We thank O. Subach for providing the original H2B-PSmOrange plasmid and our fish facility team for fish care. We are grateful to the Nikon Imaging Center at the University of Heidelberg for access to microscopy equipment and analysis software. We acknowledge the support of the Core Facility Live Cell Imaging Mannheim at the CBTM (DFG INST 91027/10-1 FUGG). This work was supported by the Excellenzcluster CellNetworks, EcTop Spatio-temporal coordination of signaling processes (EcTop 2), University of Heidelberg to C.A.B. and the Medical Faculty Mannheim of the University Heidelberg and the DFG (FOR 1036/2, 298/3-1 and 298/6-1) to M.C.

1. H2B-PSmOrange mRNA In Vitro Transcription and mRNA Purification
<ol>
	<li>Linearize the H2B-PSmOrange containing pCS2+ plasmid using the NotI restriction enzyme according to manufacturer&#39;s instructions. 
	Note: Perform the next steps using appropriate protections such as gloves and lab coat to prevent mRNA contamination and degradation.</li>
	<li>Purify the linearized DNA using a PCR Purification kit or phenol-chloroform based methods according to manufacturers&#39; protocols.</li>
	<li>Use 1 &#181;g of linearized template DNA for Sp6-mRNA transcription according to manufacturer&#39;s instructions.</li>
	<li>Remove DNA by adding 1.0 U RNase free DNaseI for 10-20 min at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Clean up the mRNA using a RNA clean up kit according to manufacturer&#39;s protocol.</li>
	<li>To increase mRNA purity and concentration, precipitate the mRNA by adding 6 &#181;l sodium acetate (3.0 M, pH 5.2) and 150 &#181;l 96% ethanol. Incubate the mixed solution at -20 &#176;C for at least 30 min and up to 24 hr.</li>
	<li>Collect the mRNA by spinning the solution at 18.407 x g for 45 min at 4 &#176;C. Discard the liquid and resuspend the mRNA in 150 &#181;l 70% ethanol. Mix and centrifuge the solution for an additional 15 min at 4 &#176;C. Discard the liquid, dry the pellet for 5 min on ice and resuspend the mRNA in 20 &#181;l ultrapure RNase free water.</li>
	<li>Assess the concentration and purity of the mRNA by photometric measurement of a 1:100 mRNA dilution (1 &#181;l mRNA in 99 &#181;l ultrapure RNase free water).</li>
	<li>For short-term storage, keep the mRNA solution at -20 &#176;C. For long-term storage, keep the mRNA at -80 &#176;C.</li>
</ol>
2. H2B-PSmOrange mRNA Microinjection into Zebrafish Embryos
<ol>
	<li>Set up mating pairs the night before injection using tg(foxD3:GFP); tg(flh:GFP) double transgenic fish (or any other GFP transgenic fish). Leave the fish separated by placing a spacer between them to control the time of mating.</li>
	<li>Remove the spacer in the morning of injection and let the fish mate for 20 min.</li>
	<li>During mating time, dilute the H2B-PSmOrange mRNA to the final concentration of 130 pg/nl (in RNase free water) and transfer 6 &#181;l injection solution into a microinjection capillary using a microloader tip. Check the injection volume with a calibrated glass slide. Adjust the injection pressure to inject 2 nl mRNA solution (260 pg).</li>
	<li>Collect the eggs into a sterilized plastic petri-dish containing 1x Embryo (E3) medium.</li>
	<li>Transfer 20 to 30 embryos to an injection dish using a plastic pasteur pipette.</li>
	<li>Inject 2 nl mRNA containing solution into the cell or just below the cell into the yolk at the one-cell stage 11.</li>
	<li>Transfer injected embryos into a petri-dish containing 1x E3 medium, remove unfertilized or not normally developing embryos and grow them at 28 &#176;C. 
	Note: Light protection of the embryos is not required throughout the experiment.</li>
	<li>Raise zebrafish embryos in 1x E3 medium and add 0.2 mM PTU (1-phenyl-2 thiourea) after gastrulation to inhibit pigmentation. Change the medium twice per day to minimize the danger of bacterial contaminations.</li>
</ol>
3. Embryo Embedding
<ol>
	<li>Select the GFP (green) and PSmOrange (orange/red) co-expressing embryos using a binocular microscope equipped with a fluorescence lamp and appropriate emission filters. Transfer the positive embryos into a sterile petri-dish containing 1x E3 medium.</li>
	<li>Dechorionate embryos under a stereomicroscope using forceps 12.</li>
	<li>Transfer one embryo in a 1.5 ml tube containing 1.0 ml of pre-warmed 1.0% low melting agarose (LMA) prepared in ultrapure water by using a cut-tip pipette (P200). Note: Warm the LMA to 80 &#176;C and cool down for 3-5 min at RT before embedding the embryo.</li>
	<li>Transfer the embryo in 150 &#181;l LMA into a chambered coverglass and adjust the embryo&#39;s orientation, e.g. dorsal side down in the experiment described for the inverted confocal laser scanning microscope A1R+ (or any other suitable microscope), using a fine plastic tip. When the LMA is polymerized, fill the chamber with fish water containing 0.2 mM PTU and 0.02% ethyl 3-aminobenzoate methansulfonate (Tricaine) for anesthesia.</li>
