick Cranial Neural Crest Cell Cultures

This versatile protocol describes the isolation of premigratory neural crest cells (NCCs) through the excision of cranial neural folds from chick embryos. Upon plating and incubation, migratory NCCs emerge from neural fold explants, allowing for assessment of cell morphology and migration in a simplified 2D environment.

During vertebrate development, neural crest cells (NCCs) migrate extensively and differentiate into various cell types that contribute to structures like ...

Neural crest cells emigrate from cranial neural folds in embryos or when placed in culture. This provides a convenient method to isolate primary migratory neural crest cells without cell dissociation. While neural crest migration typically occurs within the three-dimensional embryonic environment, two-dimensional culture enables visualization and investigation of migration-related processes.Although cranial neural fold culture protocols exist, this method requires training and organism-specific steps. This video demonstrates techniques to facilitate the reproducible preparation of chick cranial neural fold cultures. Beginners often struggle with dissecting and plating neural folds and assessing culture outcomes.Following the dissection guidelines and applying the morphometric analysis described here allows consistent, quantitative results to be obtained. To begin, place the fertilized eggs in an upright position inside a humidified incubator at 38 degrees Celsius. After removing the eggs from the incubator, disinfect the shells by thoroughly spraying 70%ethanol and letting them dry.For fixing and staining the cultures, use glass cover slips placed into a multi-well tissue culture dish, and pipette enough fibronectin solution to cover the bottom of the well. Next, replace the lid, and incubate the plate with fibronectin solution in a humidified incubator at 38 degrees Celsius for at least one hour while dissecting neural folds. Use blunt forceps to poke a small hole in the shell at 1/4 to 1/3 of the egg's length.Carefully insert the blunt forceps into the small hole, ensuring not to disrupt the yolk. Then, cut through the eggshell around the egg, remove the top of the eggshell, and position the embryo for isolation. Prepare the embryo by gently using the flat edge of closed blunt forceps to wipe away any excess albumin on the yolk's surface covering the embryo.Use forceps to place a filter paper support frame over the embryo, with the embryo in the frame's window. Gently press down on the filter paper to adhere to the yolk. Cut around the outside of the filter paper frame with dissection scissors.Use forceps or scissor tips to grasp the edge of the frame, and gently lift the embryo away from the yolk. Place the embryo with the paper frame side down into a 60 or 100-milliliter Petri dish filled with Ringer's with pen-strep. Keep the dish of embryos on ice if collecting them for an RNA or protein-sensitive downstream application.Transfer an embryo to a clean dish containing Ringer's pen-strep solution. Gently swish the embryo back and forth to clear away any yolk that obscures the view, and exchange the Ringer's pen-strep solution or transfer it to a fresh dish if it becomes cloudy. Position the embryo dorsal and frame side up under a dissecting microscope.Leave the embryo on the paper frame to keep it stretched and held in place. Then, remove the vitelline membrane, using forceps to expose the neural folds. Include tissue caudal to the expanding optic vesicles and rostral to the hindbrain, where rhombomere constrictions are just beginning to appear.Using spring scissors, carefully excise the midbrain neural folds. Take care to excise the dorsal-most aspect of the neural fold with minimal contamination of the neural tube and non-neural ectoderm, and transfer the neural folds to a clean dish containing Ringer's pen-strep solution using a P20 pipettor or a sterile glass Pasteur pipette rinsed with yolky Ringer's pen-strep solution. Store collected folds on ice while dissecting additional folds.After removing the culture dish from the incubator, use a pipettor or Pasteur pipette to remove the fibronectin solution from cover slips, dish, or well. After rinsing the fibronectin-coated substrate with Ringer's pen-strep solution, add an appropriate volume of complete culture media to the dish or well. To block the plastic and prevent the tissue from sticking, use a P20 or P200 pipettor, and rinse the pipette tip with yolky Ringer's pen-strep solution.Then, transfer the isolated neural folds towards the center of the fibronectin-coated cover slip, taking care to transfer as little Ringer's pen-strep solution as possible. After allowing the explants to settle for 10 to 15 minutes, place them into a humidified chamber at 38 degrees Celsius by slowly and carefully carrying the culture dish with plated neural folds. Remove the culture media with a Pasteur pipette, and rinse the wells with filter-sterilized PBS.Add 4%paraformaldehyde, and keep it on a platform shaker for 15 minutes at room temperature. At the end of the incubation, remove paraformaldehyde, rinse the wells three times with PBS, and add PBST containing 5%serum. Now, pipette 30 microliters of 200-nanomolar Oregon Green conjugated phalloidin onto a smooth surface for each cover slip.Using a pair of forceps, remove the cover slip from the PBST containing 5%serum, ensuring the orientation of the cells facing upward. Wick off excess liquid by briefly touching the cover slip's edge to a delicate task wiper. Gently place each cover slip cell side down onto the drop of diluted phalloidin, and incubate for 30 minutes at room temperature.After the incubation period, lift the cover slip from the staining solution and place it back into the culture dish, flipping it over so the cell side is up. Ensure to cover the cover slip with PBST, and place it on a platform shaker for 10 minutes, keeping the cover slips covered and in the dark. Remove PBST, and repeat washing the cover slips twice for a total of three 10-minute washes.Place one drop of mounting media onto a microscope slide. Mount the cover slip cell side down by slowly lowering the cover slip at an angle onto the mounting media to avoid creating bubbles, and allow the media to set before imaging. Finally, image the stained cells, and export them as TIFF files.The neural crest cells began to emerge from adherent neural fold explants within three to four hours of incubation, and migration was completed after approximately 20 hours. The migratory neural crest cells were labeled using HNK-1, and most cells appeared to be HNK-1 positive. The migrated neural crest cells were visualized by staining filamentous actin with phalloidin.Images of the phalloidin-stained cells were processed using ImageJ to produce a threshold image in which cells appeared black with a white background. The threshold image was analyzed and various measurements displayed in contrasting bar graphs or violin plots. For example, the average area of the 69 cells analyzed was approximately 802.11 square micrometers, ranging from 60.27 to 2, 664.53 square micrometers.Circularity reflects the cell's protrusiveness and ranges from 0.101 to 0.875. The lower values indicate an elongated shape, while a value of one indicates a perfect circle. Most cells exhibited an elongated shape, which is most easily seen in the violin plot.Migratory neural crest cells in this field had an average aspect ratio of approximately 2.13, and an aspect ratio of one indicates a symmetrical shape. Careful excision and explant plating are crucial for successful cultures. Allow neural folds to settle cut side down for 10 to 15 minutes, and then slowly transfer to the incubator to encourage adhesion.Variations on these techniques include transient genetic manipulation prior to culturing and time-lapse imaging during incubation. Additionally, this protocol allows for collection of premigratory and migratory neural crest cell populations for omics-level analysis.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

