This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIDCR.

1. Schematic Overview:
This video demonstrates the steps involved in performing the LIPS assay. Antigens are expressed in Cos1 cells as recombinant Renilla luciferase (Ruc)-antigen fusions, and crude extracts are obtained and used without purification. The LIPS assay is initiated by incubating crude Ruc-antigen extracts with patient sera in microtiter wells. The antibody-antigen mixture is then transferred to a 96-well filter plate containing protein A/G beads to capture IgG molecules. After washing the filter plate containing the protein A/G beads, antibody bound Ruc-antigen is measured by the addition of coelenterazine substrate and light units are measured with a luminometer.
PART 1: Transfection of Plasmids for production of Renilla-Antigen Fusion Proteins
Set-up: Cos1 cells are cultured in DMEM-10% FCS using standard tissue culture protocols. Plasmids for Renilla luciferase fusions have been described previously1. DNA for these plasmids is prepared using a Midiprep kit from Qiagen. The yield should be approximately 1 -3 mg. Measure the DNA concentration and store as a 1000 &mu;g/ml stock solution at -20&deg;C.
Procedure:
<ol>
<li>One day before transfection, split Cos-1 cells into new 100 x 20 mm dishes at approximately 2 X 106 per plate and incubate at 37 &deg;C.
</li>
<li>On the following day, the Cos-1 cells should be 80-95% confluent. Label 1.5 ml polypropylene microfuge tubes for each plasmid DNA to be transfected. Allow the FuGENE-6 transfection reagent, which is stored at 4&deg; C, to warm up to room temp.</li>
<li>Add 94 &mu;l of Opti-MEM media to each microfuge tube. Next add 6 &mu;l of FuGENE 6 to the Opti-MEM media without touching the side wall. </li>
<li>Incubate the mixture for 5 minutes at room temperature.</li>
<li>Add 1-2 &mu;g (from 1mg/ml DNA stock) of plasmid for Renilla luciferase antigen fusion construct. Mix and then incubate the mixture for 15 minutes at room temperature.</li>
<li>Transfer the DNA-FuGENE 6-Opti-MEM solution to the cells by dripping it evenly into the media of the Cos1 cells.</li>
</ol>
PART 2: Harvesting Renilla-antigen Fusions
<ol>
<li>Two days after transfection, the Cos-1 cells are harvested. This is initiated by removing the media and then rinsing the cells with 6 ml of PBS. After decanting the PBS, pipette away any residual PBS from the tissue culture dish.</li>
<li>Add 1.4 ml of cold lysis buffer composed of 50 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 100 mM NaCl, 5 mM MgCl2, 1% Triton X-100, 50% glycerol and protease inhibitors (2 tablets of complete miniprotease inhibitor cocktail per 50 ml of lysis buffer). Harvest cells with a cell scrapper and quickly transfer half of the lysate to each of two 1.5 ml microfuge tubes on ice.</li>
<li>A Branson Sonifier 150 is used to break the cells open. Place the microcentrifuge tube containing the cell lysate on ice and pulse for 5 sec, 5 sec and 5 sec with sonication settings of 2, 2 and 4, respectively.</li>
<li>Centrifuge the cell lysate at 12,500 RPM for two 4 minute spins at 4 &deg; C. After the first spin, gently invert the tubes to remove the loosely attached debris from the sidewall of the tube. After the second spin, carefully transfer the supernatant, without disrupting the pellet, from the two tubes to a new microfuge tube on ice. </li>
<li>Calculate the light units (LU) per &mu;l of lysate. To measure the LU, dilute 1 &mu;l of lysate with 8 &mu;l of PBS in a new microfuge tube. Directly add 100 &mu;l of 1X coelenterazine substrate to the diluted mixture and immediately measure luminescence in the tube using a tube luminometer (20/20n Turner Scientific) with a 5 second read.</li>
<li>Store the Ruc-antigen lysate at -20&deg; C for 1-2 days or store for longer period of times in aliquots at -80&deg; C.</li>
</ol>
PART 3: Preparing a Sera Master Plate
<ol>
<li>Make a sera master plate by first adding 450 &mu;l of buffer A (50 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 100 mM NaCl, 5 mM MgCl2, 1% Triton X-100) to each well of a 96-deep-well polypropylene microtiter plate. At this step, a dye, Phenol Red, can also be included in buffer A (final concentration is 0.2 &mu;g/ml in Buffer A) to act as a tracer for monitoring future sera sample addition and other steps of the LIPS assay.</li>
