Name: microinjection of xenopus laevis oocytes
Uploaded: 2009-02-23T00:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microinjection of Xenopus Laevis Oocytes at JoVE.com

We thank David Theilmann (Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre, Summerland, British Columbia) for providing the baculovirus AcMNPV and for helpful discussion.
This work was supported by grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Part 1: Preparation of Xenopus oocytes for microinjection
<ol>
	<li>Place a small piece (about 2 cm) of Xenopus laevis ovary into a 50-ml conical tube containing 20 ml of collagenase solution (5 mg/ml collagenase in calcium-free modified Barth&#8217;s saline: 88 mM NaCl, 1 mM KCl, 0.82 mM MgSO4, 10 mM Hepes, pH 7.5). Collagenase is used to remove the follicle cells which surround the oocytes.</li>
	<li>Place the tube on a shaker platform and rock it gently (at 100 RPM) for one hour. This ti...

<ol>
	<li>Pant&#233;, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+intact+Xenopus+oocytes+in+nucleocytoplasmic+transport+studies.">Use of intact Xenopus oocytes in nucleocytoplasmic transport studies.</a> Methods Mol. Biol. 322, 301-314 (2006).</li><li>Pant&#233;, N., Kann, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nuclear+pore+complex+is+able+to+transport+macromolecules+with+diameters+of+about+39+nm.">Nuclear pore complex is able to transport macromolecules with diameters of about 39 nm.</a> Mol. Biol. Cell. 13 (2), 425-434 (2002).</li><li>Rabe, B., Vlachou, A., Pant&#233;, N., Helenius, N., Kann, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nuclear+import+of+hepatitis+B+virus+capsids+and+release+of+the+viral+genome.">Nuclear import of hepatitis B virus capsids and release of the viral genome.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100 (17), 9849-9854 (2003).</li><li>Cohen, S., Pant&#233;, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pushing+the+Envelope:+Microinjection+of+MVM+into+Xenopus+oocytes+causes+damage+to+the+nuclear+envelope.">Pushing the Envelope: Microinjection of MVM into Xenopus oocytes causes damage to the nuclear envelope.</a> J. Gen. Virol. 86 (12), 3243-3252 (2005).</li><li>Pant&#233;, N., Jarmolowski, A., Izaurralde, E., Sauder, U., Baschong, W., Mattaj, I. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Visualizing+nuclear+export+of+different+classes+of+RNA+by+electron+microscopy.">Visualizing nuclear export of different classes of RNA by electron microscopy.</a> RNA. 3, 498-513 (1997).</li></ol>

Microinjection of Xenopus oocytes combined with thin-sectioning EM is a highly effective tool for studying nucleocytoplasmic transport. This system has been used to map distinct steps of import through the NPC, for example interaction of a nuclear import substrate with structural components of the NPC such as the cytoplasmic filaments and nuclear basket (reviewed by Pant&eacute;, 2006). It has also been used to study the nuclear import of nuclear-replicating viruses (Pant&eacute; and Kann, 2002; Rabe et al.<...

microinjection of xenopus laevis oocytes

Microinjection of Xenopus laevis oocytes followed by thin-sectioning electron microscopy (EM) is an excellent system for studying nucleocytoplasmic transport. Because of its large nucleus and high density of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), nuclear transport can be easily visualized in the Xenopus oocyte. Much insight into the mechanisms of nuclear import and export has been gained through use of this system (reviewed by Pant&eacute;, 2006). In addition, we have used microinjection of Xenopus oocytes to dissect the nuclear import pathways of several viruses that replicate in the host nucleus. 
Here we demonstrate the cytoplasmic microinjection of Xenopus oocytes with a nuclear import substrate. We also show preparation of the injected oocytes for visualization by thin-sectioning EM, including dissection, dehydration, and embedding of the oocytes into an epoxy embedding resin. Finally, we provide representative results for oocytes that have been microinjected with the capsid of the baculovirus Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) or the parvovirus Minute Virus of Mice (MVM), and discuss potential applications of the technique.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Microinjection of Xenopus Laevis Oocytes at JoVE.com

Microinjection of Xenopus Laevis Oocytes (Video) | JoVE

Here we demonstrate cytoplasmic microinjection of Xenopus laevis oocytes with a nuclear import substrate, as well as preparation of the injected oocytes for visualization by thin-sectioning electron microscopy.

Microinjection of Xenopus Laevis Oocytes

Microinjection of Xenopus laevis oocytes followed by thin-sectioning electron microscopy (EM) is an excellent system for studying nucleocytoplasmic ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Plastic Embedding and Sectioning of Xenopus laevis Embryos

Plastic Embedding and Sectioning of Xenopus laevis Embryos (Video) | JoVE

Obtaining Eggs from Xenopus laevis Females

Obtaining Eggs from Xenopus laevis Females (Video) | JoVE

The eggs of Xenopus laevis intact, lysed, and/or fractionated are useful for a wide variety of experiments. This protocol shows how to induce egg laying, ...

Preparation and Fractionation of Xenopus laevis Egg Extracts

Preparation and Fractionation of Xenopus laevis Egg Extracts (Video) | JoVE

Crude and fractionated Xenopus egg extracts can be used to provide ingredients for reconstituting cellular processes for morphological and biochemical ...

Patch Clamp Recording of Ion Channels Expressed in  Xenopus Oocytes

Patch Clamp Recording of Ion Channels Expressed in  Xenopus Oocytes (Video) | JoVE

Since its development by Sakmann and Neher 1, 2, the patch clamp has become established as an extremely useful technique for electrophysiological ...

Visualizing RNA Localization in Xenopus Oocytes

Visualizing RNA Localization in Xenopus Oocytes (Video) | JoVE

RNA localization is a conserved mechanism of establishing cell polarity.  Vg1 mRNA localizes to the vegetal pole of Xenopus laevis oocytes and acts to ...

Fertilization of Xenopus oocytes using the Host Transfer Method

Fertilization of Xenopus oocytes using the Host Transfer Method (Video) | JoVE

Studying the contribution of maternally inherited molecules to vertebrate early development is often hampered by the time and expense necessary to ...

Tissue Determination Using the Animal Cap Transplant (ACT) Assay in Xenopus laevis

Tissue Determination Using the Animal Cap Transplant ACT Assay in Xenopus laevis (Video) | JoVE

Many proteins play a dual role in embryonic development. Those that regulate cell fate determination in a specific tissue can also affect the development ...

Live-cell Imaging and Quantitative Analysis of Embryonic Epithelial Cells in Xenopus laevis

Live-cell Imaging and Quantitative Analysis of Embryonic Epithelial Cells in Xenopus laevis (Video) | JoVE

Embryonic epithelial cells serve as an ideal model to study morphogenesis where multi-cellular tissues undergo changes in their geometry, such as changes ...

Production of Transgenic Xenopus laevis by Restriction Enzyme Mediated Integration and Nuclear Transplantation

Production of Transgenic Xenopus laevis by Restriction Enzyme Mediated Integration and Nuclear Transplantation (Video) | JoVE

Stable integration of cloned gene products into the Xenopus genome is necessary to control the time and place of expression, to express genes at later ...

Facial Transplants in Xenopus laevis Embryos

Facial Transplants in Xenopus laevis Embryos (Video) | JoVE

Craniofacial birth defects occur in 1 out of every 700 live births, but etiology is rarely known due to limited understanding of craniofacial development. ...