We thank Erika Mileti for excellent technical support and Dr. Antonio Di Sabatino for providing the oxygen chambers.
Funding: This work was supported by grants from the 7th EU framework program (IBDase, ERC: Dendroworld) and Fondazione Cariplo to MR and support by a Marie Curie international training mobility network (Cross-Talk, grant agreement No: 21553-2) to KT.

1. Obtaining and Preparing the Tissue
<ol>
	<li>Tissue (healthy or IBD mucosa) is obtained during surgery. Once the specimen is excised transfer to the lab as soon as possible, keeping it in Ca++/Mg++-free HBSS buffer supplemented with Pen/Strep at 4 &deg;C or on ice.</li>
</ol>
*The size of the specimen depends on the availability of the tissue: the part of the tissue obtained, is strictly what is not needed for diagnosis and can vary greatly between healthy and IBD subjects. Healthy tissue is excised from patients undergoing surgery for colon cancer.
<ol start="2">
	<li>Wash the tissue gently and clean it of all mesenteric material. Separate the mucosa layer from the submucosa using sterile scissors and forceps while keeping the tissue in HBSS buffer in a Petri dish (not necessarily immerged). Touch the mucosal surface with the forceps as little as possible.</li>
	<li>Cut mucosa in stripes at least 1 cm wide and as long as possible. Use two sterile scalpels, much as though you were cutting your food.</li>
	<li>Wash clean mucosa gently in HBSS and extend it on a Petri dish with the apical side facing upwards.</li>
</ol>
2. Mounting the Tissue
<ol>
	<li>Prepare fresh medium (tisDMEM). Use DMEM supplemented with Glutamine (2 mM) and NaPyr (1 mM), and add 15% FBS-Na (Fetal Bovine Serum - North American), 1% ITS-X and 200 ng/ml EGF at the time of use.</li>
	<li>Fill a 10 cm Petri dish with the rest of the FBS-Na (use about 30 ml so that metal grids will be completely submerged) and submerge the metal grids. Keep the plate open and support the plastic cylinders on its tap.</li>
</ol>
*The metal grids are made of iron. The mesh is square-shaped with a side of 0.5 mm.
<ol start="3">
	<li>Take 3 &mu;l of surgical glue with a 10 or 20 &mu;l pipette. Apply it carefully to one of the borders of a plastic cylinder while holding it firm with the forceps.</li>
	<li>Gently place the cylinder on the apical side of the mucosa, as close to one of the borders of the strip as possible.</li>
	<li>To give the glue time to firmly attach the cylinder on the tissue, prepare the centre-well organ culture plate: Dispense 850 &mu;l-1 ml of medium in the centre well and support the metal grid on the edges of the plate's central well.</li>
	<li>Cut away excess tissue from the borders of the cylinder using two sterile scalpels as before.</li>
	<li>Gently lift the cylinder with the attached tissue and place the basolateral side on the metal grid in the centre of the plate.</li>
</ol>
3. Stimulation
<ol>
	<li>Use the stimuli of your choice in your preferred concentration.</li>
	<li>Apply appropriate volume in the centre of the plastic cylinder without disturbing the cylinder or the mucosal surface with the pipette tip. Make sure your chosen volume uniformly covers the surface inside the cylinder. Indicated volumes: 
	Large plastic cylinder: 200 &mu;l 
	Medium plastic cylinder: 100 &mu;l 
	Small plastic cylinder: 50 &mu;l</li>
	<li>Incubate for up to 3 hr in a conventional incubator.</li>
</ol>
*If you wish to incubate for longer time points, make sure you use a much smaller volume of stimuli (10-20 &mu;l) and directly place the tissue in an atmosphere of 100% O2 in the pressure of 1 Atm (see 3.5).
<ol start="4">
	<li>Take the medium with the stimuli off the apical surface of the tissue and DO NOT REPLACE with fresh medium, because the tissue does not get enough O2 if a thick layer of medium on the apical face prevents gas exchange. Cover the plate.</li>
	<li>Place the tissue in an atmosphere of 100% O2 in the pressure of 1 Atm.</li>
</ol>
4. Harvesting
<ol>
	<li>After 24 hr of total culture time (&plusmn; 2.5 hr) carefully remove the cylinder from the tissue with the help of a scalpel gently scraping glue off and store it depending on the desired analysis (fix for immunohistochemistry and/or immunofluorescence assays, or snap freeze in liquid N2 for RNA purification and gene expression profiling or protein purification and Western blot assays).</li>
	<li>Harvest the basolateral medium for cytokine secretion profiling. Centrifuge at 8,000 rpm for 7 min to pellet debris, transfer the supernatant in an Eppendorf tube (alternatively aliquot) and immediately store at -20 &deg;C.</li>
</ol>
*if you want to keep supernatants for longer, store them at -80 &deg;C.

