Universal Molecular Retention with 11-Fold Expansion Microscopy

Summary

Presented here is a new version of expansion microscopy (ExM), Magnify, that is modified for up to 11-fold expansion, conserving a comprehensive array of biomolecule classes, and is compatible with a broad range of tissue types. It enables the interrogation of the nanoscale configuration of biomolecules using conventional diffraction-limited microscopes.

Abstract

The nanoscale imaging of biological specimens can improve the understanding of disease pathogenesis. In recent years, expansion microscopy (ExM) has been demonstrated to be an effective and low-cost alternative to optical super-resolution microscopy. However, it has been limited by the need for specific and often custom anchoring agents to retain different biomolecule classes within the gel and by difficulties with expanding standard clinical sample formats, such as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, especially if larger expansion factors or preserved protein epitopes are desired. Here, we describe Magnify, a new ExM method for robust expansion up to 11-fold in a wide array of tissue types. By using methacrolein as the chemical anchor between the tissue and gel, Magnify retains multiple biomolecules, such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, within the gel, thus allowing the broad nanoscale imaging of tissues on conventional optical microscopes. This protocol describes best practices to ensure robust and crack-free tissue expansion, as well as tips for handling and imaging highly expanded gels.

Introduction

Biological systems exhibit structural heterogeneity, from the limbs and the organs down to the levels of proteins at the nanoscale. Therefore, a complete understanding of the operation of these systems requires visual examination across these size scales. However, the diffraction limit of light causes challenges in visualizing structures smaller than ~200-300 nm on a conventional fluorescence microscope. In addition, optical super-resolution methods^1,2,3, such as stimulated emission depletion (STED), photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM), stochastic optical reco....

Protocol

All the experimental procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) guidelines and were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Carnegie Mellon University. Human tissue samples were commercially obtained.

1. Preparation of the stock reagents and solutions

NOTE: Refer to the Table of Materials for a list of the reagents used.

1. Prepare the gellin.......

Discussion

Here, we present the Magnify protocol¹⁷, an ExM variant that can retain multiple biomolecules with a single chemical anchor and expand challenging FFPE clinical specimens up to 11-fold with heat denaturation. The key changes in this protocol that distinguish it from other ExM protocols include the use of a reformulated gel that remains mechanically robust even when fully expanded, as well as the use of methacrolein as the biomolecule anchor. The most critical steps in this protocol are as follows:.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
4-hydroxy-TEMPO (4HT)	Sigma Aldrich	176141	Inhibitor
6-well glass-bottom plate (#1.5 coverglass)	Cellvis	P06-1.5H-N
Acrylamide	Sigma Aldrich	A8887	Gel Monomer component
Ammonium persulfate (APS)	Sigma Aldrich	A3678	Initiatior
DAPI (1 mg/mL)	Thermo Scientific	62248
Decaethylene glycol mono dodecyl ether (C12E10)	Sigma Aldrich	P9769	Non-ionic surfactant
Diamond knife No. 88 CM	General Tools	31116
Ethanol	Pharmco	111000200
Ethanol	Pharmco	111000200
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) 0.5 M	VWR	BDH7830-1	Homogenization Buffer Component
Forceps
Glycine	Sigma Aldrich	G8898	Homogenization Buffer Component
Heparin	Sigma Aldrich	H3393
Methacrolein	Sigma Aldrich	133035	Anchoring Agent
Micro cover Glass #1 (24x60mm)	VWR	48393 106
Micro cover Glass #1.5 (24x60mm)	VWR	48393 251
N,N,N′,N′- Tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED)	Sigma Aldrich	T9281	Accelerator
N,N′-Methylenebisacrylamide (Bis)	Sigma Aldrich	M7279	Gel Monomer component
N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA)	Sigma Aldrich	274135	Gel Monomer component
Nunclon 4-Well x 5 mL MultiDish Cell Culture Dish	Thermo Fisher	167063
Nunclon 6-Well Cell Culture Dish	Thermo Fisher	140675
Nunc™ 15mL Conical	Thermo Fisher	339651
Nunc™ 50mL Conical	Thermo Fisher	339653
Orbital Shaker
Paint brush
pH Meter
Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS), 10x Solution	Fischer Scientific	BP399-1
Polyethylene glycol  200	Sigma Aldrich	P-3015
Proteinase K (Molecular Biology Grade)	Thermo Scientific	EO0491
Razor blade	Fischer Scientifc	12640
Safelock Microcentrifuge Tubes 1.5 mL	Thermo Fisher	3457
Safelock Microcentrifuge Tubes 2.0 mL	Thermo Fisher	3459
Sodium acrylate (SA)	AK Scientific	R624	Gel Monomer component
Sodium azide	Sigma Aldrich	S2002
Sodium chloride	Sigma Aldrich	S6191
Sodium citrate tribasic dihydrate	Sigma Aldrich	C8532-1KG
Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)	Sigma Aldrich	L3771	Homogenization Buffer Component
Tris Base	Fischer Scientific	BP152-1	Homogenization Buffer Component
Triton X-100	Sigma Aldrich	T8787
Urea	Sigma Aldrich	U5378	Homogenization Buffer Component
Xylenes	Sigma Aldrich	214736
20x SSC	Thermo Scientific	AM9763
Tween20	Sigma Aldrich	P1379
poly-L-lysine	Sigma Aldrich	P8920