<li>Next add 50 &mu;l of sera from each sample to the different wells containing 450 &mu;l of buffer A. Note this is a 1:10 dilution of the sera in buffer A. Typically sera is not added to the last two wells of the master plate because this is reserved for the buffer blanks.</li>
<li>Before using the master plate, it is extensively shaken (1-2 hours) on a rotator platform. The serum in the master plate is stable for at least 1 month (or longer) at 4&deg; C, if stored correctly to prevent evaporation.</li>
<li>As described below, this master plate provides 10 &mu;l of diluted sera to be repeatedly removed for profiling of the sera against multiple antigens. Larger and smaller master plates can also be employed. Seal the plate well with Parafilm when it is not being used.</li>
</ol>
PART 4: LIPS assay
<ol>
<li>Polypropylene 96-shallow well microtiter plates are used to test sera. In the first step, add 40 &mu;l of buffer A to each well of the 96-well plate using an 8 channel micropipette.</li>
<li> Next take 10 &mu;l of diluted sera (1 &mu;l sera equivalent) from the master plate and add it directly to each well of the working plate using an 8 channel micropipette.</li>
<li> A master mix containing the Ruc-antigen extract is next formulated such that 1 X 107 light units (LU) is added in 50 &mu;l of buffer A to each well. Lower inputs (as little as 1 X 106) can also be used, but result in a lower dynamic range. Make this master mixture and pipette 50 &mu;l of Ruc-antigen mixture to each well.</li>
<li>Incubate the plate on a rotary shaker for 1 hour at room temperature. </li>
<li>During the incubation, add 5 &mu;l of a 30% suspension of Ultralink protein A/G beads (Pierce Biotechnology, Rockford, IL) in PBS to the bottom of each well of a new 96 well filter HTS plate (Millipore, Bedford, MA).</li>
<li>After the 1 hour incubation, transfer the 100 &mu;l Ruc-antigen antibody reaction mixture to 96 well filter HTS plates containing the protein A/G beads using an 8 channel micropipette.</li>
<li>Incubate the 96-well filter plate on a rotary shaker for 1 additional hour at room temperature. </li>
<li>Next wash the filter plate on a vacuum manifold. Each well is washed 8 times with 100 &mu;l of Buffer A, followed by two times with 100 &mu;l of PBS. This can be performed manually or with a robotic pipetting workstation. </li>
<li>Following the last wash, the vacuum is turned off. Remove the filter plate and blot it dry using a stack of paper towels or filter paper making sure to remove moisture on the top and bottom of the plate.</li>
</ol>
PART 5: Measuring Luminescence and data analysis
Set-up:
A Berthold LB 960 Centro microplate luminometer is used for determining luminescence in each well using a single injector. Once the machine is on, rinse the injector with distilled H2O using the injector wash cycle. Coelenterazine substrate is prepared using the Promega Renilla substrate kit as described by the manufacturer. Typically 6 ml of 1X coelenterazine substrate mix (i.e. 60 &mu;l coelenterazine stock plus 6 ml of 1X buffer) is prepared for priming the machine and running one full 96-well plate. Before analyzing the plate, the Berthold LB 960 Centro microplate luminometer is primed with 1X coelenterazine substrate. Open a program file containing the setting for injecting the substrate and reading the plate. For these measurements, 50 &mu;l of coelenterazine substrate is injected, the plate is shaken for 2 sec, followed by a 5 sec read of luminescence.
<ol>
<li>Although the plate luminometer has the capacity to read the entire plate, a partial read of the plate can also be selected (under the read menu). Start the program, which initiates reading of the plate.</li>
<li>After the run, remove the microtiter filter plate promptly to prevent spillage in the luminometer. Export the data generated with the MikroWin program into an Excel format for analysis.</li>