<ol>
	<li>Schuller, S., Lucas, M., Kaper, J. B., Giron, J. A., Phillips, A. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+ex+vivo+response+of+human+intestinal+mucosa+to+enteropathogenic+Escherichia+coli+infection.">The ex vivo response of human intestinal mucosa to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection.</a> Cell. Microbiol. 11, 521-530 (2009).</li><li>Tsilingiri, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Probiotic+and+postbiotic+activity+in+health+and+disease:+comparison+on+a+novel+polarised+ex-vivo+organ+culture+model.">Probiotic and postbiotic activity in health and disease: comparison on a novel polarised ex-vivo organ culture model.</a> Gut. , (2012).</li><li>Tsilingiri, K., Rescigno, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Should+probiotics+be+tested+on+ex+vivo+organ+culture+models?.">Should probiotics be tested on ex vivo organ culture models?.</a> Gut Microbes. , (2012).</li><li>Mileti, E., Matteoli, G., Iliev, I. D., Rescigno, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparison+of+the+immunomodulatory+properties+of+three+probiotic+strains+of+Lactobacilli+using+complex+culture+systems:+prediction+for+in+vivo+efficacy.">Comparison of the immunomodulatory properties of three probiotic strains of Lactobacilli using complex culture systems: prediction for in vivo efficacy.</a> PLoS One. 4, e7056 (2009).</li><li>Cencic, A., Langerholc, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+cell+models+of+the+gut+and+their+applications+in+food+microbiology--a+review.">Functional cell models of the gut and their applications in food microbiology--a review.</a> Int. J. Food Microbiol. 141, S4-S14 (2010).</li><li>te Velde, A. A., Verstege, M. A., Hommes, D. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Critical+appraisal+of+the+current+practice+in+murine+TNBS-induced+colitis.">Critical appraisal of the current practice in murine TNBS-induced colitis.</a> Inflamm. Bowel Dis. 12, 995-999 (2006).</li><li>Senior, P. V., Pritchett, C. J., Sunter, J. P., Appleton, D. R., Watson, A. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Crypt+regeneration+in+adult+human+colonic+mucosa+during+prolonged+organ+culture.">Crypt regeneration in adult human colonic mucosa during prolonged organ culture.</a> J. Anat. 134, 459-469 (1982).</li><li>Browning, T. H., Trier, J. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Organ+culture+of+mucosal+biopsies+of+human+small+intestine.">Organ culture of mucosal biopsies of human small intestine.</a> J. Clin. Invest. 48, 1423-1432 (1969).</li><li>Besselink, M. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Probiotic+prophylaxis+in+predicted+severe+acute+pancreatitis:+a+randomised,+double-blind,+placebo-controlled+trial.">Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.</a> Lancet. 371, 651-659 (2008).</li><li>Lakhdari, O., et al. <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+NF-kappaB+modulation+capabilities+within+human+intestinal+commensal+bacteria.">Identification of NF-kappaB modulation capabilities within human intestinal commensal bacteria.</a> J. Biomed. Biotechnol. 2011, 282356 (2011).</li></ol>

No conflicts of interest declared.

