Este trabalho foi financiado em parte pelo NIH R01 # DE021475 (CTM), um NIH Predoctoral Training Grant 5T32GM007127 (PAE), e um NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (NAE). Agradecemos a Kevin Schwalbach para a realização de recombineering BAC e injeções, Nick Donde para gerar dados de sequenciamento Sanger CRISPR, e Katherine Lipari para feedback útil sobre o protocolo de injeção.

Os autores não têm nada para revelar.

Injectáveis ​​embriões stickleback unicelulares para transgenia ou edição genoma apresenta três desafios principais. Em primeiro lugar, em relação aos embriões de peixe-zebra, o stickleback embrionária córion é difícil e muitas vezes vai quebrar agulhas. Este problema pode ser parcialmente ultrapassada pela utilização de micropipetas de vidro grosso e mais forte e injectando perpendicular ao córion (ver protocolo, a Figura 2). Assegurar que o mínimo possível de água é adicionada a...

Um componente fundamental de compreensão de como a biodiversidade surge é a determinação das bases genéticas e de desenvolvimento de alterações fenotípicas evoluíram na natureza. O peixe Gasterosteus aculeatus, Gasterosteus aculeatus, emergiu como um excelente modelo para o estudo da base genética da evolução. Sticklebacks sofreram muitas mudanças evolutivas adaptativas como peixes marinhos colonizaram ambientes de água doce incontáveis ​​em todo o hemisfério norte, resultando em morfológica dramática, fisiológicas e alterações comportamentais 1. Os genomas de indivíduos a partir de vinte e um populações stickleback foram sequenciados e montados, e um mapa de ligação de alta densidade foi gerado para melhorar ainda mais a montagem de 2,3. Experiências de mapeamento genético identificaram regiões genómicas subjacente fenótipos evoluídos 4-6, e em alguns casos, os papéis funcionais de genes candidatos específicos foram testados 7,8. Um número de regiões genômicas subjacentes alterações morfológicas foram identificados com genes candidatos promissores, mas estes candidatos ainda não foram testados funcionalmente 9-12. Além disso, sticklebacks são modelos comuns para estudos de genética populacional / genômica 13,14, especiação 15, o comportamento 1, endocrinologia 16, ecotoxicologia 17, imunologia e parasitologia 18 19. Estudos futuros em cada um desses campos serão beneficiados com a capacidade de executar manipulações genéticas funcionais em sticklebacks. Além manipulando as suas sequências de codificação, os papéis dos genes candidatos pode ser avaliada através do estudo as suas sequências -regulatory cis e por funcionalmente aumentando, diminuindo ou eliminando a expressão do gene candidato. Métodos de microinjeção e transgenia em sticklebacks estão bem estabelecidos 7,8,20 e foram inicialmente desenvolvido utilizando uma mediada por meganucleasemétodo 21 descrito pela primeira vez em medaka 22. O método de microinjeção modificado aqui apresentado foi otimizado para ambos transgênese Tol2 mediada e, recentemente, desenvolveu reagentes edição do genoma incluindo TALENS e CRISPR. Mudanças a cis -regulatory elementos são pensados ​​para ser crítico para a evolução morfológica, como cis -regulatory mudanças podem evitar as consequências negativas pleiotrópicos de codificação de mutações 23. Portanto, testando e comparando seqüências -regulatory cis putativos tornou-se um objetivo central de um número crescente de estudos evolutivos. Além disso, a maioria das variantes de doenças humanas são variantes reguladoras 24,25, e sistemas modelo de vertebrados são extremamente necessários para estudar a função elemento -regulatory cis e da lógica. Os peixes que fertilize seus embriões externamente em grandes números oferecem sistemas de vertebrados poderosas para estudar Regulamentação cis. O sistema de transposão Tol2, em que FOREIDNA gn para ser integrado no genoma é ladeado por sites e vinculativo Tol2 transposase co-injectados com mRNA transposase Tol2, trabalha com alta eficiência para integrar com sucesso plasmídeo constrói-se em genomas de peixes 26 - 28. Tipicamente, um intensificador de potencial é clonada a montante de um promotor basal (tais como hsp70l 29) e o gene repórter fluorescentes tais como a EGFP (proteína fluorescente verde melhorada) ou mCherry em uma espinha dorsal Tol2 e injectados com ARNm da transposase 26. Observação de expressão do repórter fluorescente, quer em embriões ou crias com transgenes integrados estavelmente injectados, fornece informação sobre a regulação espaço-temporais da expressão do gene dirigido pelo potenciador putativo. Em experiências adicionais, os potenciadores validados pode ser utilizado para dirigir a sobre-expressão específica de tecido dos genes de interesse. Para a análise das regiões -regulatory cis maiores, de alta qualidade em grande inserção genombibliotecas de IC utilizando cromossomos artificiais bacterianos (BACs) foram construídos para ambas as marinhas e de água doce sticklebacks 30. Estes BACs pode ser recombineered para substituir um gene com um gene repórter fluorescente, no contexto de uma grande (150-200 kb) região genómica 31. O repórter fluorescente é então expresso num padrão espaço-temporal, tal como determinado por sequências reguladoras dentro do BAC. Para os estudos em peixes, locais Tol2 pode ser adicionado ao CCB para facilitar a integração genómica 32,33. Nas fases posteriores de desenvolvimento quando a hibridação in situ é tecnicamente difícil, a leitura de fluorescência do BAC pode ser usado para estudar os padrões de expressão de genes, como tem sido demonstrado para stickleback osso proteína