<li>We recommend evaluating the sera from two independent runs. Data is then averaged to generate the LU titer values for each sample. These values can further be adjusted to subtract the buffer blanks.</li>
<li>Additional data analysis such as determining the cutoff can be calculated by taking the mean plus 3 or 5 standard deviations of the control values.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Burbelo, P. D., Goldman, R., Mattson, T. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+simplified+immunoprecipitation+method+for+quantitatively+measuring+antibody+responses+in+clinical+sera+samples+by+using+mammalian-produced+Renilla+luciferase-antigen+fusion+proteins.">A simplified immunoprecipitation method for quantitatively measuring antibody responses in clinical sera samples by using mammalian-produced Renilla luciferase-antigen fusion proteins.</a> BMC Biotechnol. 5, 22-22 (2005).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D., Leahy, H. P., Iadarola, M. J., Nutman, T. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+Four-Antigen+Mixture+for+Rapid+Assessment+of+Onchocerca+volvulus+Infection.">A Four-Antigen Mixture for Rapid Assessment of Onchocerca volvulus Infection.</a> PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 3, e438-e438 (2009).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sensitive+and+robust+luminescent+profiling+of+anti-La+and+other+autoantibodies+in+Sj+gren&#x2019;s+syndrome.">Sensitive and robust luminescent profiling of anti-La and other autoantibodies in Sj gren&#x2019;s syndrome.</a> Autoimmunity. 139, 241-245 (2009).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rapid+antibody+quantification+and+generation+of+whole+proteome+antibody+response+profiles+using+LIPS+(luciferase+immunoprecipitation+systems).">Rapid antibody quantification and generation of whole proteome antibody response profiles using LIPS (luciferase immunoprecipitation systems).</a> Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 352, 889-895 (2007).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D., Groot, S., Dalakas, M. C., Iadarola, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+definition+profiling+of+autoantibodies+to+glutamic+acid+decarboxylases+GAD65/GAD67+in+stiff-person+syndrome.">High definition profiling of autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylases GAD65/GAD67 in stiff-person syndrome.</a> Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 366, 1-7 (2008).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+new+luminescence+assay+for+autoantibodies+to+mammalian+cell-prepared+insulinoma-associated+protein+2.">A new luminescence assay for autoantibodies to mammalian cell-prepared insulinoma-associated protein 2.</a> Diabetes Care. 31, 1824-1826 (2008).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Serological+diagnosis+of+human+herpes+simplex+virus+type+1+and+2+infections+by+luciferase+immunoprecipitation+system+assay.">Serological diagnosis of human herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 infections by luciferase immunoprecipitation system assay.</a> Clin Vaccine Immunol. 16, 366-371 (2009).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Highly+quantitative+serological+detection+of+anti-cytomegalovirus+(CMV)+antibodies.">Highly quantitative serological detection of anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies.</a> Virol J. 6, 45-45 (2009).</li><li>Burbelo, P. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Four-antigen+mixture+containing+v-cyclin+for+serological+screening+of+human+herpesvirus+8+infection.">Four-antigen mixture containing v-cyclin for serological screening of human herpesvirus 8 infection.</a> Clin Vaccine Immunol. 16, 621-627 (2009).</li><li>Ramanathan, 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+luciferase+immunoprecipitation+systems+assay+enhances+the+sensitivity+and+specificity+of+diagnosis+of+Strongyloides+stercoralis+infection.">A luciferase immunoprecipitation systems assay enhances the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection.</a> J Infect Dis. 198, 444-451 (2008).</li></ol>