The need for physiologically relevant models on which treatments for human intestinal mucosa can be validly tested has long been emphasized. Many researchers have identified potential artifacts and defects in both cell 5 and mouse models 6 used so far for that purpose. Indeed, even though promising preclinical data is often obtained, these rarely translate to significant clinical benefit.
The method described in this work, presents a relatively simple, yet effective and n...

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Regeant</td>
			<td>Company</td>
			<td>Catalog No.</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>Reagents</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10X HBSS</td>
			<td>Eurocalne</td>
			<td>ECM4006XL</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Peni/Strepto</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>DE17602E</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gentamycin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15750-037</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>BE12614</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FBS-Na</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>16000-044</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>100X ITS-X</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>51500-056</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EGF</td>
			<td>Tebu-bio</td>
			<td>100-15</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>L-Glutamine</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>BE17605E</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Non essential aminoacids 100X</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11140-035</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaPyr</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11360-039</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>Materials</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cloning cylinders 6x8 mm</td>
			<td>BellCo</td>
			<td>2090-00608</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cloning cylinders 8x8 mm</td>
			<td>BellCo</td>
			<td>2090-0080</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cloning cylinders 10x10 mm</td>
			<td>BellCo</td>
			<td>2090-01010</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Metal grids</td>
			<td>Home made</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centre well organ culture plate</td>
			<td>BD Falcon</td>
			<td>353037</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical glue (Vetbond)</td>
			<td>3M</td>
			<td>1469SB</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oxygen Jars</td>
			<td>Home made</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oxygen tanks</td>
			<td>Air Liquid Sanit&agrave;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a novel method for the culture and polarized stimulation of human intestinal mucosa explants

Few models currently exist to realistically simulate the complex human intestine's micro-environment, where a variety of interactions take place. Proper homeostasis directly depends on these interactions, as they shape an entire immunological response inducing tolerance against food antigens while at the same time mounting effective immune responses against pathogenic microbes accidentally ingested with food.
Intestinal homeostasis is preserved also through various complex interactions between the microbiota (including food-associated beneficial bacterial strains) and the host, that regulate the attachment/degradation of mucus, the production of antimicrobial peptides by the epithelial barrier, and the "education" of epithelial cells' that controls the tolerogenic or immunogenic phenotype of unique, gut-resident lymphoid cells' populations. These interactions have been so far very difficult to reproduce with in vitro assays using either cultured cell lines or peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In addition, mouse models differ substantially in components of the intestinal mucosa (mucus layer organization, commensal bacteria community) with respect to the human gut. Thus, studies of a variety of treatments to be brought in the clinics for important stress-related or pathological conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer have been difficult to carry out.
To address these issues, we developed a novel system that enables us to stimulate explants of human intestinal mucosa that retain their in situ conditioning by the host microbiota and immune response, in a polarized fashion. Polarized apical stimulation is of great importance for the outcome of the elicited immune response. It has been repeatedly shown that the same stimuli can produce completely different responses when they bypass the apical face of the intestinal epithelium, stimulating epithelial cells basolaterally or coming into direct contact with lamina propria components, switching the phenotype from tolerogenic to immunogenic and causing unnecessary and excessive inflammation in the area.
We achieved polarized stimulation by gluing a cave cylinder which delimited the area of stimulation on the apical face of the mucosa as will be described in the protocol. We used this model to examine, among others, differential effects of three different Lactobacilli strains. We show that this model system is very powerful to assess the immunomodulatory properties of probiotics in healthy and disease conditions.

We succeeded in maintaining healthy and IBD human intestinal mucosa in culture for at least 24 hr preserving the wellbeing of the tissue. In accordance with previous observations 1, this was only possible if the majority of the culture time (at least 85% of total) took place in O2, as the tissue did not survive for 24 hr in conventional incubators (Figure 2). We have also shown that different responses of the explants can be observed on this model depending on the polarity of the st...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Novel Method for the Culture and Polarized Stimulation of Human Intestinal Mucosa Explants at JoVE.com

A Novel Method for the Culture and Polarized Stimulation of Human Intestinal Mucosa Explants

We introduce a novel method for the maintenance of human intestinal mucosa in culture and monitoring of the response to various types of stimuli over at least 24 hrs. With our method, the polarity of the tissue is maintained, allowing for a physiological stimulation via the apical route.