morfogenética 6 (BMP6) 20. Além disso, os padrões de expressão fluorescentes em um indivíduo pode ser rastreados ao longo do tempo, o que não pode ser conseguido com a hibridização in situ. BACs pode também ser usado para adicionar uma additional cópia de uma região genómica de aumentar a dosagem de um gene de interesse. Para o estudo da função do gene, genoma de edição é um campo explosivamente expansão que pode ser utilizado para produzir alterações específicas para sequências genómicas em uma ampla variedade de organismos 34. Transcrição nucleases efetoras ativador-like (TALENS) são nucleases modulares, específicos de sequência originalmente isoladas de patógenos de plantas que podem ser precisamente projetados para ligar directamente a uma sequência genômica de escolha e gerar uma cadeia dupla quebrar 35,36. Agrupamentos regularmente interespaçadas palindrï¿½icas repetições curtas (CRISPR) / CAS sistemas foram originalmente encontrada em bactérias e utilizar um guia de RNA e da proteína Cas9 para gerar um intervalo de uma sequência de ADN alvo complementar para o guia 37. A reparação posterior da quebra de cadeia dupla criada por ambos os TALENS e CRISPR muitas vezes deixa para trás uma pequena inserção ou deleção, o que pode prejudicar a função da sequência alvo35-37. Em sticklebacks, TALENS têm sido utilizados para interromper a expressão do gene por direccionamento um intensificador de 20, e ambos TALENS CRISPR e ter sucesso na produção de mutações em sequências de codificação (dados não publicados). Um protocolo detalhado para a geração de CRISPR para uso em peixes-zebra pode ser utilizada como orientação para desenvolver CRISPR para sticklebacks 38. Transgênicas e genoma experimentos de edição requerem introdução de ácidos nucleicos em um embrião de uma célula recém-fertilizado. Ao introduzir a ferramenta transgene ou genoma de edição no início do desenvolvimento, o número de células filhas geneticamente manipuladas no embrião é maximizada. embriões injectados são então visualmente pesquisadas quanto a fluorescência ou molecularmente rastreados para modificações do genoma. Se as células que contribuem para a linha germinal são orientados com sucesso, o transgene ou a mutação pode ser passada para um subconjunto de prole, mesmo quando letalidade pós-injecção é alta. Os peixes de mosaico pode ser outcrossed ouentrecruzadas e os seus descendentes selecionados para recuperar os alelos mutantes ou um transgene integrado de forma estável de interesse. Este protocolo descreve métodos para a introdução de transgenes e edição de reagentes genoma em embriões stickleback unicelulares e monitoramento para modificações genômicas de sucesso.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="647">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Stereomicroscope with transillumination</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Leica</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S6e/ KL300 LED</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Manual micromanipulator</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MM33</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Marzhauser M33 Micromanipulator</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Pressure Injecion system</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MPPI-3</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Back pressure unit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">BPU</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Micropipette holder kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MPIP</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Magnetic base holder</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Magnetic base</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Foot switch</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Applied Scientific Instrumentation</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">FSW</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Iron plate (magnetic base)</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Narishige</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">IP</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Flaming/Brown Micropipette Puller</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sutter Instrument</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P-97</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Disposable transfer pipettes</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">13-711-7M</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">0.5% phenol red in DPBS</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P0290</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">injection tracer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">#5 forceps, biologie dumoxel&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fine Science Tools</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">11252-30</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">for needle breaking</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Micropipette Storage Jar</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">E210</td>
			<td>holds needles</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">6&#34;, 6 teeth per inch plaster drywall saw</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Lenox</td>
			<td>20571 (S636RP)</td>