Differentiation of a Human Neural Stem Cell Line on Three Dimensional Cultures, Analysis of MicroRNA and Putative Target Genes

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes under specific local microenvironments. In here, we present a set of methods used for three dimensional (3D) differentiation and miRNA analysis of a clonal human neural stem cell (hNSC) line, currently in clinical trials for stroke disability (NCT01151124 and NCT02117635, Clinicaltrials.gov). HNSCs were derived from an ethical approved first trimester human fetal cortex and conditionally immortalized using retroviral integration of a single copy of the c-mycERTAMconstruct. We describe how to measure axon process outgrowth of hNSCs differentiated on 3D scaffolds and how to quantify associated changes in miRNA expression using PCR array. Furthermore we exemplify computational analysis with the aim of selecting miRNA putative targets. SOX5 and NR4A3 were identified as suitable miRNA putative target of selected significantly down-regulated miRNAs in differentiated hNSC. MiRNA target validation was performed on SOX5 and NR4A3 3&#8217;UTRs by dual reporter plasmid transfection and dual luciferase assay.

With the intent of characterizing changes in miRNAs on differentiated human neural stem cells (hNSCs) we describe hNSC differentiation on a three dimensional system,the evaluation of changes in microRNA expression by miRNA PCR array, and computational analysis for miRNA target prediction and its validation by dual luciferase assay.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes under specific local ...

Dual Labeling of Neural Crest Cells and Blood Vessels Within Chicken Embryos Using ChickGFP Neural Tube Grafting and Carbocyanine Dye DiI Injection

All developing organs need to be connected to both the nervous system (for sensory and motor control) as well as the vascular system (for gas exchange, fluid and nutrient supply). Consequently both the nervous and vascular systems develop alongside each other and share striking similarities in their branching architecture. Here we report embryonic manipulations that allow us to study the simultaneous development of neural crest-derived nervous tissue (in this case the enteric nervous system), and the vascular system. This is achieved by generating chicken chimeras via transplantation of discrete segments of the neural tube, and associated neural crest, combined with vascular DiI injection in the same embryo. Our method uses transgenic chickGFP embryos for intraspecies grafting, making the transplant technique more powerful than the classical quail-chick interspecies grafting protocol used with great effect since the 1970s. ChickGFP-chick intraspecies grafting facilitates imaging of transplanted cells and their projections in intact tissues, and eliminates any potential bias in cell development linked to species differences. This method takes full advantage of the ease of access of the avian embryo (compared with other vertebrate embryos) to study the co-development of the enteric nervous system and the vascular system.