	<li>Before imaging the sample, wait 15 min to ascertain the effect of Tricaine. The anesthesia prevents embryo movements, which can be monitored using a stereomicroscope equipped with brightfield illumination. 
	Note: The chambers can be reused twice.</li>
</ol>
4. PSmOrange Photoconversion
<ol>
	<li>Place the sample under the confocal microscope and scan the specimen to identify the area to photoconvert using 488 nm and 561 nm lasers for imaging GFP and PSmOrange respectively. 
	Note: Use the inverted confocal laser scanning microscope A1R+ on the inverted stage TiEcontrolled by the microscope imaging software and equipped with 488 nm, 561 nm and 640 nm lasers for photoconversion and imaging. However, the application is certainly not restricted to this microscope as long as the laser lines for conversion and imaging are available.
	<ol>
		<li>Put the 20X air objective into place (NA: 0.75; WD: 1.0 mm; FOV: 0.64 x 0.64 mm).</li>
		<li>Use the following microscope settings to detect the PSmOrange protein before photoconversion: 561 nm laser, 0.74 mW measured at the focus plane above the objective. 
		Note: This corresponds to 40% on this system (measuring in the focus plane is the only way to determine the effective power). Adjust the laser power according to experimental needs as the efficiency of H2B-PSmOrange injections can vary.</li>
		<li>Add zoom factors to highlight the area of interest. Higher magnifications reduce image acquisition time and therefore phototoxicity.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Acquire a z-stack covering the structures of interest using 488 nm and 561 nm lasers in sequential mode (line mode 1-&#62;4). Fix the z-step between 1.0 and 2.0 &#181;m. Line average and scan frequency can be used to optimize image quality.</li>
	<li>Scan the sample and select the region of interest (ROI) tool to highlight the area to photoconvert. Fix the ROI as stimulation area. Select the Photo Activation/Bleaching module, activate the 488 nm laser by checking the respective box and set the 488 nm laser to 80% (1 mW laser power measured at the objective). Set the scan speed to 0.5 sec/Frame.</li>
	<li>Open the photoconversion utility (ND Stimulation) and specify the photoconversion settings.
	<ol>
		<li>Click on the &#34;Add&#34; command to specify the photoconversion protocol.</li>
		<li>Set &#34;Phase&#34; 1 in the &#34;Acquisition/Stimulation&#34; menu to &#34;Acquisition&#34; and indicate the number of images to be acquired before photoconversion in the &#34;Loops&#34; menu.</li>
		<li>Set &#34;Phase&#34; 2 to &#34;Stimulation&#34; and enter the number of stimulation events to be performed.</li>
		<li>Adjust &#34;Phase&#34; 3 as described for &#34;Phase&#34; 1. Optionally, insert a waiting &#34;Phase&#34; after &#34;Phase&#34; 2 by entering the time to wait before the last round of image acquisition.</li>
		<li>Once all the parameters are set, apply the stimulation setting and run the photoconversion. 
		Note: Laser power, frequency of scanning and number of iterations for each round of photoconversion can vary and differ from embryo to embryo. A setting to start with is shown in Table 1.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Acquire a final z-stack using 488 nm, 561 nm and 640 nm lasers applying the settings as above. Set the 640 nm laser to visualize the converted PSmOrange using high laser power (up to 4.5 mW).</li>
</ol>
5. Dismount Embryo from LMA
<ol>
	<li>Remove the embryo containing chamber from the microscope. Carefully remove the embryo from the agarose using forceps.</li>
	<li>Transfer the embryo into a new sterilized plastic petri-dish or into a sterilized 6-well-plate containing 1x E3 and 0.2 mM PTU. Incubate the embryo at 28 &#176;C until the desired stage of development.</li>
</ol>
6. Analyzing the Fate of Photoconverted PSmOrange Protein Expressing Cells
<ol>
	<li>Re-embed the embryo as described under points 3.3 and 3.4.</li>
	<li>Place the sample under the confocal microscope and scan the specimen to identify photoconverted cells (640 nm) in the GFP transgenic structure of interest (488 nm).</li>
	<li>Acquire a z-stack covering the structures of interest using 488 nm, 561 nm and 640 nm lasers in sequential mode (line mode 1-&#62;4). Fix the z-step between 1.0 and 2.0 &#181;m. Line average and scan frequency can be used to optimize image quality.</li>
	<li>Use one of the following methods to identify cells, which co-express GFP and the photoconverted protein.
	<ol>
		<li>Custom made automatic Fiji ImageJ Macro3
		<ol>
			<li>Convolve the original stack using the &#34;GaussianBlur&#34; plugin ( &#8594; Process &#8594; Filters &#8594; GaussianBlur) and subtract the smooth stacks from the original using the &#34;Image Calculator&#34; plugin (&#8594; Process &#8594; Image Calculator). Use this step to visualize the structures of interest and reduce the computational time for the analysis.</li>
			<li>Apply specific thresholds to the green and far-red channels in order to highlight the photoconverted cells ( &#8594; Image &#8594; Adjust &#8594; Threshold). Use the &#34;Analyze Particles&#34; tool to detect the threshold areas with a suitable setting ( &#8594; Analyze &#8594; Analyze Particles).</li>