			<td>hold eggs for injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">13 cm x 13 cm glass plate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">any hardware store</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">-</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Borosilicate glass capillaries, 1.0 mm OD/0.58 mm ID&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">1B100-F4</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">*harder glass than zebrafish injection capillaries</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">150 x 15mm petri dish</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">FB0875714</td>
			<td>raise stickleback embryos</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">35 x 10mm petri dish</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">08-757-100A</td>
			<td>store eggs pre-injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Instant Ocean Salt</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Instant Ocean</td>
			<td>SS15-10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sodium Bicarbonate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>S5761-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Tricaine methanesulfonate/MS-222</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Western Chemical Inc</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MS222</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">fish anaesthesia/euthanasia</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:216px;">Sp6 transcription kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Ambion</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AM1340</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">For transcription of TALENs and transposase mRNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">RNeasy cleanup kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">74104</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">purify transposase or TALEN RNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">QiaQuick PCR cleanup kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">28104</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">clean up plasmids for injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Proteinase K 20 mg/ml</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Ambion</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AM2546</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">for DNA preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Nucleobond BAC 100 kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Clontech</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">740579</td>
			<td>for BAC DNA preparation</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">NotI</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">NEB</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">R0189L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Phusion polymerase</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">F-530L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Qiagen PlasmidPlus Midi kit</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">12943</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">contains endotoxin rinse buffer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">QIAQuick Gel Extraction</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">28704&#160;</td>
			<td>for sequencing induced mutations</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Phenol:chloroform:Isoamyl alcohol</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>P2069-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Sodium acetate</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>S2889-250G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:216px;">Ethanol (molecular biology grade)</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>E7023-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Agarose</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">A9539</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">50X Tris-acetate-EDTA buffer</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">B49</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">0.5-10KbRNA ladder</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">15623-200</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Nanodrop&#160; Spectrophotometer</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Nanodrop 2000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Paraformaldehyde</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>158127-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">10X PBS</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>70011-044</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">1kb Plus DNA Ladder</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>10787-018</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Potassium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>P9541-500G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Magnesium Chloride</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>M8266-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">NP-40</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">ThermoFisher</td>
			<td>28324</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Tween 20</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Sigma</td>
			<td>P1379-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Tris pH 8.3</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Teknova</td>
			<td>T1083</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">12-strip PCR tube</td>
			<td style="width:145px;">Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">AB-1113</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