LIPS requires minimal assay optimization and, due to its simplicity, high quality data can typically be generated using LIPS in under two weeks for any given antigen. The most time consuming steps are cloning and generating the appropriate plasmid expression vector containing the Ruc-antigen fusion. Once these plasmids are generated, single or multiple antigens can be rapidly tested with LIPS as described above. It should be noted that LIPS is quite versatile such that sera can also be tested in a tube format or alternatively on a microtiter filter plate with the aid of a BIOMEK robotic workstation2 or a plate washer with vacuum filtration. This highly scalable system allows for the parallel LIPS profiling of a panel of human autoantigens3 or the whole proteome of a virus4. It is likely that many different antibody profiles generated by LIPS will be useful for diagnostics3-9, antigen discovery9, following the course of a treatment10, vaccine monitoring and has broad implications for specific disease states and for public health in general.

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>HiSpeed Plasmid Midi KIt</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Qiagen</td>
<td>12643</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>100 x 20 mm tissue culture dishes</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fischer</td>
<td>353003</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Opti-MEM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>31985</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>FuGENE 6</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>1814443 </td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Complete, Mini protease inhibitor cocktail</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>11836153001</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Polypropylene 96 DeepWell 1 ml plate</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fischer</td>
<td>12-566-120 </td>
<td>Deep well plate with lid and seal with Parafilm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Polypropylene microtiter plate</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fischer</td>
<td>12-566-120</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>HTS Filter plate</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Millipore</td>
<td>MSBVN1B50</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Ultralink Immobilized Protein A/G</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Pierce</td>
<td>53133 (10ml)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Renilla Luciferase Assay System</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Promega </td>
<td>E2820</td>
<td>For 2000 assays</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Centro microplate luminometer</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Berthold</td>
<td>LB 960</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

antibody profiling by luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (lips)

Technologies for comprehensively understanding and quantifying antibody profiles to autoantigens and infectious agents may yield new insights into disease mechanisms and may elucidate new markers to substratify disease with different clinical features and better understand pathogenesis. We have developed a highly quantitative method called Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems (LIPS) for profiling patient sera antibody responses to autoantigens and pathogen antigens associated with infection. Unlike ELISAs, the highly sensitive LIPS is easily implemented to survey humoral serological response profiles to different antigens in a universal format and produces dynamic antibody titer ranges up to 6 log10 for some antigens. In these studies, quantitative profiling by LIPS of patient humoral responses against panels of antigens or even the entire proteome of some pathogens (i.e. HIV), is typically more informative than testing a single antigen by ELISA. In addition, LIPS also eliminates time and effort needed to produce highly purified antigens as well as the labor-intensive assay optimization steps needed for standard ELISAs. Here we provide a detailed protocol describing the technical aspects of performing LIPS assays for readily profiling antibody responses to single or multiple antigens.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Antibody Profiling by Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems LIPS at JoVE.com

Antibody Profiling by Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems LIPS

The technical aspects of performing LIPS (Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems) are described. The overall approach involves expressing chimeric genes encoding antigens fused to Renilla luciferase (Ruc) in mammalian cells. Crude Ruc-antigen extracts are then prepared and, without purification, employed in immunoprecipitation assays to quantify antibodies.

Antibody Profiling by Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems (LIPS)

Technologies for comprehensively understanding and quantifying antibody profiles to autoantigens and infectious agents may yield new insights into disease ...

antibody-profiling-by-luciferase-immunoprecipitation-systems-lips

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

26.7K Views.  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health. The technical aspects of performing LIPS (Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems) are described. The overall approach involves expressing chimeric genes encoding antigens fused to Renilla luciferase (Ruc) in mammalian cells. Crude Ruc-antigen extracts are then prepared and, without purification, employed in immunoprecipitation assays to quantify antibodies.

Video: Antibody Profiling by Luciferase Immunoprecipitation Systems LIPS

AC Electrokinetic Phenomena Generated by Microelectrode Structures

The field of AC electrokinetics is rapidly growing due to its ability to perform dynamic fluid and particle manipulation on the micro- and nano-scale, which is essential for Lab-on-a-Chip applications. AC electrokinetic phenomena use electric fields to generate forces that act on fluids or suspended particles (including those made of dielectric or biological material) and cause them to move in astonishing ways1, 2. Within a single channel, AC electrokinetics can accomplish many essential on-chip operations such as active micro-mixing, particle separation, particle positioning and micro-pattering. A single device may accomplish several of those operations by simply adjusting operating parameters such as frequency or amplitude of the applied voltage. Suitable electric fields can be readily created by micro-electrodes integrated into microchannels. It is clear from the tremendous growth in this field that AC electrokinetics will likely have a profound effect on healthcare diagnostics3-5, environmental monitoring6 and homeland security7.

In general, there are three AC Electrokinetic phenomena (AC electroosmosis, dielectrophoresis and AC electrothermal effect) each with unique dependencies on the operating parameters. A change in these operating parameters can cause one phenomena to become dominant over another, thus changing the particle or fluid behavior. 

It is difficult to predict the behavior of particles and fluids due to the complicated physics that underlie AC electrokinetics. It is the goal of this publication to explain the physics and elucidate particle and fluid behavior. Our analysis also covers how to fabricate the electrode structures that generate them, and how to interpret a wide number of experimental observations using several popular device designs. This video article will help scientists and engineers understand these phenomena and may encourage them to start using AC Electrokinetics in their research.