			<li>Open the &#34;Image Calculator&#34; plugin and display the overlapping ROIs in the green and far-red channel in yellow ( &#8594; Process &#8594; Image Calculator).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Microscope imaging software for 3D data evaluation
		<ol>
			<li>Display the stack in 3D using the show volume view option ( &#8594; 3D Visualization Menu &#8594; Show Volume View). Use the graphic interface to select the green, red and far-red channels, adjust the brightness and the contrast and crop the 3D stack to highlight the photoconverted area (Figure 1). 
			Note: Similar methods to analyse the data are available in most of the common software for image analysis.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Lombardo, V. A., Sporbert, A., Abdelilah-Seyfried, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell+Tracking+Using+Photoconvertible+Proteins+During+Zebrafish+Development.">Cell Tracking Using Photoconvertible Proteins During Zebrafish Development.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (4350), (2012).</li><li>Subach, O. M., 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=A+photoswitchable+orange-to-far-red+fluorescent+protein,+PSmOrange.">A photoswitchable orange-to-far-red fluorescent protein, PSmOrange.</a> Nature Methods. 8, 771-777 (2011).</li><li>Beretta, C. A., Dross, N., Bankhead, P., Carl, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+ventral+habenulae+of+zebrafish+develop+in+prosomere+2+dependent+on+Tcf7l2+function.">The ventral habenulae of zebrafish develop in prosomere 2 dependent on Tcf7l2 function.</a> Neural Development. 8, 19 (2013).</li><li>Ando, R., Hama, H., Yamamoto-Hino, M., Mizuno, H., Miyawaki, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+optical+marker+based+on+the+UV-induced+green-to-red+photoconversion+of+a+fluorescent+protein.">An optical marker based on the UV-induced green-to-red photoconversion of a fluorescent protein.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 12651-12656 (2002).</li><li>Habuchi, S., Tsutsui, H., Kochaniak, A. B., Miyawaki, A., van Oijen, 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=mKikGR,+a+monomeric+photoswitchable+fluorescent+protein.">mKikGR, a monomeric photoswitchable fluorescent protein.</a> PLoS One. 3, e3944 (2008).</li><li>McKinney, S. A., Murphy, C. S., Hazelwood, K. L., Davidson, M. W., Looger, L. 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+bright+and+photostable+photoconvertible+fluorescent+protein.">A bright and photostable photoconvertible fluorescent protein.</a> Nature Methods. 6, 131-133 (2009).</li><li>Chudakov, D. M., Lukyanov, S., Lukyanov, K. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tracking+intracellular+protein+movements+using+photoswitchable+fluorescent+proteins+PS-CFP2+and+Dendra2.">Tracking intracellular protein movements using photoswitchable fluorescent proteins PS-CFP2 and Dendra2.</a> Nature Protocols. 2, 2024-2032 (2007).</li><li>Subach, F. V., 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=Photoactivatable+mCherry+for+high-resolution+two-color+fluorescence+microscopy.">Photoactivatable mCherry for high-resolution two-color fluorescence microscopy.</a> Nature Methods. 6, 153-159 (2009).</li><li>Patterson, G. H., Lippincott-Schwartz, 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+photoactivatable+GFP+for+selective+photolabeling+of+proteins+and+cells.">A photoactivatable GFP for selective photolabeling of proteins and cells.</a> Science. 297, 1873-1877 (2002).</li><li>Subach, F. V., Patterson, G. H., Renz, M., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Verkhusha, V. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bright+monomeric+photoactivatable+red+fluorescent+protein+for+two-color+super-resolution+sptPALM+of+live+cells.">Bright monomeric photoactivatable red fluorescent protein for two-color super-resolution sptPALM of live cells.</a> J Am Chem Soc. 132, 6481-6491 (2010).</li><li>Rosen, J. N., Sweeney, M. F., Mably, J. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microinjection+of+zebrafish+embryos+to+analyze+gene+function.">Microinjection of zebrafish embryos to analyze gene function.</a> J Vis Exp. (25), e1115 (2009).</li><li>Concha, M. L., 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=Local+tissue+interactions+across+the+dorsal+midline+of+the+forebrain+establish+CNS+laterality.">Local tissue interactions across the dorsal midline of the forebrain establish CNS laterality.</a> Neuron. 39, 423-438 (2003).</li><li>Auer, T. O., Duroure, K., Concordet, J. 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H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reconstruction+of+zebrafish+early+embryonic+development+by+scanned+light+sheet+microscopy.">Reconstruction of zebrafish early embryonic development by scanned light sheet microscopy.</a> Science. 322, 1065-1069 (2008).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

