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Method Article
3D multicolor DNA FISH represents a tool to visualize multiple genomic loci within 3D preserved nuclei, unambiguously defining their reciprocal interactions and localization within the nuclear space at a single cell level. Here, a step by step protocol is described for a wide spectrum of human primary cells.
A major question in cell biology is genomic organization within the nuclear space and how chromatin architecture can influence processes such as gene expression, cell identity and differentiation. Many approaches developed to study the 3D architecture of the genome can be divided into two complementary categories: chromosome conformation capture based technologies (C-technologies) and imaging. While the former is based on capturing the chromosome conformation and proximal DNA interactions in a population of fixed cells, the latter, based on DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on 3D-preserved nuclei, allows contemporary visualization of multiple loci at a single cell level (multicolor), examining their interactions and distribution within the nucleus (3D multicolor DNA FISH). The technique of 3D multicolor DNA FISH has a limitation of visualizing only a few predetermined loci, not permitting a comprehensive analysis of the nuclear architecture. However, given the robustness of its results, 3D multicolor DNA FISH in combination with 3D-microscopy and image reconstruction is a possible method to validate C-technology based results and to unambiguously study the position and organization of specific loci at a single cell level. Here, we propose a step by step method of 3D multicolor DNA FISH suitable for a wide range of human primary cells and discuss all the practical actions, crucial steps, notions of 3D imaging and data analysis needed to obtained a successful and informative 3D multicolor DNA FISH within different biological contexts.
Higher eukaryotes need to systematically condense and compact a huge amount of genetic information in the minute 3D space of the nucleus1,2,3,4. Today, we know that the genome is spatially ordered in compartments and topologically associated domains5 and that the multiple levels of DNA folding generate contacts between different genomic regions that may involve chromatin loop formation6,7. The 3D dynamic looping of chromatin can influence many different biological processes such as transcription8,9, differentiation and development10,11, DNA repair12,13, while its perturbations are involved in various diseases14,15,16 and developmental defects15,17,18.
Many approaches have been developed to study the 3D genome organization. Chromosome conformation capture-based technologies (C-technologies, 3C, 4C, 5C, Hi-C and derivatives) have been developed to study genome organization in fixed cells3,4,19,20. Such approaches are based on the ability to capture the contact frequencies between genomic loci in physical proximity. C-technologies, depending on their complexity, catch the global 3D genome organization and nuclear topology of a cell population3,4,19,20. Nevertheless, 3D interactions are dynamic in time and space, highly variable between individual cells consisting of multiplex interactions, and are extensively heterogenous21,22.
3D multicolor DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a technique that allows the visualization of specific genomic loci at a single cell level, enabling direct investigation of the 3D nuclear architecture in a complementary manner to C-technologies. It represents a technology currently used to unambiguously validate C-results. 3D multicolor DNA FISH uses fluorescently labeled probes complementary to the genomic loci of interests. The use of different fluorophores and suitable microscopy equipment allow contemporary visualization of multiple targets within the nuclear space23,24. In recent years, FISH has been combined with technological advances in microscopy to obtain the visualization of fine-scale structures at high resolution25,26 or with CRISPR-Cas approaches for the visualization of the nucleic acids in live imaging27,28. Despite wide adoption, the 3D multicolor DNA FISH approach is still considered difficult in many laboratories because the biological material used must be adapted.
Here, we provide a comprehensive protocol for 3D multicolor DNA FISH (from cell/probe preparation to data analysis) applicable to a wide range of human primary cells, enabling the visualization of multiple genomic loci and preserving the 3D structure of nuclei. In order to study nuclear architecture, the 3D structure of nuclei must be preserved. For this reason, contrasting from other existing protocols29,30,31, we avoid the use of an alcohol gradient and the storage of the coverslips in alcohol that can affect chromatin structure32. The method is adapted from preserved 3D DNA FISH protocols24,33 to be applied to a wide range of human primary cells, both isolated ex vivo or cultured in vitro. There are permeabilization and deproteinization parameters for different nuclear morphology and cytological characteristics (e.g., different degrees of nuclear compaction, cytoskeleton abundance)34. These parameters are often generally described in other protocols24,33, without providing a clear discrimination of the procedure within different cell types. Furthermore, we developed a specific tool named NuCLεD (nuclear contacts locator in 3D)16, providing principles for data analysis that will improve the 3D proximity between different loci and their nuclear topological distribution within the nuclear space in an automated way.
1. DNA probe preparation and labelling procedures with nick translation
2. Cell fixation, pre-treatment and permeabilization
NOTE: Permeabilization and deproteinization passages are crucial steps. The time of reaction and concentration of the reagents strongly depend on the cell type, the cytoplasm abundance, and the nuclear morphology.