Few models currently exist to realistically simulate the complex human intestine's micro-environment, where a variety of interactions take place. Proper ...

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13.0K Views.  European Institute of Oncology. We introduce a novel method for the maintenance of human intestinal mucosa in culture and monitoring of the response to various types of stimuli over at least 24 hrs. With our method, the polarity of the tissue is maintained, allowing for a physiological stimulation via the apical route.

Video: A Novel Method for the Culture and Polarized Stimulation of Human Intestinal Mucosa Explants

Method for Culture of Early Chick Embryos ex vivo (New Culture)

The chick embryo is a valuable tool in the study of early embryonic development. Its transparency, accessibility and ease of manipulation, make it an ideal tool for studying  the formation and patterning of brain, neural tube, somite and heart primordia. Applications of chick embryo culture include electroporation of DNA or RNA constructs in order to analyze gene function, grafts of growth factor coated beads such as FGFs and BMPs , as well as whole mount in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. This video demonstrates the different steps in chick embryo culture; First, the embryo is explanted in saline. Then, the embryo is centered on a glass ring. The membranes surrounding the embryo are lifted along the walls of the ring. The ring is then placed in a culture dish containing a pool of albumine. The culture dish is sealed and placed in a humid chamber, where the embryo is cultured for up to 24 hrs. Finally, the embryo is removed from the ring, fixed and processed for further applications. A troubleshooting guide is also presented.

Method for Culture of Early Chick Embryos ex vivo New Culture

This video demonstrates New culture, a method by which chick embryos are cultured outside the egg for up to 24 hr. This method enables one to study early development (primitive streak to 14 som.), a period corresponding to E7-9 in mouse. Applications of this technique include electroporation, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.

The chick embryo is a valuable tool in the study of early embryonic development. Its transparency, accessibility and ease of manipulation, make it an ...

Preparation and Culture of Rat Lens Epithelial Explants for Studying Terminal Differentiation

The anterior surface of the ocular lens is covered by a monolayer of epithelial cells, which proliferate in an annular zone underlying the ciliary body.  Following division, these cells migrate posteriorly, where FGF diffusing from the retina induces them to differentiate into a posterior array of elongated lens fiber cells, which compose the bulk of the lens.  Differentiation of lens epithelial cells into lens fibers can be induced in vitro by culturing explants of the central region of the anterior epithelium in the presence of FGF-2.  Explants are prepared from lenses of neonatal rats by removing the lens from the eye and grasping the lens capsule on the posterior side with dissecting tweezers.  The posterior capsule is then gently torn open and pressed down into the plastic bottom of a tissue culture dish. The peripheral regions of the explant are removed with a scalpel and the central area is then cultured in the presence of 100ng/ml FGF-2 for as long as 2-3 weeks, depending on the parameters to be studied.  Since epithelial cells in cultured explants differentiate in approximate synchrony over a period of days to weeks, the time course of signaling and gene expression can be determined using molecular, biochemical, and pharmacological techniques.  Immunofluorescence microscopy is a powerful adjunct to these methods as it demonstrates the subcellular localization of proteins of interest and can reveal the physiological consequences of experimental manipulations of signaling pathways.

Explants of the central region of rat lens epithelia differentiate synchronously when cultured in the presence of FGF-2. Immunofluorescence microscopy of such cultures can provides novel information about gene expression and signaling events associated with terminal differentiation.

The anterior surface of the ocular lens is covered by a monolayer of epithelial cells, which proliferate in an annular zone underlying the ciliary body.  ...