Manipulating fluids and suspended particles in the micro- and nano-scale is becoming more of a reality as enabling technologies, like AC electrokinetics, continue to develop. Here, we discuss the physics behind AC electrokinetics, how to fabricate these devices and how to interpret the experimental observations.

The field of AC electrokinetics is rapidly growing due to its ability to perform dynamic fluid and particle manipulation on the micro- and nano-scale, ...

Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation

The identification of DNA methylation patterns is a common procedure in the study of epigenetics, as methylation is known to have significant effects on gene expression, and is involved with normal development as well as disease 1-4. Thus, the ability to discriminate between methylated DNA and non-methylated DNA is essential for generating methylation profiles for such studies. Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) is an efficient technique for the extraction of methylated DNA from a sample of interest 5-7. A sample of as little as 200 ng of DNA is sufficient for the antibody, or immunoprecipitation (IP), reaction. DNA is sonicated into fragments ranging in size from 300-1000 bp, and is divided into immunoprecipitated (IP) and input (IN) portions. IP DNA is subsequently heat denatured and then incubated with anti-5'mC, allowing the monoclonal antibody to bind methylated DNA. After this, magnetic beads containing a secondary antibody with affinity for the primary antibody are added, and incubated. These bead-linked antibodies will bind the monoclonal antibody used in the first step. DNA bound to the antibody complex (methylated DNA) is separated from the rest of the DNA by using a magnet to pull the complexes out of solution. Several washes using IP buffer are then performed to remove the unbound, non-methylated DNA. The methylated DNA/antibody complexes are then digested with Proteinase K to digest the antibodies leaving only the methylated DNA intact. The enriched DNA is purified by phenol:chloroform extraction to remove the protein matter and then precipitated and resuspended in water for later use. PCR techniques can be used to validate the efficiency of the MeDIP procedure by analyzing the amplification products of IP and IN DNA for regions known to lack and known to contain methylated sequences. The purified methylated DNA can then be used for locus-specific (PCR) or genome-wide (microarray and sequencing) methylation studies, and is particularly useful when applied in conjunction with other research tools such as gene expression profiling and array comparative genome hybridization (CGH) 8. Further investigation into DNA methylation will lead to the discovery of new epigenetic targets, which in turn, may be useful in developing new therapeutic or prognostic research tools for diseases such as cancer that are characterized by aberrantly methylated DNA 2, 4, 9-11.

This video demonstrates the protocol for methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP). MeDIP is a two day procedure that selectively extracts methylated DNA fragments from a genomic DNA sample using antibodies with specificity for 5 -methylcytosine (anti-5 mC).

The identification of DNA methylation patterns is a common procedure in the study of epigenetics, as methylation is known to have significant effects on ...

IP-FCM:  Immunoprecipitation Detected by Flow Cytometry

Immunoprecipitation detected by flow cytometry (IP-FCM) is an efficient method for detecting and quantifying protein-protein interactions. The basic principle extends that of sandwich ELISA, wherein the captured primary analyte can be detected together with other molecules physically associated within multiprotein complexes. The procedure involves covalent coupling of polystyrene latex microbeads with immunoprecipitating monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specific for a protein of interest, incubating these beads with cell lysates, probing captured protein complexes with fluorochrome-conjugated probes, and analyzing bead-associated fluorescence by flow cytometry. IP-FCM is extremely sensitive, allows analysis of proteins in their native (non-denatured) state, and is amenable to either semi-quantitative or quantitative analysis. As additional advantages, IP-FCM requires no genetic engineering or specialized equipment, other than a flow cytometer, and it can be readily adapted for high-throughput applications.

The IP-FCM method is presented, which allows a sensitive, robust, biochemical assessment of native protein-protein interactions, without requiring genetic engineering or large sample sizes.

Immunoprecipitation detected by flow cytometry (IP-FCM) is an efficient method for detecting and quantifying protein-protein interactions. The basic ...

