Name: in vivo-like organotypic murine retinal wholemount culture
Uploaded: 2010-01-11T17:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about In vivo-like Organotypic Murine Retinal Wholemount Culture at JoVE.com

The authors would like to thank E. de la Rosa and A.I. Valenciano for initial help with the establishment of the organotypic cultures and U. Laub and U. Gerster for technical assistance.

All equipment and reagents have to be purchased sterile or needs to be heat or steam sterilized or sterilized with 70% ETOH.
The authors state that experiments on animals were performed in accordance with the European Communities Council Directive (86/609/EEC), following the Guidelines of the NIH regarding the care and use of animals for experimental procedures and the regulations set forth by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany)...

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	<li>Rieke, M., Gottwald, E., Weibezahn, K. -. F., Layer, P. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tissue+reconstruction+in+3D-spheroids+from+rodent+retina+in+a+motion-free,+bioreactor-based+microstructure.">Tissue reconstruction in 3D-spheroids from rodent retina in a motion-free, bioreactor-based microstructure.</a> Lab. Chip. 8, 2006-2213 (2008).</li><li>Donovan, S. L., Dyer, 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=Preparation+and+square+wave+electroporation+of+retinal+explant+cultures.">Preparation and square wave electroporation of retinal explant cultures.</a> Nature Protocols. 1, 2710-2718 (2006).</li><li>Duenker, N., Valenciano, A. I., Franke, A., Hernandez-Sanchez, C., Dressel, R., Behrendt, M., de Pablo, F., Krieglstein, K., de la Rosa, E. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Balance+of+pro-apoptotic+transforming+growth+factor-beta+and+anti-apoptotic+insulin+effects+in+the+control+of+cell+death+in+the+postnatal+mouse+retina.">Balance of pro-apoptotic transforming growth factor-beta and anti-apoptotic insulin effects in the control of cell death in the postnatal mouse retina.</a> Eur. J. Neurosci. 22, 28-38 (2005).</li><li>Franke, A. G., Gubbe, C., Beier, M., Duenker, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transforming+growth+factors+beta+and+Bone+morphogenetic+proteins:+Cooperative+players+in+chick+and+murine+programmed+retinal+cell+death.">Transforming growth factors beta and Bone morphogenetic proteins: Cooperative players in chick and murine programmed retinal cell death.</a> J. Comp. Neurol. 495, 263-278 (2005).</li><li>de la Rosa, E. J., D&#237;az, B., De Pablo, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organoculture+of+the+chick+embryonic+neuroretina.">Organoculture of the chick embryonic neuroretina.</a> Curr. Top. Dev. Biol. 36, 133-144 (1998).</li><li>Dohle, D. S., Pasa, S. D., Gustmann, S., Laub, M., Wissler, J. H., Jennissen, H. P., Duenker, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chick+ex+ovo+culture+and+ex+ovo+CAM+assay:+How+it+really+works.">Chick ex ovo culture and ex ovo CAM assay: How it really works.</a> J Vis Exp. 32, (2009).</li></ol>

The advantage of murine organotypic retinal wholemount cultures2-5 over dissociation, monolayer, retinospheroid or re-aggregated 3D spheroid cultures1 lies in the preservation of neuronal interactions and connections, mimicking the in vivo situation. In comparison to former reports2, our video article provides a detailed demonstration of the peculiarities in enucleation of murine eyes and dissection of retinas of different developmental stages including removal of lens and vitreo...