3. 3D multicolor DNA FISH hybridization
4. 3D multicolor DNA FISH detection
NOTE: For directly labelled probes, skip steps 4.1 and 4.2.
5. 3D multicolor DNA FISH microscopy and analysis
The method of 3D multicolor DNA FISH described in this article allows contemporary visualization of different genomic loci within preserved 3D nuclei (Figure 1B). This protocol permits the measurement of distances between alleles, and different genomic loci in order to evaluate their spatial proximity, and to assess their location within the nuclear space (e.g., loci distance from the centroid or the periphery of the nuclei)16. However, there are many...
The current method describes a step by step protocol to perform 3D multicolor DNA FISH on a wide range of human primary cells. Although DNA FISH is a technology in wide use, 3D multicolor DNA FISH on preserved 3D interphase nuclei is still difficult to perform in many laboratories, mainly due to the characteristics of the samples used23,24.
Probe nick translation is a fundamental step for successful 3D multicolor DNA FISH; many differe...
The authors have nothing to disclose.
The authors acknowledge the technical assistance of the INGM Imaging Facility (Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi" (INGM), Milan, Italy), in particular C. Cordiglieri, for assistance during 3D multicolor DNA FISH images acquisition. This work has been supported by the following grants to B.B.: EPIGEN Italian flagship program, Association Française contre les Myopathies (AFM-Telethon, grant nr 18754) and Giovani Ricercatori, Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2011-02349383). This work has been supported by the following grant to F.M.: Fondazione Cariplo (Bando Giovani, grant nr 2018-0321).
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
24-well plates | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 142475 | |
6-well plates | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 140675 | |
Anti-Digoxigenin 488 | DBA | DI7488 | |
b-Mercaptoethanol | Sigma | M3148 | |
bFGF | PeproTech | 100-18B | |
Biotin 11 d-UTP | Thermo Fisher Scientific | R0081 | |
BSA (bovine serum albumine) | Sigma | A7030 | |
Coverlsips | Marienfeld | 117500 | |
CY3 d-UTP | GE Healthcare | PA53022 | |
DAPI (4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) | Thermo Fisher Scientific | D21490 | |
Deoxyribonucleic acids single strand from salmon testes | Sigma | D7656 | |
Dextran sulfate (powder) | Santa Cruz | sc-203917A | |
Digoxigenin 11 d-UTP | Roche | 11093088910 | |
DMEM | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 21969-035 500mL | |
DNA polymerase I | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 18010-017 | |
DNase I | Sigma | AMPD1 | |
dNTPs (C-G-A-T) | Euroclone | BL0423A/C/G | |
EGF | Sigma | E9644.2MG | |
Ethanol | Sigma | 02860-1L | |
FBS Hyclone | Thermo Fisher Scientific | SH30109 | |
Formaldehyde solution | Sigma | F8775-25mL | |
Formamide | Sigma | F9037 | |
Glutammine | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 25030-024 100mL | |
Glycerol | Sigma | G5516-100mL | |
Glycogen | Thermo Fisher Scientific | AM9510 | |
HCl | Sigma | 30721 | |
Human Cot-1 DNA | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 15279-001 | |
Insulin Human | Sigma | I9278-5 mL | |
MgCl2 | Sigma | 63069 | |
NaAc (Sodium Acetate, pH 5.2, 3 M) | Sigma | S2889 | |
NaCl | Sigma | S9888 | |
Paraformaldehyde | Sigma | 158127-25G | |
PBS (phosphate-buffered saline) | Sigma | P4417 | |
Pennycillin/Streptavidin | Thermo Fisher Scientific | 15070-063 100mL | |
Pepsin | Biorad | P6887 | |
PhasePrep BAC DNA Kit | Sigma | NA0100-1KT | |
Poly-L-lysine solution | Sigma | P8920 | |
ProLong Diamond Antifade Mountant | Thermo Fisher Scientific | P36970 | |
PureLink Quick Gel Extraction & PCR Purification Combo Kit | Thermo Fisher Scientific | K220001 | |
PureLink Quick Plasmid Miniprep Kit | Thermo Fisher Scientific | K210010 | |
RNAse cocktail | Thermo Fisher Scientific | AM2288 | |
Rubbercement | Bostik | ||
Slides | VWR | 631-0114 | |
Streptavidina Alexa fluor 647 | Thermo Fisher Scientific | S21374 | |
Tri-Sodium Citrate | Sigma | 1110379026 | |
Tris-HCl | Sigma | T3253-500g | |
Triton X-100 | Sigma | T8787-250mL | |
TWEEN 20 | Sigma | P9416-100mL |
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