microinjection for transgenesis and genome editing in threespine sticklebacks

O peixe Gasterosteus aculeatus emergiu como um poderoso sistema para o estudo da base genética de uma larga variedade de características morfológicas, fisiológicas e comportamentais fenótipos. Os notavelmente diferentes fenótipos que evoluíram como populações marinhas se adaptar a ambientes de água doce incontáveis, combinados com a capacidade de atravessar formas marinhas e de água doce, fornecer um sistema de vertebrados rara em que a genética pode ser usada para mapear as regiões genômicas controlar evoluiu características. Excelentes recursos genômicos estão agora disponíveis, facilitando a análise genética molecular das alterações evoluídos. Enquanto experimentos de mapeamento gerar listas de genes candidatos interessantes, manipulações genéticas funcionais são necessários para testar o papel destes genes. regulação do gene pode ser estudada com plasmídeos repórter transgénicos e BACs integrado no genoma usando o sistema de transposase Tol2. Funções de genes candidatos específicos e elementos cis -regulatory pode ser avaliada através da indução de alvomutações com reagentes de edição genoma TALEN CRISPR e / Cas9. Todos os métodos requerem a introdução de ácidos nucleicos em embriões stickleback uma célula fertilizada, uma tarefa feita desafiador pelo córion espessura de embriões stickleback eo relativamente pequeno e fino blastomere. Aqui, um protocolo detalhado para microinjecção de ácidos nucleicos em embriões stickleback é descrita para aplicações transgénicos e de edição de genoma para estudar a expressão e função do gene, bem como técnicas para avaliar o sucesso de transgénese e recuperar linhas estáveis.

Para transgenes de gene repórter que têm actividade potenciadora, injecção bem sucedido resultará na expressão específica, celular do transgene (Figura 4A, 4C). Peixes podem então ser injectados outcrossed para produzir linhas estáveis ​​(exemplo de uma linha estável BAC mostrado na Figura 4B). ADN em embriões stickleback injectando tipicamente resulta em letalidade muito mais elevado do que o RNA sozinho. É típico para ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks at JoVE.com

Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Microinjeção para Transgénese e Genoma Edição na Threespine Sticklebacks

Manipulações transgénicas e edição genoma são críticos para testar funcionalmente o papel dos genes e elementos -regulatory cis. Aqui, um protocolo detalhado para microinjecção a geração de modificações genómicas (incluindo construções Tol2 mediadas repórter fluorescentes transgene, TALENS, e CRISPR) é apresentada para o peixe modelo emergente, a Gasterosteus aculeatus.

The threespine stickleback fish has emerged as a powerful system to study the genetic basis of a wide variety of morphological, physiological, and ...

microinjection-for-transgenesis-genome-editing-threespine

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

13.8K visualizações.  University of California, Berkeley.  Manipulações transgénicas e edição genoma são críticos para testar funcionalmente o papel dos genes e elementos -regulatory cis. Aqui, um protocolo detalhado para microinjecção a geração de modificações genómicas (incluindo construções Tol2 mediadas repórter fluorescentes transgene, TALENS, e CRISPR) é apresentada para o peixe modelo emergente, a Gasterosteus aculeatus. 

Vídeo: Microinjection for Transgenesis and Genome Editing in Threespine Sticklebacks

Genome-wide Snapshot of Chromatin Regulators and States in Xenopus Embryos by ChIP-Seq

The recruitment of chromatin regulators and the assignment of chromatin states to specific genomic loci are pivotal to cell fate decisions and tissue and organ formation during development. Determining the locations and levels of such chromatin features in vivo will provide valuable information about the spatio-temporal regulation of genomic elements, and will support aspirations to mimic embryonic tissue development in vitro. The most commonly used method for genome-wide and high-resolution profiling is chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP-Seq). This protocol outlines how yolk-rich embryos such as those of the frog Xenopus can be processed for ChIP-Seq experiments, and it offers simple command lines for post-sequencing analysis. Because of the high efficiency with which the protocol extracts nuclei from formaldehyde-fixed tissue, the method allows easy upscaling to obtain enough ChIP material for genome-wide profiling. Our protocol has been used successfully to map various DNA-binding proteins such as transcription factors, signaling mediators, components of the transcription machinery, chromatin modifiers and post-translational histone modifications, and for this to be done at various stages of embryogenesis. Lastly, this protocol should be widely applicable to other model and non-model organisms as more and more genome assemblies become available.

