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In This Article

  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Protocol
  • Representative Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Materials
  • References
  • Reprints and Permissions

Summary

This protocol describes an approach for performing calcium imaging in virus-infected human intestinal organoids and offers an approach to analysis.

Abstract

Calcium signaling is an integral regulator of nearly every tissue. Within the intestinal epithelium, calcium is involved in the regulation of secretory activity, actin dynamics, inflammatory responses, stem cell proliferation, and many other uncharacterized cellular functions. As such, mapping calcium signaling dynamics within the intestinal epithelium can provide insight into homeostatic cellular processes and unveil unique responses to various stimuli. Human intestinal organoids (HIOs) are a high-throughput, human-derived model to study the intestinal epithelium and thus represent a useful system to investigate calcium dynamics. This paper describes a protocol to stably transduce HIOs with genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs), perform live fluorescence microscopy, and analyze imaging data to meaningfully characterize calcium signals. As a representative example, 3-dimensional HIOs were transduced with lentivirus to stably express GCaMP6s, a green fluorescent protein-based cytosolic GECI. The engineered HIOs were then dispersed into a single-cell suspension and seeded as monolayers. After differentiation, the HIO monolayers were infected with rotavirus and/or treated with drugs known to stimulate a calcium response. An epifluorescence microscope fitted with a temperature-controlled, humidified live-imaging chamber allowed for long-term imaging of infected or drug-treated monolayers. Following imaging, acquired images were analyzed using the freely available analysis software, ImageJ. Overall, this work establishes an adaptable pipeline for characterizing cellular signaling in HIOs.

Introduction

Calcium is a widely conserved second messenger that plays a critical role in regulating cellular physiology1. Given its strong charge, small size, and high solubility in physiological conditions, calcium is an ideal manipulator of protein conformation. This makes calcium a powerful means to transduce electrochemical signals into enzymatic, transcriptional, or post-transcriptional alterations. The strict calcium concentration gradients across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membranes create a high driving force that allows for rapid changes in cytosolic calcium concentration. Multiple mechanisms, including both buffering and active tra....

Protocol

All of the human intestinal organoids (HIOs) used in this protocol and the representative experiments were derived from human tissue obtained and maintained by the Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Enteroid Core. All samples were collected in accordance with a protocol approved by the Institutional Review Board at Baylor College of Medicine.

1. Preparation of materials and reagents

  1. For organoid maintenance, gather cell-culture treated 24-well plates, basement.......

Representative Results

Figure 1A shows a BMM dome containing 3-dimensional human intestinal organoids that have been transduced to stably express GCaMP6s. Figure 1B shows the same line of organoid replated as a monolayer at 24, 48, and 72 h post-seeding. To validate the function of GCaMP6s, the monolayer was imaged by fluorescence microscopy every 2 s for 4 min, and 100 nM ADP was added to the media after ~20 s. ADP elicits calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum, increasi.......

Discussion

Alterations in cytosolic Ca2+ levels can be both a cause and effect of pathologies within the epithelium10,16,17. Increases in cytosolic calcium can directly drive secretion via activation of the calcium-dependent chloride channel TMEM16A18,19. Activation of TMEM16A in response to Ca2+ allows for the apical efflux of chloride, establishing an osmoti.......

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants R01DK115507 and R01AI158683 (PI: J. M. Hyser) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Trainee support was provided by NIH grants F30DK131828 (PI: J.T. Gebert), F31DK132942 (PI: F. J. Scribano), and F32DK130288 (PI: K.A. Engevik). We would like to thank the Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Enteroid Core for providing the organoid maintenance media.

....

Materials

NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Advanced DMEM F12Gibco12634028
[Leu15]-Gastrin ISigma-AldrichG9145
0.05% Trypsin EDTA Gibco 25300054
0.05% Trypsin EDTA Gibco 25300054
1.5mL microcentrifuge tubesFisherbrand5408137
15mL conical tubesThermofisher Scientific0553859A
16% formaldehydeThermofisher Scientific28906
1M HEPESGibco15630080
1M HEPESGibco15630080
1X PBSCorning 21-040-CV
25 gauge needleThermofisher Scientific1482113D
A-83-01Tocris2939
ADPSigma-Aldrich A2754
Advanced DMEM F12Gibco12634028
Antibiotic-antimycocytic Gibco15240062
Antibiotic-antimycotic Gibco15240062
B27 SupplementGibco17504-044
Bovine serum albuminFisherScientific BP1600100
CellView Cell Culture Slide, PS, 75/25 MM, Glass Bottom, 10 compartmentsGreiner543979
Collagen IVSigma AldrichC5533
DAPIThermofisher ScientificD1306
EDTACorning46-034-CI
Fetal bovine serum Corning 35010CV
Fetal bovine serum Corning 35010CV
FluorobriteGibcoA1896701
GlutaMAX Gibco 35050079
GlutaMAX Gibco 35050079
Human epidermal growth factorProteinTechHZ-1326
LentivirusVectorBuilder(variable)
MatrigelBD Biosceicen356231/CB40230C
N2 SupplementGibco17502-048
N-acetylcysteineSigma-AldrichA9165-5G
NH4ClSigma-Aldrich A9434
NicotinamideSigma-AldrichN0636
Nunc Cell Culture Treated 24-well PlatesThermofisher Scientific142475
PolybreneMilliporeSigmaTR1003G
SB202190Sigma-AldrichS70767
Triton X-100Fisher BioReagentsBP151100
TrypLE Express Enzyme, no phenol redThermofisher Scientific12604013
TrypsinWorthington BiochemicalNC9811754
Y-27632Tocris1254

References

  1. Bootman, M. D., Bultynck, G. Fundamentals of cellular calcium signaling: A primer. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 12 (1), a038802 (2020).
  2. Clapham, D. E. Calcium signaling. Cell. 131 (6), 1047-1058 (2007).
  3. Danese, A., et al.

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