Dual Labeling of Neural Crest Cells and Blood Vessels Within Chicken Embryos Using ChickGFP Neural Tube Grafting and Carbocyanine Dye DiI Injection

Here we report dual labeling of neural crest cells and blood vessels using chickGFP neural tube intraspecies grafting combined with intra-vascular DiI injection. This experimental technique allows us to simultaneously visualize and study development of the NCC-derived (enteric) nervous system and the vascular system, during organogenesis.

All developing organs need to be connected to both the nervous system (for sensory and motor control) as well as the vascular system (for gas exchange, ...

Delivery of In Vivo Acute Intermittent Hypoxia in Neonatal Rodents to Prime Subventricular Zone-derived Neural Progenitor Cell Cultures

Extended culture of neural stem/progenitor cells facilitates in vitro analyses to understand their biology while enabling expansion of cell populations to adequate numbers prior to transplantation. Identifying approaches to refine this process, to augment the production of all CNS cell types (i.e., neurons), and to possibly contribute to therapeutic cell therapy protocols is a high research priority. This report describes an easily applied in vivo &#8220;pre-conditioning&#8221; stimulus which can be delivered to awake, non-anesthetized animals. Thus, it is a non-invasive and non-stressful procedure. Specifically described are the procedures for exposing mouse or rat pups (aged postnatal day 1-8) to a brief (40-80 min) period of intermittent hypoxia (AIH). The procedures included in this video protocol include calibration of the whole-body plethysmography chamber in which pups are placed during AIH and the technical details of AIH exposure. The efficacy of this approach to elicit tissue-level changes in the awake animal is demonstrated through the enhancement of subsequent in vitro expansion and neuronal differentiation in cells harvested from the subventricular zone (SVZ). These results support the notion that tissue level changes across multiple systems could be observed following AIH, and support the continued optimization and establishment of AIH as a priming or conditioning modality for therapeutic cell populations.

Delivery of In Vivo Acute Intermittent Hypoxia in Neonatal Rodents to Prime Subventricular Zone-derived Neural Progenitor Cell Cultures

This article describes the methodology for administering short periods of intermittent hypoxia to postnatal day 1-8 mouse or rat pups. This approach effectively elicits a robust tissue level &#8220;priming effect&#8221; on cultured neural progenitor cells that are harvested within 30 min of hypoxia exposure.

Extended culture of neural stem/progenitor cells facilitates in vitro analyses to understand their biology while enabling expansion of cell populations to ...

Forward Genetic Approach to Uncover Stress Resistance Genes in Mice &#8212; A High-throughput Screen in ES Cells

Phenotype-driven genetic screens in mice is a powerful technique to uncover gene functions, but are often hampered by extremely high costs, which severely limits its potential. We describe here the use of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells as surrogate cells to screen for a phenotype of interest and subsequently introduce these cells into a host embryo to develop into a living mouse carrying the phenotype. This method provides (1) a cost effective, high-throughput platform for genetic screen in mammalian cells; (2) a rapid way to identify the mutated genes and verify causality; and (3) a short-cut to develop mouse mutants directly from these selected ES cells for whole animal studies. We demonstrated the use of paraquat (PQ) to select resistant mutants and identify mutations that confer oxidative stress resistance. Other stressors or cytotoxic compounds may also be used to screen for resistant mutants to uncover novel genetic determinants of a variety of cellular stress resistance.

Forward Genetic Approach to Uncover Stress Resistance Genes in Mice &amp;#8212; A High-throughput Screen in ES Cells

Stress resistance is one of the hallmarks for longevity and is known to be genetically governed. Here, we developed an unbiased high-throughput method to screen for mutations that confer stress resistance in ES cells with which to develop mouse models for longevity studies.

Phenotype-driven genetic screens in mice is a powerful technique to uncover gene functions, but are often hampered by extremely high costs, which severely ...