Genome-wide Snapshot of Chromatin Regulators and States in Xenopus Embryos by ChIP-Seq

The question of how chromatin regulators and chromatin states affect the genome in vivo is key to our understanding of how early cell fate decisions are made in the developing embryo. ChIP-Seq&#8212;the most popular approach to investigate chromatin features at a global level&#8212;is outlined here for Xenopus embryos.

Snapshot Genome-wide de Reguladores da cromatina e Estados em<em&gt; Xenopus</em&gt; Os embriões por Chip-Seq

The recruitment of chromatin regulators and the assignment of chromatin states to specific genomic loci are pivotal to cell fate decisions and tissue and ...

Biologia do Desenvolvimento

Mosaic Zebrafish Transgenesis for Functional Genomic Analysis of Candidate Cooperative Genes in Tumor Pathogenesis

Comprehensive genomic analysis has uncovered surprisingly large numbers of genetic alterations in various types of cancers. To robustly and efficiently identify oncogenic &#8220;drivers&#8221; among these tumors and define their complex relationships with concurrent genetic alterations during tumor pathogenesis remains a daunting task. Recently, zebrafish have emerged as an important animal model for studying human diseases, largely because of their ease of maintenance, high fecundity, obvious advantages for in vivo imaging, high conservation of oncogenes and their molecular pathways, susceptibility to tumorigenesis and, most importantly, the availability of transgenic techniques suitable for use in the fish. Transgenic zebrafish models of cancer have been widely used to dissect oncogenic pathways in diverse tumor types. However, developing a stable transgenic fish model is both tedious and time-consuming, and it is even more difficult and more time-consuming to dissect the cooperation of multiple genes in disease pathogenesis using this approach, which requires the generation of multiple transgenic lines with overexpression of the individual genes of interest followed by complicated breeding of these stable transgenic lines. Hence, use of a mosaic transient transgenic approach in zebrafish offers unique advantages for functional genomic analysis in vivo. Briefly, candidate transgenes can be coinjected into one-cell-stage wild-type or transgenic zebrafish embryos and allowed to integrate together into each somatic cell in a mosaic pattern that leads to mixed genotypes in the same primarily injected animal. This permits one to investigate in a faster and less expensive manner whether and how the candidate genes can collaborate with each other to drive tumorigenesis. By transient overexpression of activated ALK in the transgenic fish overexpressing MYCN, we demonstrate here the cooperation of these two oncogenes in the pathogenesis of a pediatric cancer, neuroblastoma that has resisted most forms of contemporary treatment.

The goal of this study is to demonstrate how the mosaic transgenesis strategy can be used in zebrafish to rapidly and efficiently assess the relative contributions of multiple oncogenes in tumor initiation and progression in vivo.

Mosaic Zebrafish Transgénese para Análise Funcional Genomic de candidatos Genes de cooperação em Tumor Patogênese

Comprehensive genomic analysis has uncovered surprisingly large numbers of genetic alterations in various types of cancers.  To robustly and efficiently ...

Analysis of Zebrafish Larvae Skeletal Muscle Integrity with Evans Blue Dye

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders. In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle membrane is a critical disease determinant. To date, numerous neuromuscular conditions display degenerating muscle fibers with abnormal membrane integrity; this is most commonly observed in muscular dystrophies. Evans Blue Dye (EBD) is a vital, cell permeable dye that is rapidly taken into degenerating, damaged, or apoptotic cells; in contrast, it is not taken up by cells with an intact membrane. EBD injection is commonly employed to ascertain muscle integrity in mouse models of neuromuscular diseases. However, such EBD experiments require muscle dissection and/or sectioning prior to analysis. In contrast, EBD uptake in zebrafish is visualized in live, intact preparations. Here, we demonstrate a simple and straightforward methodology for performing EBD injections and analysis in live zebrafish. In addition, we demonstrate a co-injection strategy to increase efficacy of EBD analysis. Overall, this video article provides an outline to perform EBD injection and characterization in zebrafish models of neuromuscular disease.

