1. Cell Dissociation
<ol>
	<li>A flowchart outlining the protocol is shown is Figure 1. For the catalog numbers of the particular reagents used throughout this protocol, please refer to Table 1. Dissect the retina in a PBS bath. During the dissection, it is best to remove the vitreous and the lens since keeping them with the retina can impede the dissociation. It is not always critically important to remove all of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and in some instances it may be imp...

<ol>
	<li>Tietjen, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Single-cell+transcriptional+analysis+of+neuronal+progenitors.">Single-cell transcriptional analysis of neuronal progenitors.</a> Neuron. 38, 161-175 (2003).</li><li>Trimarchi, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+heterogeneity+of+developing+retinal+ganglion+and+amacrine+cells+revealed+through+single+cell+gene+expression+profiling.">Molecular heterogeneity of developing retinal ganglion and amacrine cells revealed through single cell gene expression profiling.</a> J. Comp. Neurol. 502, 1047-1065 (2007).</li><li>Trimarchi, J. M., Cho, S. H., Cepko, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+genes+expressed+preferentially+in+the+developing+peripheral+margin+of+the+optic+cup.">Identification of genes expressed preferentially in the developing peripheral margin of the optic cup.</a> Dev. Dyn. 238, 2327-2327 (2009).</li><li>Cherry, T. J., Trimarchi, J. M., Stadler, M. B., Cepko, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+and+diversification+of+retinal+amacrine+interneurons+at+single+cell+resolution.">Development and diversification of retinal amacrine interneurons at single cell resolution.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 9495-9500 (2009).</li><li>Roesch, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+transcriptome+of+retinal+Muller+glial+cells.">The transcriptome of retinal Muller glial cells.</a> J. Comp. Neurol. 509, 225-238 (2008).</li><li>Ramos, C. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evidence+for+diversity+in+transcriptional+profiles+of+single+hematopoietic+stem+cells.">Evidence for diversity in transcriptional profiles of single hematopoietic stem cells.</a> PLoS Genet. 2, e159 (2006).</li><li>Chiang, M. K., Melton, D. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Single-cell+transcript+analysis+of+pancreas+development.">Single-cell transcript analysis of pancreas development.</a> Dev. Cell. 4, 383-393 (2003).</li><li>Trimarchi, J. M., Stadler, M. B., Cepko, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Individual+retinal+progenitor+cells+display+extensive+heterogeneity+of+gene+expression.">Individual retinal progenitor cells display extensive heterogeneity of gene expression.</a> PLoS ONE. 3, e1588 (2008).</li><li>Nelson, S. B., Sugino, K., Hempel, C. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+problem+of+neuronal+cell+types:+a+physiological+genomics+approach.">The problem of neuronal cell types: a physiological genomics approach.</a> Trends Neurosci. 29, 339-345 (2006).</li><li>Stevens, C. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Neuronal+diversity:+too+many+cell+types+for+comfort.">Neuronal diversity: too many cell types for comfort.</a> Curr. Biol. 8, R708-R710 (1998).</li><li>Cepko, C. L., Austin, C. P., Yang, X., Alexiades, M., Ezzeddine, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+fate+determination+in+the+vertebrate+retina.">Cell fate determination in the vertebrate retina.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93, 589-595 (1996).</li><li>Kim, D. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+molecular+markers+of+bipolar+cells+in+the+murine+retina.">Identification of molecular markers of bipolar cells in the murine retina.</a> J. Comp. Neurol. 507, 1795-1810 (2008).</li><li>Chang, H. H., Hemberg, M., Barahona, M., Ingber, D. E., Huang, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcriptome-wide+noise+controls+lineage+choice+in+mammalian+progenitor+cells.">Transcriptome-wide noise controls lineage choice in mammalian progenitor cells.</a> Nature. 453, 544-547 (2008).</li><li>Levsky, J. M., Singer, R. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+expression+and+the+myth+of+the+average+cell.">Gene expression and the myth of the average cell.</a> Trends Cell Biol. 13, 4-6 (2003).</li><li>Livesey, F. J., Cepko, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Vertebrate+neural+cell-fate+determination:+lessons+from+the+retina.">Vertebrate neural cell-fate determination: lessons from the retina.</a> Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2, 109-118 (2001).</li><li>Masland, R. H., Raviola, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Confronting+complexity:+strategies+for+understanding+the+microcircuitry+of+the+retina.">Confronting complexity: strategies for understanding the microcircuitry of the retina.</a> Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 23, 249-284 (2000).</li><li>Blackshaw, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genomic+analysis+of+mouse+retinal+development.">Genomic analysis of mouse retinal development.</a> PLoS Biol. 2, e247 (2004).</li><li>Livesey, F. J., Young, T. L., Cepko, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+analysis+of+the+gene+expression+program+of+mammalian+neural+progenitor+cells.">An analysis of the gene expression program of mammalian neural progenitor cells.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101, 1374-1379 (2004).</li><li>Chowers, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+of+novel+genes+preferentially+expressed+in+the+retina+using+a+custom+human+retina+cDNA+microarray.">Identification of novel genes preferentially expressed in the retina using a custom human retina cDNA microarray.</a> Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 44, 3732-3741 (2003).</li><li>Clarke, G. C., Leavitt, R. A., Andrews, B. R., Hayden, D. F., Lumsden, M. R., J, C., McInnes, R. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+one-hit+model+of+cell+death+in+inherited+neuronal+degenerations.">A one-hit model of cell death in inherited neuronal degenerations.</a> Nature. 406, 195-199 (2000).</li><li>McEvoy, J. F. -. O., Zhang, J., Nemeth, J., Brennan, K., Bradley, R., Krafcik, C., Rodriguez-Galindo, F., Wilson, C., Xiong, M., Lozano, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Coexpression+of+normally+incompatible+developmental+pathways+in+retinoblastoma+genesis.">Coexpression of normally incompatible developmental pathways in retinoblastoma genesis.</a> Cancer Cell. 20, 260-275 (2011).</li><li>Gelder, R. N. V. a. n. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Amplified+RNA+synthesized+from+limited+quantities+of+heterogeneous+cDNA.">Amplified RNA synthesized from limited quantities of heterogeneous cDNA.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 1663-1667 (1990).</li><li>Ginsberg, S. D., Che, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expression+profile+analysis+within+the+human+hippocampus:+comparison+of+CA1+and+CA3+pyramidal+neurons.">Expression profile analysis within the human hippocampus: comparison of CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons.</a> J. Comp. Neurol. 487, 107-118 (2005).</li><li>Iscove, N. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Representation+is+faithfully+preserved+in+global+cDNA+amplified+exponentially+from+sub-picogram+quantities+of+mRNA.">Representation is faithfully preserved in global cDNA amplified exponentially from sub-picogram quantities of mRNA.</a> Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 940-943 (2002).</li><li>Subkhankulova, T., Livesey, F. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparative+evaluation+of+linear+and+exponential+amplification+techniques+for+expression+profiling+at+the+single-cell+level.">Comparative evaluation of linear and exponential amplification techniques for expression profiling at the single-cell level.</a> Genome Biol. 7, R18 (2006).</li></ol>