Generation of Genetically Modified Organotypic Skin Cultures Using Devitalized Human Dermis

Organotypic cultures allow the reconstitution of a 3D environment critical for cell-cell contact and cell-matrix interactions which mimics the function and physiology of their in vivo tissue counterparts. This is exemplified by organotypic skin cultures which faithfully recapitulates the epidermal differentiation and stratification program. Primary human epidermal keratinocytes are genetically manipulable through retroviruses where genes can be easily overexpressed or knocked down. These genetically modified keratinocytes can then be used to regenerate human epidermis in organotypic skin cultures providing a powerful model to study genetic pathways impacting epidermal growth, differentiation, and disease progression. The protocols presented here describe methods to prepare devitalized human dermis as well as to genetically manipulate primary human keratinocytes in order to generate organotypic skin cultures. Regenerated human skin can be used in downstream applications such as gene expression profiling, immunostaining, and chromatin immunoprecipitations followed by high throughput sequencing. Thus, generation of these genetically modified organotypic skin cultures will allow the determination of genes that are critical for maintaining skin homeostasis.

The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and detailed protocol on how to generate genetically modified human organotypic skin from epidermal keratinocytes and devitalized human dermis.

Organotypic cultures allow the reconstitution of a 3D environment critical for cell-cell contact and cell-matrix interactions which mimics the function ...

Ex Vivo Culture of Chick Cerebellar Slices and Spatially Targeted Electroporation of Granule Cell Precursors

The cerebellar external granule layer (EGL) is the site of the largest transit amplification in the developing brain, and an excellent model for studying neuronal proliferation and differentiation. In addition, evolutionary modifications of its proliferative capability have been responsible for the dramatic expansion of cerebellar size in the amniotes, making the cerebellum an excellent model for evo-devo studies of the vertebrate brain. The constituent cells of the EGL, cerebellar granule progenitors, also represent a significant cell of origin for medulloblastoma, the most prevalent paediatric neuronal tumour. Following transit amplification, granule precursors migrate radially into the internal granular layer of the cerebellum where they represent the largest neuronal population in the mature mammalian brain. In chick, the peak of EGL proliferation occurs towards the end of the second week of gestation. In order to target genetic modification to this layer at the peak of proliferation, we have developed a method for genetic manipulation through ex vivo electroporation of cerebellum slices from embryonic Day 14 chick embryos. This method recapitulates several important aspects of in vivo granule neuron development and will be useful in generating a thorough understanding of cerebellar granule cell proliferation and differentiation, and thus of cerebellum development, evolution and disease.

Ex Vivo Culture of Chick Cerebellar Slices and Spatially Targeted Electroporation of Granule Cell Precursors

The cerebellar external granule layer is the site of the largest transit amplification in the developing brain. Here, we present a protocol to target genetic modification to this layer at the peak of proliferation using ex vivo electroporation and culture of cerebellar slices from embryonic Day 14 chick embryos.

The cerebellar external granule layer (EGL) is the site of the largest transit amplification in the developing brain, and an excellent model for studying ...

Establishment of Proliferative Tetraploid Cells from Nontransformed Human Fibroblasts

Polyploid (mostly tetraploid) cells are often observed in preneoplastic lesions of human tissues and their chromosomal instability has been considered to be responsible for carcinogenesis in such tissues. Although proliferative polyploid cells are requisite for analyzing chromosomal instability of polyploid cells, creating such cells from nontransformed human cells is rather challenging. Induction of tetraploidy by chemical agents usually results in a mixture of diploid and tetraploid populations, and most studies employed fluorescence-activated cell sorting or cloning by limiting dilution to separate tetraploid from diploid cells. However, these procedures are time-consuming and laborious. The present report describes a relatively simple protocol to induce proliferative tetraploid cells from normal human fibroblasts with minimum contamination by diploid cells. Briefly, the protocol is comprised of the following steps: arresting cells in mitosis by demecolcine (DC), collecting mitotic cells after shaking off, incubating collected cells with DC for an additional 3 days, and incubating cells in drug-free medium (They resume proliferation as tetraploid cells within several days). Depending on cell type, the collection of mitotic cells by shaking off might be omitted. This protocol provides a simple and feasible method to establish proliferative tetraploid cells from normal human fibroblasts. Tetraploid cells established by this method could be a useful model for studying chromosome instability and the oncogenic potential of polyploid human cells.