In this study, we describe a straightforward method to perform Evans Blue Dye (EBD) analysis on zebrafish larvae. This technique is a powerful tool for the characterization of skeletal muscle integrity and delineation of zebrafish models of muscular dystrophy, and is a valuable method for the development of novel therapeutics.

Análise de Zebrafish larvas Músculo Esquelético Integrity com Evans Blue Dye

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders.  In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle ...

Technique to Target Microinjection to the Developing Xenopus Kidney

The embryonic kidney of Xenopus&#160;laevis (frog), the pronephros, consists of a single nephron, and can be used as a model for kidney disease. Xenopus embryos are large, develop externally, and can be easily manipulated by microinjection or surgical procedures. In addition, fate maps have been established for early Xenopus embryos. Targeted microinjection into the individual blastomere that will eventually give rise to an organ or tissue of interest can be used to selectively overexpress or knock down gene expression within this restricted region, decreasing secondary effects in the rest of the developing embryo. In this protocol, we describe how to utilize established Xenopus fate maps to target the developing Xenopus kidney (the pronephros), through microinjection into specific blastomere of 4- and 8-cell embryos. Injection of lineage tracers allows verification of the specific targeting of the injection. After embryos have developed to stage 38 - 40, whole-mount immunostaining is used to visualize pronephric development, and the contribution by targeted cells to the pronephros can be assessed. The same technique can be adapted to target other tissue types in addition to the pronephros.

Technique to Target Microinjection to the Developing Xenopus Kidney

Here, we present a protocol to use fate maps and lineage tracers to target injections into individual blastomeres that give rise to the kidney of Xenopus laevis embryos.

Técnica ao Target microinjeção para o desenvolvimento<em&gt; Xenopus</em&gt; Kidney

The embryonic kidney of Xenopus&#160;laevis (frog), the pronephros, consists of a single nephron, and can be used as a model for kidney disease. Xenopus ...

Identification of Critical Conditions for Immunostaining in the Pea Aphid Embryos: Increasing Tissue Permeability and Decreasing Background Staining

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, with a sequenced genome and abundant phenotypic plasticity, has become an emerging model for genomic and developmental studies. Like other aphids, A. pisum propagate rapidly via parthenogenetic viviparous reproduction, where the embryos develop within egg chambers in an assembly-line fashion in the ovariole. Previously we have established a robust platform of whole-mount in situ hybridization allowing detection of mRNA expression in the aphid embryos. For analyzing the expression of protein, though, established protocols for immunostaining the ovarioles of asexual viviparous aphids did not produce satisfactory results. Here we report conditions optimized for increasing tissue permeability and decreasing background staining, both of which were problems when applying established approaches. Optimizations include: (1) incubation of proteinase K (1 &#181;g/ml, 10 min), which was found essential for antibody penetration in mid- and late-stage aphid embryos; (2) replacement of normal goat serum/bovine serum albumin with a blocking reagent supplied by a Digoxigenin (DIG)-based buffer set and (3) application of methanol rather hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for bleaching endogenous peroxidase; which significantly reduced the background staining in the aphid tissues. These critical conditions optimized for immunostaining will allow effective detection of gene products in the embryos of A. pisum and other aphids.

A protocol of whole-mount immunostaining on aphid embryos is presented, in which critical conditions for decreasing background staining and increasing tissue permeability are addressed. These conditions are specifically developed for effective detection of protein expression in the embryonic tissues of aphids.

Identificação de condições críticas para Immunostaining no Pea Aphid Embriões: Aumento Tissue permeabilidade e diminuir a coloração de fundo

The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum, with a sequenced genome and abundant phenotypic plasticity, has become an emerging model for genomic and developmental ...