Transgenic embryos carrying fluorescent reporters have helped fundamentally to understand embryonic development. However, there is still the essential need for promoters to facilitate the specific visualization of particular structures. In their absence, researchers rely on techniques such as the photoconversion of fluorescent proteins to find out about the origin and development of their structure of interest. This in turn is a crucial prerequisite to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in its development. Techni...

Exponentially improving imaging techniques allow following developmental processes over time periods of up to about four consecutive days3. In zebrafish and many other animal model systems, specific cells, tissues, axonal or vascular structures are marked by transgenic green or sometimes red or yellow fluorescent proteins to facilitate visualization. However, in most transgenic lines the transgene is not specifically expressed in the cells of interest but also additional structures, which hinders the precise tracking of for instance single cells or groups of cells.
Fluorescent photoconvertible proteins are well suited for cell tracking during embryonic development. The prerequisites for the application of such proteins are a long-lived nature, a well-separated emission range upon conversion and bright fluorescence. Available photoconvertible proteins comprise those that change their emission range upon conversion such as Kaede4, KiGR5, mEos26, PS-CFP2 or Dendra27 and others which are only fluorescent when photoactivated (PAmCherry8, PAGFP9 or PATagRFP10). Their applications to track cells in existing FP-transgenic animals are however limited as they often involve a green fluorescent state or do not fulfill all of the above criteria. Only recently, Subach and colleagues reported the PSmOrange protein, which changes its emission from orange/red to far red upon photoconversion and was successfully applied in cells in culture and cultured cells injected into mice2.
To investigate the protein's suitability for cell tracking in a living embryo, we generated an expression construct for the microinjection of nuclear-tagged H2B-PSmOrange into zebrafish embryos. We find that the protein fulfills all prerequisites for successful cell tracking in GFP transgenic backgrounds during the first 4 (and possibly more) days of zebrafish embryonic development. During this time, most of the cell migratory events are completed in fish making the PSmOrange system an excellent addition to the zebrafish toolkit.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="821">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:303px;">PCR Purification Kit</td>
			<td style="width:233px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">28104</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">mMESSAGE mMACHINE SP6 Transcription kit</td>
			<td>Ambion</td>
			<td>AM1340</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">RNeasy MiniElute Cleanup kit</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td align="right">74204</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Plastic Pasteur</td>
			<td>alpha laboratories</td>
			<td>LW4000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Original H2B-PSmOrange Plasmid</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>31920</td>
			<td>The plasmid described in the paper is available in the Carl lab</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">FemtoJet Microinjector</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>5247 000.013</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Forceps (5 Inox)</td>
			<td>NeoLab</td>
			<td>2-1633</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Lab-Tek II Chambered #1.5 German Coverglass System&#160;</td>
			<td>Nunc</td>
			<td align="right">155382</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Nikon A1R+</td>
			<td>Nikon GmbH Germany</td>
			<td>No Number</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Nikon PLAN Apo &#955; 20x air objective&#160;</td>
			<td>Nikon GmbH Germany</td>
			<td>No Number</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">NIS Elements AR Software (v. 4.30.02)</td>
			<td>Nikon GmbH Germany/Laboratory Imaging</td>
			<td>No Number</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