The Method of Rodent Whole Embryo Culture using the Rotator-type Bottle Culture System

Whole embryo culture (WEC) technique has been developed in 1950's by New and his colleagues, and applied for developmental biology 1. Although development and growth of mammalian embryos are critically dependent on the function of the placenta, WEC technique allows us to culture mouse and rat embryos ex vivo condition during limited periods corresponding to midgestation stages during embryonic day (E) 6.5-E12.5 in the mouse or E8.5-E14.5 in the rat 2, 3, 4. In WEC, we can directly target desired areas of embryos using fine glass capillaries because embryos can be manipulated under the microscope. Therefore, rodent WEC is very useful technique when we want to study dynamic developmental processes of postimplanted mammalian embryos. Up to date, several types of WEC systems have been developed 1. Among those, the rotator-type bottle culture system is most popular and suitable for long-term culture of embryos at midgestation, i.e., after E9.5 and E11.5 in the mouse and rat, respectively 1. In this video protocol, we demonstrate our standard procedures of rat WEC after E12.5 using a refined model of the original rotator system, which was designed by New and Cockroft 5, 6, and introduce various applications of WEC technique for studies in mammalian developmental biology.

Whole embryo culture technique allows us to culture mouse and rat embryos ex vivo condition during limited periods corresponding to midgestation stages. In this video protocol, we demonstrate our standard procedures of rat whole embryo culture after E12.5 using the rotator-type bottle culture system.

Whole embryo culture (WEC) technique has been developed in 1950's by New and his colleagues, and applied for developmental biology 1. Although development ...

Blastomere Explants to Test for Cell Fate Commitment During Embryonic Development

Fate maps, constructed from lineage tracing all of the cells of an embryo, reveal which tissues descend from each cell of the embryo. Although fate maps are very useful for identifying the precursors of an organ and for elucidating the developmental path by which the descendant cells populate that organ in the normal embryo, they do not illustrate the full developmental potential of a precursor cell or identify the mechanisms by which its fate is determined. To test for cell fate commitment, one compares a cell's normal repertoire of descendants in the intact embryo (the fate map) with those expressed after an experimental manipulation. Is the cell's fate fixed (committed) regardless of the surrounding cellular environment, or is it influenced by external factors provided by its neighbors? Using the comprehensive fate maps of the Xenopus embryo, we describe how to identify, isolate and culture single cleavage stage precursors, called blastomeres. This approach allows one to assess whether these early cells are committed to the fate they acquire in their normal environment in the intact embryo, require interactions with their neighboring cells, or can be influenced to express alternate fates if exposed to other types of signals.

The fate of an individual embryonic cell can be influenced by inherited molecules and/or by signals from neighboring cells. Utilizing fate maps of the cleavage stage Xenopus embryo, single blastomeres can be identified for culture in isolation to assess the contributions of inherited molecules versus cell-cell interactions.

Fate maps, constructed from lineage tracing all of the cells of an embryo, reveal  which tissues descend from each cell of the embryo.  Although fate maps ...

A Novel Ex vivo Culture Method for the Embryonic Mouse Heart

Developmental studies in the mouse are hampered by the inaccessibility of the embryo during gestation. Thus, protocols to isolate and culture individual organs of interest are essential to provide a method of both visualizing changes in development and allowing novel treatment strategies. To promote the long-term culture of the embryonic heart at late stages of gestation, we developed a protocol in which the excised heart is cultured in a semi-solid, dilute Matrigel. This substrate provides enough support to maintain the three-dimensional structure but is flexible enough to allow continued contraction. In brief, hearts are excised from the embryo and placed in a mixture of cold Matrigel diluted 1:1 with growth medium. After the diluted Matrigel solidifies, growth medium is added to the culture dish. Hearts excised as late as embryonic day 16.5 were viable for four days post-dissection. Analysis of the coronary plexus shows that this method does not disrupt coronary vascular development. Thus, we present a novel method for long-term culture of embryonic hearts.

A Novel Ex vivo Culture Method for the Embryonic Mouse Heart

Developmental studies in the mouse are hampered by the inaccessibility of the embryo during gestation. To promote the long-term culture of the embryonic heart at late stages of gestation, we developed a protocol in which the excised heart is cultured in a semi-solid, dilute Matrigel.