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		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
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<tr>
<td>Mice</td>
<td>Animal</td>
<td>Charles Rivers Laboratories</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Dissection microscope</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>ZEISS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>PBS</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>PBS should be cold (&gt; 4&deg;C) and sterile</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dulbecco`s modified eagle`s medium / nutrient mixture F-12 Ham</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>D 8900</td>
<td>DMEM / F-12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Apo-transferin</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>T 1147</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Putrescin</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P 5780</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Sodium selenite</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>S 9133</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Progesterone</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P 6149</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Gentamicine</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>L-Glutamine</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>25030-024</td>
<td>200 mM (100X), liquid</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bovine serum albumine (BSA)</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Roth</td>
<td>8076.3</td>
<td>30 mg/ml</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Collagenase</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>C 0773</td>
<td>200 U/ml</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Trypsin</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>T4799</td>
<td>From porcine pancreas; 1 mg/ml</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hyaluronidase</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>H 3884</td>
<td>200 mg/ml</td>
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<td>DNase I</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>1 284 932</td>
<td>10 mg/ml</td>
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<tr>
<td>EDTA</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>E 6511</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Silicone solution</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Serva</td>
<td>35130</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Paraformaldehyde (PFA)</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>P6148</td>
<td>8% PFA in 0.1M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4).</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>D 0542</td>
<td>DAPI</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fluorescent Mounting Medium</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Dako</td>
<td>S3023</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>BrDU</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>B 9285</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>96-well plates</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>FALCON</td>
<td>3072</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>24-well plates</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>FALCON</td>
<td>3047</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Pasteur pipettes</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Brand</td>
<td>747720</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Forceps DUMONT #5</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
<td>11252-30</td>
<td>bevelled very fine shanks (0.05 mm x 0.02 mm tip)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Forceps DUMONT #7</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
<td>11271-30</td>
<td>curved shanks (0.07 mm x 0.10 mm tip)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Spring scissors,straight, 8cm</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
<td>15000-00</td>
<td>fine, small straight blades</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Standard scissors, straight, sharp/blunt </td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Fine Science Tools</td>
<td>14007-14</td>
<td>Use for decapitation or cervical dislocation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eppendorf tubes</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Eppendorf</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>2ml; round bottom for better precipitation of pellet during centrifugation /cytospin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cooling centrifuge</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Eppendorf</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Rotation shaker</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>CAT</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Cytospin</td>
<td>Tool</td>
<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
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in vivo-like organotypic murine retinal wholemount culture

Targeted ablations of genes and analysis of animal models is the classical strategy for enrolling specific retinal gene function. However, transgenic, retina-specific or conditional knockout mouse models often display early lethality or suffer from severe malformations, preventing an analysis beyond embryonic or early postnatal stages.
Primary cell culture is an alternative to investigate the effects of exogenously applied recombinant factors, overexpression of genes or siRNA-mediated gene knockdown in a controlled environment. Dissociated cell culture has the advantage that the endogenous signals reaching the target cells are reduced, thereby facilitating the identification of exogenously triggered effects after pharmacological manipulation. However, important cell-cell interactions are initially destroyed by enzymatic digestion or mechanical dissociation, even if re-aggregated retinospheroid cultures1 are used.
By contrast, organotypic retinal wholemount cultures provide a system close to the physiological in vivo situation with neuronal interactions and connections still preserved2-5.
In this video article we provide a step by step demonstration of (1) the establishment of in vivo-like organotypic retinal wholemount cultures including dissection peculiarities of embryonic, postnatal and adult murine eyes and (2) a dissociation and cytospin procedure for analysis of neuronal apoptosis and retinal cell proliferation in organotypic wholemounts, e.g. after culture in the presence of exogenously applied recombinant factors.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about In vivo-like Organotypic Murine Retinal Wholemount Culture at JoVE.com

In vivo-like Organotypic Murine Retinal Wholemount Culture

This video article demonstrates the establishment of organotypic retinal wholemount cultures and a cytospin procedure for analysis of exogenously induced effects. Organotypic retinal wholemount cultures mimic the in vivo situation and significantly facilitate the accessibility of murine retinas for experimental manipulations while circumventing the disadvantages of classical murine animal models.

In vivo-like Organotypic Murine Retinal Wholemount Culture

Targeted ablations of genes and analysis of animal models is the classical strategy for enrolling specific retinal gene function. However, transgenic, ...

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