tracking cells in gfp-transgenic zebrafish using the photoconvertible psmorange system

The rapid development of transparent zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) in combination with fluorescent labelings of cells and tissues allows visualizing developmental processes as they happen in the living animal. Cells of interest can be labeled by using a tissue specific promoter to drive the expression of a fluorescent protein (FP) for the generation of transgenic lines. Using fluorescent photoconvertible proteins for this purpose additionally allows to precisely follow defined structures within the expression domain. Illuminating the protein in the region of interest, changes its emission spectrum and highlights a particular cell or cell cluster leaving other transgenic cells in their original color. A major limitation is the lack of known promoters for a large number of tissues in the zebrafish. Conversely, gene- and enhancer trap screens have generated enormous transgenic resources discretely labeling literally all embryonic structures mostly with GFP or to a lesser extend red or yellow FPs. An approach to follow defined structures in such transgenic backgrounds would be to additionally introduce a ubiquitous photoconvertible protein, which could be converted in the cell(s) of interest. However, the photoconvertible proteins available involve a green and/or less frequently a red emission state1 and can therefore often not be used to track cells in the FP-background of existing transgenic lines. To circumvent this problem, we have established the PSmOrange system for the zebrafish2,3. Simple microinjection of synthetic mRNA encoding a nuclear form of this protein labels all cell nuclei with orange/red fluorescence. Upon targeted photoconversion of the protein, it switches its emission spectrum to far red. The quantum efficiency and stability of the protein makes PSmOrange a superb cell-tracking tool for zebrafish and possibly other teleost species.

Figure 1 illustrates an example of the PSmOrange photoconversion system. The pineal complex is a conserved structure in the vertebrate dorsal diencephalon. Like in many other vertebrates, this complex consists of the pineal organ in the center of the diencephalon and the left-sided parapineal cells. Elegant but time-consuming uncaging experiments showed that parapineal cells originate in the anterior part of the pineal organ13. In tg(foxD3:GFP); tg(flh:GFP) tra...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Tracking Cells in GFP-transgenic Zebrafish Using the Photoconvertible PSmOrange System at JoVE.com

Tracking Cells in GFP-transgenic Zebrafish Using the Photoconvertible PSmOrange System

We established the photoconvertible PSmOrange system as a powerful, straight-forward and cost inexpensive tool for in vivo cell tracking in GFP transgenic backgrounds. This protocol describes its application in the zebrafish model system.

The rapid development of transparent zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio) in combination with fluorescent labelings of cells and tissues allows visualizing ...

tracking-cells-gfp-transgenic-zebrafish-using-photoconvertible

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

8.5K Views.  Heidelberg University. We established the photoconvertible PSmOrange system as a powerful, straight-forward and cost inexpensive tool for in vivo cell tracking in GFP transgenic backgrounds. This protocol describes its application in the zebrafish model system.