Although proliferative polyploid cells are necessary to analyze chromosomal instability of polyploid cells, creating such cells from nontransformed human cells is not easy. The present report describes relatively simple procedures to establish proliferative tetraploid cells free of a diploid population from normal human fibroblasts.

Polyploid (mostly tetraploid) cells are often observed in preneoplastic lesions of human tissues and their chromosomal instability has been considered to ...

Multi-Photon Time Lapse Imaging to Visualize Development in Real-time: Visualization of Migrating Neural Crest Cells in Zebrafish Embryos

Congenital eye and craniofacial anomalies reflect disruptions in the neural crest, a transient population of migratory stem cells that give rise to numerous cell types throughout the body. Understanding the biology of the neural crest has been limited, reflecting a lack of genetically tractable models that can be studied in vivo and in real-time. Zebrafish is a particularly important developmental model for studying migratory cell populations, such as the neural crest. To examine neural crest migration into the developing eye, a combination of the advanced optical techniques of laser scanning microscopy with long wavelength multi-photon fluorescence excitation was implemented to capture high-resolution, three-dimensional, real-time videos of the developing eye in transgenic zebrafish embryos, namely Tg(sox10:EGFP) and Tg(foxd3:GFP), as sox10 and foxd3 have been shown in numerous animal models to regulate early neural crest differentiation and likely represent markers for neural crest cells. Multi-photon time-lapse imaging was used to discern the behavior and migratory patterns of two neural crest cell populations contributing to early eye development. This protocol provides information for generating time-lapse videos during zebrafish neural crest migration, as an example, and can be further applied to visualize the early development of many structures in the zebrafish and other model organisms.

A combination of the advanced optical techniques of laser scanning microscopy with long wavelength multi-photon fluorescence excitation was implemented to capture high-resolution, three-dimensional, real-time imaging of neural crest migration in Tg(sox10:EGFP) and Tg(foxd3:GFP) zebrafish embryos.

Congenital eye and craniofacial anomalies reflect disruptions in the neural crest, a transient population of migratory stem cells that give rise to ...

Zika Virus Infection of Cultured Human Fetal Brain Neural Stem Cells for Immunocytochemical Analysis

Human fetal brain neural stem cells are a unique non-genetically modified model system to study the impact of various stimuli on human developmental neurobiology. Rather than use an animal model or genetically modified induced pluripotent cells, human neural stem cells provide an effective in vitro system to examine the effects of treatments, screen drugs, or examine individual differences. Here, we provide the detailed protocols for methods used to expand human fetal brain neural stem cells in culture with serum-free media, to differentiate them into various neuronal subtypes and astrocytes via different priming procedures, and to freeze and recover these cells. Furthermore, we describe a procedure of using human fetal brain neural stem cells to study Zika virus infection.

This article details the methods that are used to expand human fetal brain neural stem cells in culture, as well as how to differentiate them into various neuronal subtypes and astrocytes, with an emphasis on the use of neural stem cells to study Zika virus infection.

Human fetal brain neural stem cells are a unique non-genetically modified model system to study the impact of various stimuli on human developmental ...

Visualization of Tangential Cell Migration in the Developing Chick Optic Tectum

Time-lapse imaging is a powerful method to analyze migrating cell behavior. After fluorescent cell labeling, the movement of the labeled cells in culture can be recorded under video microscopy. For analyzing cell migration in the developing brain, slice culture is commonly used to observe cell migration parallel to the slice section, such as radial cell migration. However, limited information can be obtained from the slice culture method to analyze cell migration perpendicular to the slice section, such as tangential cell migration. Here, we present the protocols for time-lapse imaging to visualize tangential cell migration in the developing chick optic tectum. A combination of cell labeling by electroporation in ovo and a subsequent flat-mount culture on the cell culture insert enables detection of migrating cell movement in the horizontal plane. Moreover, our method facilitates detection of both individual cell behavior and the collective action of a group of cells in the long term. This method can potentially be applied to detect the sequential change of the fluorescent-labeled micro-structure, including the axonal elongation in the neural tissue or cell displacement in the non-neural tissue.

We describe the methods for fluorescent labeling of tangentially migrating cells by electroporation, and for time-lapse imaging of the labeled cell movement in a flat-mount culture in order to visualize migrating cell behavior in the developing chick optic tectum.

Time-lapse imaging is a powerful method to analyze migrating cell behavior. After fluorescent cell labeling, the movement of the labeled cells in culture ...