Microstructured Devices for Optimized Microinjection and Imaging of Zebrafish Larvae

Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful model of various human diseases and a useful tool for an increasing range of experimental studies, spanning fundamental developmental biology through to large-scale genetic and chemical screens. However, many experiments, especially those related to infection and xenograft models, rely on microinjection and imaging of embryos and larvae, which are laborious techniques that require skill and expertise. To improve the precision and throughput of current microinjection techniques, we developed a series of microstructured devices to orient and stabilize zebrafish embryos at 2 days post fertilization (dpf) in ventral, dorsal, or lateral orientation prior to the procedure. To aid in the imaging of embryos, we also designed a simple device with channels that orient 4 zebrafish laterally in parallel against a glass cover slip. Together, the tools that we present here demonstrate the effectiveness of photolithographic approaches to generate useful devices for the optimization of zebrafish techniques.

Microinjection of zebrafish embryos and larvae is a crucial but challenging technique used in many zebrafish models. Here, we present a range of microscale tools to aid in the stabilization and orientation of zebrafish for both microinjection and imaging.

Microstructured dispositivos para Microinjection otimizado e imagem latente de larvas de Zebrafish

Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful model of various human diseases and a useful tool for an increasing range of experimental studies, spanning ...

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing

Binary transcription systems are powerful genetic tools widely used for visualizing and manipulating cell fate and gene expression in specific groups of cells or tissues in model organisms. These systems contain two components as separate transgenic lines. A driver line expresses a transcriptional activator under the control of tissue-specific promoters/enhancers, and a reporter/effector line harbors a target gene placed downstream to the binding site of the transcription activator. Animals harboring both components induce tissue-specific transactivation of a target gene expression. Precise spatiotemporal expression of the gene in targeted tissues is critical for unbiased interpretation of cell/gene activity. Therefore, developing a method for generating exclusive cell/tissue-specific driver lines is essential. Here we present a method to generate highly tissue-specific targeted expression system by employing a &#34;Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/CRISPR-associated&#34; (CRISPR/Cas)-based genome editing technique. In this method, the endonuclease Cas9 is targeted by two chimeric guide RNAs (gRNA) to specific sites in the first coding exon of a gene in the Drosophila genome to create double-strand breaks (DSB). Subsequently, using an exogenous donor plasmid containing the transactivator sequence, the cell-autonomous repair machinery enables homology-directed repair (HDR) of the DSB, resulting in precise deletion and replacement of the exon with the transactivator sequence. The knocked-in transactivator is expressed exclusively in cells where the cis-regulatory elements of the replaced gene are functional. The detailed step-by-step protocol presented here for generating a binary transcriptional driver expressed in Drosophila fgf/branchless-producing epithelial/neuronal cells can be adopted for any gene- or tissue-specific expression.

An Efficient Strategy for Generating Tissue-specific Binary Transcription Systems in Drosophila by Genome Editing

Here, we present a method for generating tissue-specific binary transcription systems in Drosophila by replacing the first coding exon of genes with transcription drivers. The CRISPR/Cas9-based method places a transactivator sequence under the endogenous regulation of a replaced gene, and consequently facilitates transctivator expression exclusively in gene-specific spatiotemporal patterns.

Uma estratégia eficiente para gerar sistemas de transcrição binário de tecido-específica em Drosophila editando genoma

Binary transcription systems are powerful genetic tools widely used for visualizing and manipulating cell fate and gene expression in specific groups of ...

Microinjection-based System for In Vivo Implantation of Embryonic Cardiomyocytes in the Avian Embryo