Video: Tracking Cells in GFP-transgenic Zebrafish Using the Photoconvertible PSmOrange System

Live Imaging of Innate Immune and Preneoplastic Cell Interactions Using an Inducible Gal4/UAS Expression System in Larval Zebrafish Skin

Here we describe a method to conditionally induce epithelial cell transformation by the use of the 4-Hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) inducible KalTA4-ERT2/UAS expression system1 in zebrafish larvae, and the subsequent live imaging of innate immune cell interaction with HRASG12V expressing skin cells. The KalTA4-ERT2/UAS system is both inducible and reversible which allows us to induce cell transformation with precise temporal/spatial resolution in vivo. This provides us with a unique opportunity to live image how individual preneoplastic cells interact with host tissues as soon as they emerge, then follow their progression as well as regression. Recent studies in zebrafish larvae have shown a trophic function of innate immunity in the earliest stages of tumorigenesis2,3. Our inducible system would allow us to live image the onset of cellular transformation and the subsequent host response, which may lead to important insights on the underlying mechanisms for the regulation of oncogenic trophic inflammatory responses. We also discuss how one might adapt our protocol to achieve temporal and spatial control of ectopic gene expression in any tissue of interest.

Studying the earliest events of preneoplastic cell progression and innate immune cell interaction is pivotal to understand and treat cancer. Here we describe a method to conditionally induce epithelial cell transformations and the subsequent live imaging of innate immune cell interaction with HRASG12V expressing skin cells in zebrafish larvae.

Here we describe a method to conditionally induce epithelial cell transformation by the use of the 4-Hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT) inducible KalTA4-ERT2/UAS ...

Use of the TetON System to Study Molecular Mechanisms of Zebrafish Regeneration

The zebrafish has become a very important model organism for studying vertebrate development, physiology, disease, and tissue regeneration. A thorough understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved requires experimental tools that allow for inducible, tissue-specific manipulation of gene expression or signaling pathways. Therefore, we and others have recently adapted the TetON system for use in zebrafish. The TetON system facilitates temporally and spatially-controlled gene expression and we have recently used this tool to probe for tissue-specific functions of Wnt/beta&#8211;catenin signaling during zebrafish tail fin regeneration. Here we describe the workflow for using the TetON system to achieve inducible, tissue-specific gene expression in the adult regenerating zebrafish tail fin. This includes the generation of stable transgenic TetActivator and TetResponder lines, transgene induction and techniques for verification of tissue-specific gene expression in the fin regenerate. Thus, this protocol serves as blueprint for setting up a functional TetON system in zebrafish and its subsequent use, in particular for studying fin regeneration.

Here we outline the workflow for using the TetON system to achieve tissue-specific gene expression in the adult regenerating zebrafish tail fin.

The zebrafish has become a very important model organism for studying vertebrate development, physiology, disease, and tissue regeneration. A thorough ...

Alginate Encapsulation of Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Co-axial Nozzle

Pluripotent stem cells (PS cells) are the focus of intense research due to their role in regenerative medicine and drug screening. However, the development of a mass culture system would be required for using PS cells in these applications. Suspension culture is one promising culture method for the mass production of PS cells, although some issues such as controlling aggregation and limiting shear stress from the culture medium are still unsolved. In order to solve these problems, we developed a method of calcium alginate (Alg-Ca) encapsulation using a co-axial nozzle. This method can control the size of the capsules easily by co-flowing N2 gas. The controllable capsule diameter must be larger than 500 &#181;m because too high a flow rate of N2 gas causes the breakdown of droplets and thus heterogeneous-sized capsules. Moreover, a low concentration of Alg-Na and CaCl2 causes non-spherical capsules. Although an Alg-Ca capsule without a coating of Alg-PLL easily dissolves enabling the collection of cells, they can also potentially leak out from capsules lacking an Alg-PLL coating. Indeed, an alginate-PLL coating can prevent cellular leakage but is also hard to break. This technology can be used to research the stem cell niche as well as the mass production of PS cells because encapsulation can modify the micro-environment surrounding cells including the extracellular matrix and the concentration of secreted factors.