In vitro Transcription and Capping of Gaussia Luciferase mRNA Followed by HeLa Cell Transfection

In vitro transcription is the synthesis of RNA transcripts by RNA polymerase from a linear DNA template containing the corresponding promoter sequence (T7, T3, SP6) and the gene to be transcribed (Figure 1A). A typical transcription reaction consists of the template DNA, RNA polymerase, ribonucleotide triphosphates, RNase inhibitor and buffer containing Mg2+ ions.
Large amounts of high quality RNA are often required for a variety of applications. Use of in vitro transcription has been reported for RNA structure and function studies such as splicing1, RNAi experiments in mammalian cells2, antisense RNA amplification by the "Eberwine method"3, microarray analysis4 and for RNA vaccine studies5. The technique can also be used for producing radiolabeled and dye labeled probes6. Warren, et al. recently reported reprogramming of human cells by transfection with in vitro transcribed capped RNA7. The T7 High Yield RNA Synthesis Kit from New England Biolabs has been designed to synthesize up to 180 &mu;g RNA per 20 &mu;l reaction. RNA of length up to 10kb has been successfully transcribed using this kit. Linearized plasmid DNA, PCR products and synthetic DNA oligonucleotides can be used as templates for transcription as long as they have the T7 promoter sequence upstream of the gene to be transcribed.
Addition of a 5' end cap structure to the RNA is an important process in eukaryotes. It is essential for RNA stability8, efficient translation9, nuclear transport10 and splicing11. The process involves addition of a 7-methylguanosine cap at the 5' triphosphate end of the RNA. RNA capping can be carried out post-transcriptionally using capping enzymes or co-transcriptionally using cap analogs. In the enzymatic method, the mRNA is capped using the Vaccinia virus capping enzyme12,13. The enzyme adds on a 7-methylguanosine cap at the 5' end of the RNA using GTP and S-adenosyl methionine as donors (cap 0 structure). Both methods yield functionally active capped RNA suitable for transfection or other applications14 such as generating viral genomic RNA for reverse-genetic systems15 and crystallographic studies of cap binding proteins such as eIF4E16.
In the method described below, the T7 High Yield RNA Synthesis Kit from NEB is used to synthesize capped and uncapped RNA transcripts of Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) and Cypridina luciferase (CLuc). A portion of the uncapped GLuc RNA is capped using the Vaccinia Capping System (NEB). A linearized plasmid containing the GLuc or CLuc gene and T7 promoter is used as the template DNA. The transcribed RNA is transfected into HeLa cells and cell culture supernatants are assayed for luciferase activity. Capped CLuc RNA is used as the internal control to normalize GLuc expression.

In vitro Transcription and Capping of Gaussia Luciferase mRNA Followed by HeLa Cell Transfection

This method describes high yield in vitro synthesis of both capped and uncapped mRNA from a linearized plasmid containing the Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) gene. The RNA is purified and a fraction of the uncapped RNA is enzymatically capped using the Vaccinia virus capping enzyme. In the final step, the mRNA is transfected into HeLa cells and cell culture supernatants are assayed for luciferase activity.

In vitro transcription is the synthesis of RNA transcripts by RNA polymerase from a linear DNA template containing the corresponding promoter sequence ...

Chemically-blocked Antibody Microarray for Multiplexed High-throughput Profiling of Specific Protein Glycosylation in Complex Samples