Interpreting the relative impact of cell autonomous patterning versus extrinsic microenvironmental influence on cell lineage determination represents a general challenge in developmental biology research. In the embryonic heart, this can be particularly difficult as regional differences in the expression of transcriptional regulators, paracrine/juxtacrine signaling cues, and hemodynamic force are all known to influence cardiomyocyte maturation. A simplified method to alter a developing cardiomyocyte's molecular and biomechanical microenvironment would, therefore, serve as a powerful technique to examine how local conditions influence cell fate and function. To address this, we have optimized a method to physically transplant juvenile cardiomyocytes into ectopic locations in the heart or the surrounding embryonic tissue. This allows us to examine how microenvironmental conditions influence cardiomyocyte fate transitions at single cell resolution within the intact embryo. Here, we describe a protocol in which embryonic myocytes can be isolated from a variety of cardiac sub-domains, dissociated, fluorescently labeled, and microinjected into host embryos with high precision. Cells can then be directly analyzed in situ using a variety of imaging and histological techniques. This protocol is a powerful alternative to traditional grafting experiments that can be prohibitively difficult in a moving tissue such as the heart. The general outline of this method can also be adapted to a variety of donor tissues and host environments, and its ease of use, low cost, and speed make it a potentially useful application for a variety of developmental studies.

In this method, embryonic cardiac tissues are surgically microdissected, dissociated, fluorescently labeled, and implanted into host embryonic tissues. This provides a platform for studying the individual or tissue level developmental organization under ectopic hemodynamic conditions, and/or altered paracrine/juxtacrine environments.

Sistema baseado em microinjeção para na implantação de Vivo do Cardiomyocytes embrionárias no embrião aviária

Interpreting the relative impact of cell autonomous patterning versus extrinsic microenvironmental influence on cell lineage determination represents a ...

Egg Microinjection and Efficient Mating for Genome Editing in the Firebrat Thermobia domestica

The firebrat Thermobia domestica is an ametabolous, wingless species that is suitable for studying the developmental mechanisms of insects that led to their successful evolutionary radiation on the earth. The application of genetic tools such as genome editing is the key to understanding genetic changes that are responsible for evolutionary transitions in an Evo-Devo approach. In this article, we describe our current protocol for generating and maintaining mutant strains of T. domestica. We report a dry injection method, as an alternative to the reported wet injection method, that allows us to obtain stably high survival rates in injected embryos. We also report an optimized environment setting to mate adults and obtain subsequent generations with high efficiency. Our method underlines the importance of taking each species&#8217; unique biology into account for the successful application of genome editing methods to non-traditional model organisms. We predict that these genome editing protocols will help in implementing T. domestica as a laboratory model and to further accelerate the development and application of useful genetic tools in this species.

Egg Microinjection and Efficient Mating for Genome Editing in the Firebrat Thermobia domestica

We provide a detailed protocol for rearing, microinjection of eggs and for efficient mating of the firebrat Thermobia domestica to generate and maintain mutant strains after genome editing.

Microinjeção de Ovos e Acasalamento Eficiente para Edição de Genoma na Thermobia domestica firebrat

The firebrat Thermobia domestica is an ametabolous, wingless species that is suitable for studying the developmental mechanisms of insects that led to ...

Brain Organoid Generation from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Home-Made Mini Bioreactors

The iPSC-derived brain organoid is a promising technology for in vitro modeling the pathologies of the nervous system and drug screening. This technology has emerged recently. It is still in its infancy and has some limitations unsolved yet. The current protocols do not allow obtaining organoids to be consistent enough for drug discovery and preclinical studies. The maturation of organoids can take up to a year, pushing the researchers to launch multiple differentiation processes simultaneously. It imposes additional costs for the laboratory in terms of space and equipment. In addition, brain organoids often have a necrotic zone in the center, which suffers from nutrient and oxygen deficiency. Hence, most current protocols use a circulating system for culture medium to improve nutrition.
Meanwhile, there are no inexpensive dynamic systems or bioreactors for organoid cultivation. This paper describes a protocol for producing brain organoids in compact and inexpensive home-made mini bioreactors. This protocol allows obtaining high quality organoids in large quantities.

Here we describe a protocol for generating brain organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). To obtain brain organoids in large quantities and of high quality, we use home-made mini bioreactors.

Geração organoide cerebral a partir de células-tronco pluripotentes induzidas em mini-bioreatores caseiros

The iPSC-derived brain organoid is a promising technology for in vitro modeling the pathologies of the nervous system and drug screening. This technology ...

Microinjeção para Transgénese e Genoma Edição na Threespine Sticklebacks

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