In Vitro Reconstitution of Spatial Cell Contact Patterns with Isolated Caenorhabditis elegans Embryo Blastomeres and Adhesive Polystyrene Beads

Summary

Tissue complexities of multicellular systems confound the identification of causal relationship between extracellular cues and individual cellular behaviors. Here, we present a method to study the direct link between contact-dependent cues and division axes using C. elegans embryo blastomeres and adhesive polystyrene beads.

Abstract

In multicellular systems, individual cells are surrounded by the various physical and chemical cues coming from neighboring cells and the environment. This tissue complexity confounds the identification of causal link between extrinsic cues and cellular dynamics. A synthetically reconstituted multicellular system overcomes this problem by enabling researchers to test for a specific cue while eliminating others. Here, we present a method to reconstitute cell contact patterns with isolated Caenorhabditis elegans blastomere and adhesive polystyrene beads. The procedures involve eggshell removal, blastomere isolation by disrupting cell-cell adhesion, preparation of adhesive polystyrene beads, and reconstitution of cell-cell or cell-bead contact. Finally, we present the application of this method to investigate the orientation of cellular division axes that contributes to the regulation of spatial cellular patterning and cell fate specification in developing embryos. This robust, reproducible, and versatile in vitro method enables the study of direct relationships between spatial cell contact patterns and cellular responses.

Introduction

During multicellular development, the cellular behaviors (e.g., division axis) of individual cells are specified by various chemical and physical cues. To understand how individual cell interprets this information, and how they regulate multicellular assembly as an emergent property is one of the ultimate goals of morphogenesis studies. The model organism C. elegans has contributed significantly to the understanding of cellular-level regulation of morphogenesis such as cell polarity¹, cell division patterning¹, cell fate decision², and tissue-scale regulations such as neuronal wiring

Protocol

1. Preparation of adhesive polystyrene bead

NOTE: This protocol does not require aseptic technique.

1. Weigh 10 mg of carboxylate modified polystyrene beads in a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube.
2. To wash the beads, add 1 mL of 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer into the tube. Since MES buffer does not contain phosphate and acetate, which can reduce the reactivity of carbodiimide, it is suitable to use in protein coupling reaction. Vortex the tube to mix the beads.

Discussion

Reconstitution of simplified cell contact patterns will let researchers to test the roles of specific cell contact patterns in different aspects of morphogenesis. We have used this technique to show that cell division axis is controlled by the physical contact with adhesive beads¹⁰. As division axis specification is crucial for multicellular development by contributing to morphogenesis¹⁴, stem cell division^15,16, an.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride	Alfa Aesar	AAA1080703	For the bead preparation
Aspirator Tube Assembly	Drummond	21-180-13	For the blastomere isolation.
Caenorhabditis elegans strain: N2, wild-type	Caenorhabditis Genetics Center	N2	Strain used in this study
Caenorhabditis elegans strain: KSG5, genotype: zuIs45; itIs37	in house	KSG5	Strain used in this study
Calibrated Mircopipets, 10 µL	Drummond	21-180-13	For the blastomere isolation
Carboxylate-modified polystyrene beads (30 µm diameter)	KISKER Biotech	PPS-30.0COOHP	For the bead preparation
CD Lipid Concentrate	Life Technologies	11905031	For the blastomere isolation. Work in the tissue culture hood.
Clorox	Clorox	N. A.	For the blastomere isolation. Open a new bottle when the hypochlorite treatment does not work well.
Coverslip holder	In house	N.A.	For the blastomere isolation.
Dissecting microscope: Zeiss Stemi 508 with M stand. Source of light is built-in LED. Magnification of eye piece is 10X.	Carl Zeiss	Stemi 508	For the blastomere isolation.
Fetal Bovine Serum, Qualified One Shot, Canada origin	Gibco	A3160701	For the blastomere isolation. Work in the tissue culture hood.
General Use and Precision Glide Hypodermic Needles, 25 gauge	BD	14-826AA	For the blastomere isolation
Inulin	Alfa Aesar	AAA1842509	For the blastomere isolation
MEM Vitamin Solution (100x)	Gibco	11120052	For the blastomere isolation.
MES (Fine White Crystals)	Fisher BioReagents	BP300-100	For the bead preparation
Multitest Slide 10 Well	MP Biomedicals	ICN6041805	For the blastomere isolation
PBS, Phosphate Buffered Saline, 10 x Powder	Fisher BioReagents	BP665-1	For the bead preparation
Penicillin-Streptomycin (10,000 U/mL)	Gibco	15140148	For the blastomere isolation.
Polyvinylpyrrolidone	Fisher BioReagents	BP431-100	For the blastomere isolation
Potassium Chloride	Bioshop	POC888	For the blastomere isolation
Rhodamine Red-X, Succinimidyl Ester, 5-isomer	Molecular Probes	R6160	For the bead preparation
Schneider's Drosophila Sterile Medium	Gibco	21720024	For the blastomere isolation. Work in the tissue culture hood.
Sodium Chloride	Bioshop	SOD001	For the blastomere isolation
Sodium Hydroxide Solution, 10 N	Fisher Chemical	SS255-1	For the blastomere isolation
Spinning disk confocal microscope: Yokogawa CSU-X1, Zeiss Axiovert inverted scope, Quant EM 512 camera, 63X NA 1.4 Plan apochromat objective lens. System was controlled by Slidebook 6.0.	Intelligent Imaging Innovation	N.A.	For live-imaging
Syringe Filters, PTFE, Non-Sterile	Basix	13100115	For the blastomere isolation.
Tygon S3 Laboratory Tubing,, Formulation E-3603, Inner diameter 3.175 mm	Saint Gobain Performance Plastics	89403-862	For the blastomere isolation.
Tygon S3 Laboratory Tubing,, Formulation E-3603, Inner diameter 6.35 mm	Saint Gobain Performance Plastics	89403-854	For the blastomere isolation.