In this study, we describe an effective protocol for use in a multiplexed high-throughput antibody microarray with glycan binding protein detection that allows for the glycosylation profiling of specific proteins. Glycosylation of proteins is the most prevalent post-translational modification found on proteins, and leads diversified modifications of the physical, chemical, and biological properties of proteins. Because the glycosylation machinery is particularly susceptible to disease progression and malignant transformation, aberrant glycosylation has been recognized as early detection biomarkers for cancer and other diseases. However, current methods to study protein glycosylation typically are too complicated or expensive for use in most normal laboratory or clinical settings and a more practical method to study protein glycosylation is needed. The new protocol described in this study makes use of a chemically blocked antibody microarray with glycan-binding protein (GBP) detection and significantly reduces the time, cost, and lab equipment requirements needed to study protein glycosylation. In this method, multiple immobilized glycoprotein-specific antibodies are printed directly onto the microarray slides and the N-glycans on the antibodies are blocked. The blocked, immobilized glycoprotein-specific antibodies are able to capture and isolate glycoproteins from a complex sample that is applied directly onto the microarray slides. Glycan detection then can be performed by the application of biotinylated lectins and other GBPs to the microarray slide, while binding levels can be determined using Dylight 549-Streptavidin. Through the use of an antibody panel and probing with multiple biotinylated lectins, this method allows for an effective glycosylation profile of the different proteins found in a given human or animal sample to be developed.
Introduction
Glycosylation of protein, which is the most ubiquitous post-translational modification on proteins, modifies the physical, chemical, and biological properties of a protein, and plays a fundamental role in various biological processes1-6. Because the glycosylation machinery is particularly susceptible to disease progression and malignant transformation, aberrant glycosylation has been recognized as early detection biomarkers for cancer and other diseases 7-12. In fact, most current cancer biomarkers, such as the L3 fraction of &alpha;-1 fetoprotein (AFP) for hepatocellular carcinoma 13-15, and CA199 for pancreatic cancer 16, 17 are all aberrant glycan moieties on glycoproteins. However, methods to study protein glycosylation have been complicated, and not suitable for routine laboratory and clinical settings. Chen et al. has recently invented a chemically blocked antibody microarray with a glycan-binding protein (GBP) detection method for high-throughput and multiplexed profile glycosylation of native glycoproteins in a complex sample 18. In this affinity based microarray method, multiple immobilized glycoprotein-specific antibodies capture and isolate glycoproteins from the complex mixture directly on the microarray slide, and the glycans on each individual captured protein are measured by GBPs. Because all normal antibodies contain N-glycans which could be recognized by most GBPs, the critical step of this method is to chemically block the glycans on the antibodies from binding to GBP. In the procedure, the cis-diol groups of the glycans on the antibodies were first oxidized to aldehyde groups by using NaIO4 in sodium acetate buffer avoiding light. The aldehyde groups were then conjugated to the hydrazide group of a cross-linker, 4-(4-N-MaleimidoPhenyl)butyric acid Hydrazide HCl (MPBH), followed by the conjugation of a dipeptide, Cys-Gly, to the maleimide group of the MPBH. Thus, the cis-diol groups on glycans of antibodies were converted into bulky none hydroxyl groups, which hindered the lectins and other GBPs bindings to the capture antibodies. This blocking procedure makes the GBPs and lectins bind only to the glycans of captured proteins. After this chemically blocking, serum samples were incubated with the antibody microarray, followed by the glycans detection by using different biotinylated lectins and GBPs, and visualized with Cy3-streptavidin. The parallel use of an antibody panel and multiple lectin probing provides discrete glycosylation profiles of multiple proteins in a given sample 18-20. This method has been used successfully in multiple different labs 1, 7, 13, 19-31. However, stability of MPBH and Cys-Gly, complicated and extended procedure in this method affect the reproducibility, effectiveness and efficiency of the method. In this new protocol, we replaced both MPBH and Cys-Gly with one much more stable reagent glutamic acid hydrazide (Glu-hydrazide), which significantly improved the reproducibility of the method, simplified and shorten the whole procedure so that the it can be completed within one working day. In this new protocol, we describe the detailed procedure of the protocol which can be readily adopted by normal labs for routine protein glycosylation study and techniques which are necessary to obtain reproducible and repeatable results.

In this study, we describe an improved protocol for a multiplexed high-throughput antibody microarray with lectin detection method that can be used in glycosylation profiling of specific proteins. This protocol features new reliable reagents and significantly reduces the time, cost, and lab equipment requirements as compared to the previous procedure.

 In this study, we describe an effective protocol for use in a multiplexed high-throughput antibody microarray with glycan binding protein detection that ...

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for proper morphogenesis during development. Misregulation of this process has been implicated as a key event in fibrosis and the progression of carcinomas to a metastatic state. Understanding the processes that underlie EMT is imperative for the early diagnosis and clinical control of these disease states. Reliable induction of EMT in vitro is a useful tool for drug discovery as well as to identify common gene expression signatures for diagnostic purposes. Here we demonstrate a straightforward method for the induction of EMT in a variety of cell types. Methods for the analysis of cells pre- and post-EMT induction by immunocytochemistry are also included. Additionally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this method through antibody-based array analysis and migration/invasion assays.

A straightforward method is described for the induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a variety of cell types. Methods for the analysis of cells in EMT states by immunocytochemistry are included.

Epithelial  to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for proper morphogenesis during  development. Misregulation of this  process has been implicated ...