No conflicts of interest declared.

An ever-expanding number of studies are revealing robust cell-to-cell variability in populations that were believed to be more homogeneous with regard to their gene expression6,8. In at least one instance, this gene expression "noise" has been shown to play an important biological function13. Gene expression differences between individual cells are obscured using traditional whole-tissue methods. These experiments generate the expression profile of an "average" cell, which may not be representative<...

Reaction mixtures:
Cell Lysis buffer
<table border="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.45 &mu;</td>
			<td>10X reaction buffer (100 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.3, 500 mM KCl, 2 mM MgCl2)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.23 &mu;l</td>
			<td>10% NP-40</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.23 &mu;l</td>
			<td>0.1M DTT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.05 &mu;l</td>
			<td>RNase Inhibitor (40 U/&mu;l)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.05 &mu;l</td>
			<td>SUPERase-In (20U/&mu;l)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.13 &mu;l</td>
			<td>Modified Oligo d(T) primer 
			(TATAGAATTCGCGGCCGCTCGCGATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.09 &mu;l</td>
			<td>dNTPs (2.5 mM each)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>3.27 &mu;l</td>
			<td>dH20 (use molecular biology grade for all reaction mixtures)</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Tailing Reaction Mixture
<table border="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.18 &mu;l</td>
			<td>100 mM dATP</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.6 &mu;l</td>
			<td>10X reaction buffer(100 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.3, 500 mM KCl, 2 mM MgCl2)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4.62 &mu;l</td>
			<td>dH2O</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.3 &mu;l</td>
			<td>TdT (400 U/&mu;l)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.3 &mu;l</td>
			<td>RNase H (2 U/&mu;l)</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
PCR Reaction Mixture
<table border="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>10 &mu;l</td>
			<td>10x Ex-Taq HS Buffer with Mg2+</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10 &mu;l</td>
			<td>2.5 mM dNTPs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.2 &mu;l</td>
			<td>Modified Oligo d(T) primer (10 &mu;g/&mu;l)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1 &mu;l</td>
			<td>Ex-Taq HS Polymerase (5U/&mu;l)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>68.8 &mu;l</td>
			<td>dH2O</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
10X One-Phor All Buffer
<table border="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.5M</td>
			<td>Potassium acetate</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.1M</td>
			<td>Tris acetate (pH 7.6)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.1M</td>
			<td>Magnesium acetate</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Solutions:
10X Phosphate buffered saline (1 liter)
80g NaCl 
2g KCl 
14.4 g Na2PO4 
2.4 g KH2PO4 
adjust to pH 7.4 with NaOH and bring the volume to 1 liter with water
<table border="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Name of the reagent</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalog number</td>
			<td>Comments </td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vertical needle puller</td>
			<td>David Kopf Instruments</td>
			<td>Model 750</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcapillary tubes</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P0674</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Aspirator tube assembly</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A5177</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Corning filter tips (100-1000 &mu;l</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>07-200-265</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hank's balanced salt solution (1X)</td>
			<td>Lonza BioWhittaker</td>
			<td>10-508F</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES buffer (1M)</td>
			<td>MP Biomedicals</td>
			<td>091688449</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine serum albumin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A9418</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DNase I</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>04716728001</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>papain</td>
			<td>Worthington</td>
			<td>LS03126</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Superscript III</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>18080-044</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNase Inhibitor</td>
			<td>Applied Biosystems</td>
			<td>AM2682</td>
			<td>These two RNase inhibitors seem to work the best. Contaminants present in other inhibitors can contribute to a background smear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SUPERase-In</td>
			<td>Applied Biosystems</td>
			<td>AM2694</td>
			<td>These two RNase inhibitors seem to work the best. Contaminants present in other inhibitors can contribute to a background smear.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Modified Oligo d(T) primer (gel purified)</td>
			<td>Oligos ETC</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>We have used primers purchased from many different companies and have seen the most reliable and reproducible results from Oligos ETC.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>T4 gene 32 protein</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>M0300L</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Exonuclease I</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>M0293S</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TdT</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>3 333 574</td>
			<td>As with other reagents, using a TdT enzyme from other companies gave more variable results.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNase H</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>18021-014</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ex-Taq HS Polymerase</td>
			<td>Takara</td>
			<td>RR006A</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Biotin N6-ddATP</td>
			<td>Enzo Biosciences</td>
			<td>42809</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Table 1. Specific reagents and equipment.

