Name: assaying the ability of diffusible signaling molecules to reorient embryonic spinal commissural axons
Uploaded: 2010-03-08T16:41:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assaying the Ability of Diffusible Signaling Molecules to Reorient Embryonic Spinal Commissural Axons at JoVE.com

This protocol was developed in the laboratories of Jane Dodd, Thomas Jessell and Andrew Lumsden. Many people, including Konrad Basler, Ann Calof, Thomas Edlund, Phil Hamilton, Domna Karagogeos, Ariel Ruiz i Altaba and Toshiya Yamada determined how to culture explants of spinal cord in collagen. Marysia Placzek and Marc Tessier-Lavigne pioneered the technique of using axon growth from in vitro explants as a means of identifying axon guidance molecules. Work in the Butler laboratory is supported by grants from the March of Dimes and R01 NS063999 from NIH/NINDS.

Part 1: Preparation of Aggregates of Transfected COS Cells using Hanging Drops
<ol>
 <li>Seed COS-7 (COS) cells in 35mm culture dishes. When they reach 80% confluency, transfect 1&mu;g of the expression plasmid into the cells using Lipofectamine2000 according to the manufacturer s protocol. </li>
 <li>To prepare hanging drops, aspirate the transfection medium and rinse the transfected COS cells with 1ml of 1x Phosphate Buffered Solution (PBS). Treat cells with 0.5ml of enzyme-free cell dissociation medium for 15 mi...

<ol>
	<li>Altman, J., Bayer, S. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> The development of the rat spinal cord. , (1984).</li><li>Placzek, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tissue+recombinations+in+collagen+gels.">Tissue recombinations in collagen gels.</a> Methods in molecular biology. , 325-335 (2008).</li><li>Augsburger, A., Schuchardt, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=BMPs+as+mediators+of+roof+plate+repulsion+of+commissural+neurons.">BMPs as mediators of roof plate repulsion of commissural neurons.</a> Neuron. 24, 127-141 (1999).</li><li>Butler, S. J., Dodd, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+role+for+BMP+heterodimers+in+roof+plate-mediated+repulsion+of+commissural+axons.">A role for BMP heterodimers in roof plate-mediated repulsion of commissural axons.</a> Neuron. 38, 389-401 (2003).</li><li>Kennedy, T. E., Serafini, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Netrins+are+diffusible+chemotropic+factors+for+commissural+axons+in+the+embryonic+spinal+cord.">Netrins are diffusible chemotropic factors for commissural axons in the embryonic spinal cord.</a> Cell. 78, 425-435 (1994).</li><li>Charron, F., Stein, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+morphogen+sonic+hedgehog+is+an+axonal+chemoattractant+that+collaborates+with+netrin-1+in+midline+axon+guidance.">The morphogen sonic hedgehog is an axonal chemoattractant that collaborates with netrin-1 in midline axon guidance.</a> Cell. 113, 11-23 (2003).</li><li>Lumsden, A. G., Davies, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chemotropic+effect+of+specific+target+epithelium+in+the+developing+mammalian+nervous+system.">Chemotropic effect of specific target epithelium in the developing mammalian nervous system.</a> Nature. 323, 538-539 (1986).</li><li>Dodd, J., Morton, S. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spatial+regulation+of+axonal+glycoprotein+expression+on+subsets+of+embryonic+spinal+neurons.">Spatial regulation of axonal glycoprotein expression on subsets of embryonic spinal neurons.</a> Neuron. 1, 105-116 (1988).</li><li>Yamauchi, K., Phan, K. D., Butler, S. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=BMP+type+I+receptor+complexes+have+distinct+activities+mediating+cell+fate+and+axon+guidance+decisions.">BMP type I receptor complexes have distinct activities mediating cell fate and axon guidance decisions.</a> Development. 135, 1119-1128 (2008).</li></ol>

The critical factors that determine success in performing this assay are first, the tissue should not be treated with dispase for too prolonged a period, such treatment will result in the tissue becoming very sticky and having decreased viability. Two, the collagen must be perfectly primed and kept on ice as much as possible. It will become increasingly difficult to handle if it starts to set, i.e. turn pink. Three, the tungsten needle must always be kept very sharp.

assaying the ability of diffusible signaling molecules to reorient embryonic spinal commissural axons

Dorsal commissural axons in the vertebrate spinal cord1 have been an invaluable model system in which to identify axon guidance signals. Here, we describe an in vitro assay, "the reorientation assay", that has been used extensively to study the effect of extrinsic and intrinsic signals on the orientation of commissural axons2. This assay was developed by numerous people in the laboratories of Jane Dodd, Thomas Jessell and Andrew Lumsden (see acknowledgements for more details) and versions of this assay were used to demonstrate the reorientation activities of key axon guidance molecules, including the BMP chemorepellent in the roof plate3,4 and the chemoattractive activities of Netrin15 and Sonic Hedgehog (Shh)6 in the floor plate in the spinal cord.
Explants comprising 2-3 segments of the dorsal two-thirds of spinal cord are dissected from embryonic day (E) 11 rats and cultured in three dimensional collagen gels7. E11 dorsal spinal explants contain newly born commissural neurons, which can be identified by their axonal expression of the glycoprotein, Tag18. Over the course of 30-40 hours in culture, the commissural axon trajectory is recapitulated in these dorsal explants with a time course similar to that seen in vivo. This axonal trajectory can be challenged by placing either test tissues or a COS cell aggregate expressing a candidate signaling molecule in contact with one of the lateral edges of the dorsal explant. Commissural axons extending in the vicinity of the appended tissue will grow under the influence of both the endogenous roof plate and signals from the ectopic lateral tissue. The degree to which commissural axons are reoriented under these circumstances can be quantified. Using this assay, it is possible both to examine the sufficiency of a particular signal to reorient commissural axons3,4 as well the necessity for this signal to direct the commissural trajectory9.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assaying the Ability of Diffusible Signaling Molecules to Reorient Embryonic Spinal Commissural Axons at JoVE.com

Assaying the Ability of Diffusible Signaling Molecules to Reorient Embryonic Spinal Commissural Axons

This assay assesses the ability of a signaling molecule, here Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 (BMP7), to reorient commissural axons. An explant of embryonic dorsal spinal cord is cultured adjacent to an aggregate of COS cells secreting the candidate growth factors. Reoriented commissural axons growing within the explant are visualized by immunohistochemistry.

Dorsal commissural axons in the vertebrate spinal cord1 have been an invaluable model system in which to identify axon guidance signals.  Here, we ...

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