Analysis of Translation Initiation During Stress Conditions by Polysome Profiling

Precise control of mRNA translation is fundamental for eukaryotic cell homeostasis, particularly in response to physiological and pathological stress. Alterations of this program can lead to the growth of damaged cells, a hallmark of cancer development, or to premature cell death such as seen in neurodegenerative diseases. Much of what is known concerning the molecular basis for translational control has been obtained from polysome analysis using a density gradient fractionation system. This technique relies on ultracentrifugation of cytoplasmic extracts on a linear sucrose gradient. Once the spin is completed, the system allows fractionation and quantification of centrifuged zones corresponding to different translating ribosomes populations, thus resulting in a polysome profile. Changes in the polysome profile are indicative of changes or defects in translation initiation that occur in response to various types of stress. This technique also allows to assess the role of specific proteins on translation initiation, and to measure translational activity of specific mRNAs. Here we describe our protocol to perform polysome profiles in order to assess translation initiation of eukaryotic cells and tissues under either normal or stress growth conditions.

Here, we describe a method to analyze changes in the initiation of mRNA translation of eukaryotic cells in response to stress conditions. This method is based on the velocity separation on sucrose gradients of translating ribosomes from non-translating ribosomes.

Precise control of mRNA translation is fundamental for eukaryotic cell homeostasis, particularly in response to physiological and pathological stress. ...

Profiling Individual Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Quantitative RT-PCR

Heterogeneity of stem cell population hampers detailed understanding of stem cell biology, such as their differentiation propensity toward different lineages. A single cell transcriptome assay can be a new approach for dissecting individual variation. We have developed the single cell qRT-PCR method, and confirmed that this method works well in several gene expression profiles. In single cell level, each human embryonic stem cell, sorted by OCT4::EGFP positive cells, has high expression in OCT4, but a different level of NANOG expression. Our single cell gene expression assay should be useful to interrogate population heterogeneities.

Single cell gene expression assay is needed for understanding stem cell heterogeneities.

Heterogeneity of stem cell population hampers detailed understanding of stem cell biology, such as their differentiation propensity toward different ...

Assessment of Selective mRNA Translation in Mammalian Cells by Polysome Profiling

Regulation of protein synthesis represents a key control point in cellular response to stress. In particular, discreet RNA regulatory elements were shown to allow to selective translation of specific mRNAs, which typically encode for proteins required for a particular stress response. Identification of these mRNAs, as well as the characterization of regulatory mechanisms responsible for selective translation has been at the forefront of molecular biology for some time. Polysome profiling is a cornerstone method in these studies. The goal of polysome profiling is to capture mRNA translation by immobilizing actively translating ribosomes on different transcripts and separate the resulting polyribosomes by ultracentrifugation on a sucrose gradient, thus allowing for a distinction between highly translated transcripts and poorly translated ones. These can then be further characterized by traditional biochemical and molecular biology methods. Importantly, combining polysome profiling with high throughput genomic approaches allows for a large scale analysis of translational regulation.

The ability of cells to adapt to stress is crucial for their survival. Regulation of mRNA translation is one such adaptation strategy, providing for rapid regulation of the proteome. Here, we provide a standardized polysome profiling protocol to identify specific mRNAs that are selectively translated under stress conditions.

Regulation of protein synthesis represents a key control point in cellular response to stress. In particular, discreet RNA regulatory elements were shown ...

Fecal Glucocorticoid Analysis: Non-invasive Adrenal Monitoring in Equids

Adrenal activity can be assessed in the equine species by analysis of feces for corticosterone metabolites. During a potentially aversive situation, corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) is released from the hypothalamus in the brain. This stimulates the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal gland. In horses the glucocorticoid corticosterone is responsible for several adaptations needed to support equine flight behaviour and subsequent removal from the aversive situation. Corticosterone metabolites can be detected in the feces of horses and assessment offers a non-invasive option to evaluate long term patterns of adrenal activity. Fecal assessment offers advantages over other techniques that monitor adrenal activity including blood plasma and saliva analysis. The non-invasive nature of the method avoids sampling stress which can confound results. It also allows the opportunity for repeated sampling over time and is ideal for studies in free ranging horses. This protocol describes the enzyme linked immunoassay (EIA) used to assess feces for corticosterone, in addition to the associated biochemical validation.

Adrenal activity can be assessed in the equine species by analysis of feces for corticosterone metabolites. The method offers a non-invasive option to assess long term patterns in both domestic and free ranging horses. This protocol describes the enzyme linked immunoassay involved and the associated biochemical validation.

Adrenal activity can be assessed in the equine species by analysis of feces for corticosterone metabolites. During a potentially aversive situation, ...