single-cell profiling of developing and mature retinal neurons

Highly specialized, but exceedingly small populations of cells play important roles in many tissues. The identification of cell-type specific markers and gene expression programs for extremely rare cell subsets has been a challenge using standard whole-tissue approaches. Gene expression profiling of individual cells allows for unprecedented access to cell types that comprise only a small percentage of the total tissue1-7. In addition, this technique can be used to examine the gene expression programs that are transiently expressed in small numbers of cells during dynamic developmental transitions8.
This issue of cellular diversity arises repeatedly in the central nervous system (CNS) where neuronal connections can occur between quite diverse cells9. The exact number of distinct cell types is not precisely known, but it has been estimated that there may be as many as 1000 different types in the cortex itself10. The function(s) of complex neural circuits may rely on some of the rare neuronal types and the genes they express. By identifying new markers and helping to molecularly classify different neurons, the single-cell approach is particularly useful in the analysis of cell types in the nervous system. It may also help to elucidate mechanisms of neural development by identifying differentially expressed genes and gene pathways during early stages of neuronal progenitor development.
As a simple, easily accessed tissue with considerable neuronal diversity, the vertebrate retina is an excellent model system for studying the processes of cellular development, neuronal differentiation and neuronal diversification. However, as in other parts of the CNS, this cellular diversity can present a problem for determining the genetic pathways that drive retinal progenitors to adopt a specific cell fate, especially given that rod photoreceptors make up the majority of the total retinal cell population11. Here we report a method for the identification of the transcripts expressed in single retinal cells (Figure 1). The single-cell profiling technique allows for the assessment of the amount of heterogeneity present within different cellular populations of the retina2,4,5,12. In addition, this method has revealed a host of new candidate genes that may play role(s) in the cell fate decision-making processes that occur in subsets of retinal progenitor cells8. With some simple adjustments to the protocol, this technique can be utilized for many different tissues and cell types.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Single-cell Profiling of Developing and Mature Retinal Neurons at JoVE.com

Single-cell Profiling of Developing and Mature Retinal Neurons

A method for the isolation of single retinal cells and subsequent amplification of their cDNAs is described. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals the degree of cellular heterogeneity present in a tissue and uncovers new marker genes for rare cell populations. The accompanying protocol can be adjusted to suit many different cell types.

Highly specialized, but exceedingly small populations of cells play important roles in many tissues. The identification of cell-type specific markers and ...

single-cell-profiling-of-developing-and-mature-retinal-neurons

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

14.0K Görüntüleme.  Iowa State University. Tek retina hücreleri ve bunların cDNAlann sonraki amplifikasyon izolasyonu için bir yöntem tarif edilmiştir. Tek hücreli transkriptomik bir dokusunda hücresel heterojenite mevcut derecesini ortaya koymaktadır ve nadir hücre popülasyonu için yeni belirteç genlerin ortaya çıkarır. Beraberindeki protokol birçok farklı hücre tiplerine uyacak şekilde ayarlanabilir.