Developmental studies in the mouse are hampered  by the inaccessibility of the embryo during gestation. Thus, protocols to  isolate and culture individual ...

The Slice Culture Method for Following Development of Tooth Germs In Explant Culture

Explant culture allows manipulation of developing organs at specific time points&#160;and is therefore an important method for the developmental biologist. For many organs it is difficult to access developing tissue to allow monitoring during ex vivo culture. The slice culture method allows access to tissue so that morphogenetic movements can be followed and specific cell populations can be targeted for manipulation or lineage tracing.
In this paper we describe a method of slice culture that has been very successful for culture of tooth germs in a range of species. The method provides excellent access to the tooth germs, which develop at a similar rate to that observed in vivo, surrounded by the other jaw tissues. This allows tissue interactions between the tooth and surrounding tissue to be monitored. Although this paper concentrates on tooth germs, the same protocol can be applied to follow development of a number of other organs, such as salivary glands, Meckel&#39;s cartilage, nasal glands, tongue, and ear.

Here we detail a method to culture tooth germs in mandible slices using a tissue chopper. This method allows unique access to the tooth during development, providing excellent opportunity for manipulation and lineage tracing, not available using more traditional culture methods.

Explant culture allows manipulation of developing organs at specific time points&#160;and is therefore an important method for the developmental ...

Subcloning Plus Insertion (SPI) - A Novel Recombineering Method for the Rapid Construction of Gene Targeting Vectors

Gene targeting refers to the precise modification of a genetic locus using homologous recombination. The generation of novel cell lines and transgenic mouse models using this method necessitates the construction of a &#8216;targeting&#8217; vector, which contains homologous DNA sequences to the target gene, and has for many years been a limiting step in the process. Vector construction can be performed in vivo in Escherichia coli cells using homologous recombination mediated by phage recombinases using a technique termed recombineering. Recombineering is the preferred technique to subclone the long homology sequences (>4kb) and various targeting elements including selection markers that are required to mediate efficient allelic exchange between a targeting vector and its cognate genomic locus. Typical recombineering protocols follow an iterative scheme of step-wise integration of the targeting elements and require intermediate purification and transformation steps. Here, we present a novel recombineering methodology of vector assembly using a multiplex approach. Plasmid gap repair is performed by the simultaneous capture of genomic sequence from mouse Bacterial Artificial Chromosome libraries and the insertion of dual bacterial and mammalian selection markers. This subcloning plus insertion method is highly efficient and yields a majority of correct recombinants. We present data for the construction of different types of conditional gene knockout, or knock-in, vectors and BAC reporter vectors that have been constructed using this method. SPI vector construction greatly extends the repertoire of the recombineering toolbox and provides a simple, rapid and cost-effective method of constructing these highly complex vectors.

Subcloning Plus Insertion SPI - A Novel Recombineering Method for the Rapid Construction of Gene Targeting Vectors

Gene targeting methodologies can be used to generate transgenic mice with knockout, knock-in and tagged alleles. Here, we describe an improved method of recombineering in E. coli, that we term &#8216;subcloning plus insertion&#8217;, which can be used to generate custom gene targeting vectors rapidly.

Gene targeting refers to the precise modification of a genetic locus using homologous recombination. The generation of novel cell lines and transgenic ...

A Protocol for Lentiviral Transduction and Downstream Analysis of Intestinal Organoids

Intestinal crypt-villus structures termed organoids, can be kept in sustained culture three dimensionally when supplemented with the appropriate growth factors. Since organoids are highly similar to the original tissue in terms of homeostatic stem cell differentiation, cell polarity and presence of all terminally differentiated cell types known to the adult intestinal epithelium, they serve as an essential resource in experimental research on the epithelium. The possibility to express transgenes or interfering RNA using lentiviral or retroviral vectors in organoids has increased opportunities for functional analysis of the intestinal epithelium and intestinal stem cells, surpassing traditional mouse transgenics in speed and cost. In the current video protocol we show how to utilize transduction of small intestinal organoids with lentiviral vectors illustrated by use of doxycylin inducible transgenes, or IPTG inducible short hairpin RNA for overexpression or gene knockdown. Furthermore, considering organoid culture yields minute cell counts that may even be reduced by experimental treatment, we explain how to process organoids for downstream analysis aimed at quantitative RT-PCR, RNA-microarray and immunohistochemistry. Techniques that enable transgene expression and gene knock down in intestinal organoids contribute to the research potential that these intestinal epithelial structures hold, establishing organoid culture as a new standard in cell culture.

In this video protocol we give a step by step explanation of lentiviral transduction in organoids of primary intestinal epithelium and of processing and downstream analysis of these cultures by quantitative RT-PCR, RNA-microarray and immunohistochemistry.

Intestinal crypt-villus structures termed organoids, can be kept in sustained culture three dimensionally when supplemented with the appropriate growth ...

A Method for Selecting Structure-switching Aptamers Applied to a Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Assay

Small molecules provide rich targets for biosensing applications due to their physiological implications as biomarkers of various aspects of human health and performance. Nucleic acid aptamers have been increasingly applied as recognition elements on biosensor platforms, but selecting aptamers toward small molecule targets requires special design considerations. This work describes modification and critical steps of a method designed to select structure-switching aptamers to small molecule targets. Binding sequences from a DNA library hybridized to complementary DNA capture probes on magnetic beads are separated from nonbinders via a target-induced change in conformation. This method is advantageous because sequences binding the support matrix (beads) will not be further amplified, and it does not require immobilization of the target molecule. However, the melting temperature of the capture probe and library is kept at or slightly above RT, such that sequences that dehybridize based on thermodynamics will also be present in the supernatant solution. This effectively limits the partitioning efficiency (ability to separate target binding sequences from nonbinders), and therefore many selection rounds will be required to remove background sequences. The reported method differs from previous structure-switching aptamer selections due to implementation of negative selection steps, simplified enrichment monitoring, and extension of the length of the capture probe following selection enrichment to provide enhanced stringency. The selected structure-switching aptamers are advantageous in a gold nanoparticle assay platform that reports the presence of a target molecule by the conformational change of the aptamer. The gold nanoparticle assay was applied because it provides a simple, rapid colorimetric readout that is beneficial in a clinical or deployed environment. Design and optimization considerations are presented for the assay as proof-of-principle work in buffer to provide a foundation for further extension of the work toward small molecule biosensing in physiological fluids.

A protocol is provided to select structure-switching aptamers for small molecule targets based on a tunable stringency magnetic bead selection method. Aptamers selected with structure-switching properties are beneficial for assays that require a conformational change to signal the presence of a target, such as the described gold nanoparticle assay.

Small molecules provide rich targets for biosensing applications due to their physiological implications as biomarkers of various aspects of human health ...

Cryosectioning Method for Microdissection of Murine Colonic Mucosa

The colonic mucosal tissue provides a vital barrier to luminal antigens. This barrier is composed of a monolayer of simple columnar epithelial cells. The colonic epithelium is dynamically turned over and epithelial cells are generated in the stem cell containing crypts of Lieberk&#252;hn. Progenitor cells produced in the crypt-bases migrate toward the luminal surface, undergoing a process of cellular differentiation before being shed into the gut lumen. In order to study these processes at the molecular level, we have developed a simple method for the microdissection of two spatially distinct regions of the colonic mucosa; the proliferative crypt zone, and the differentiated surface epithelial cells. Our objective is to isolate specific crypt and surface epithelial cell populations from mouse colonic mucosa for the isolation of RNA and protein.

Here we describe a simple method for the isolation of spatially distinct murine colonic epithelial surface cells from the underlying crypt-base cells.

The colonic mucosal tissue provides a vital barrier to luminal antigens. This barrier is composed of a monolayer of simple columnar epithelial cells. The ...