We established a method of encapsulating pluripotent stem cells (PS cells) into alginate hydrogel capsules using a co-axial nozzle. This prevents cells from aggregating excessively and limits the shear stress experienced by cells in suspension culture. The technique is applicable to the mass production of PS cells as well as research on stem cell niche.

Pluripotent stem cells (PS cells) are the focus of intense research due to their role in regenerative medicine and drug screening.  However, the ...

Analysis of Zebrafish Larvae Skeletal Muscle Integrity with Evans Blue Dye

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders. In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle membrane is a critical disease determinant. To date, numerous neuromuscular conditions display degenerating muscle fibers with abnormal membrane integrity; this is most commonly observed in muscular dystrophies. Evans Blue Dye (EBD) is a vital, cell permeable dye that is rapidly taken into degenerating, damaged, or apoptotic cells; in contrast, it is not taken up by cells with an intact membrane. EBD injection is commonly employed to ascertain muscle integrity in mouse models of neuromuscular diseases. However, such EBD experiments require muscle dissection and/or sectioning prior to analysis. In contrast, EBD uptake in zebrafish is visualized in live, intact preparations. Here, we demonstrate a simple and straightforward methodology for performing EBD injections and analysis in live zebrafish. In addition, we demonstrate a co-injection strategy to increase efficacy of EBD analysis. Overall, this video article provides an outline to perform EBD injection and characterization in zebrafish models of neuromuscular disease.

In this study, we describe a straightforward method to perform Evans Blue Dye (EBD) analysis on zebrafish larvae. This technique is a powerful tool for the characterization of skeletal muscle integrity and delineation of zebrafish models of muscular dystrophy, and is a valuable method for the development of novel therapeutics.

The zebrafish model is an emerging system for the study of neuromuscular disorders.  In the study of neuromuscular diseases, the integrity of the muscle ...

The Production of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Mouse Amniotic Fluid Cells Using a Transposon System

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are generated from mouse and human somatic cells by forced expression of defined transcription factors using different methods. Here, we produced iPS cells from mouse amniotic fluid cells, using a non-viral-based transposon system. All obtained iPS cell lines exhibited characteristics of pluripotent cells, including the ability to differentiate toward derivatives of all three germ layers in vitro and in vivo. This strategy opens up the possibility of using cells from diseased fetuses to develop new therapies for birth defects.

In this study, we generate induced pluripotent stem cells from mouse amniotic fluid cells, using a non-viral-based transposon system.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are generated from mouse and human somatic cells by forced expression of defined transcription factors using ...

Single-cell Photoconversion in Living Intact Zebrafish

Animal and plant tissue is composed of distinct populations of cells. These cells interact over time to build and maintain the tissue and can cause disease when disrupted. Scientists have developed clever techniques to investigate characteristics and natural dynamics of these cells within intact tissue by expressing fluorescent proteins in subsets of cells. However, at times, experiments require more selected visualization of cells within the tissue, sometimes at the single-cell or population-of-cells manner. To achieve this and visualize single cells within a population of cells, scientists have utilized single-cell photoconversion of fluorescent proteins. To demonstrate this technique, we show here how to direct UV light to an Eos-expressing cell of interest in an intact, living zebrafish. We then image those photoconverted Eos+ cells 24 h later to determine how they changed in the tissue. We describe two techniques: single cell photoconversion and photoconversions of populations of cell. These techniques can be used to visualize cell-cell interactions, cell-fate and differentiation, and cell migrations, making it a technique that is applicable in numerous biological questions.

Here, we present a protocol to show how cell photoconversion is achieved through UV exposure to specific areas expressing the fluorescent protein, Eos, in living animals.

Animal and plant tissue is composed of distinct populations of cells. These cells interact over time to build and maintain the tissue and can cause ...

Computational Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline to Study the Distribution of Nuclei, Proteins, and the Cytoskeleton

The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) germline is used to study several biologically important processes including stem cell development, apoptosis, and chromosome dynamics. While the germline is an excellent model, the analysis is often two dimensional due to the time and labor required for three-dimensional analysis. Major readouts in such studies are the number/position of nuclei and protein distribution within the germline. Here, we present a method to perform automated analysis of the germline using confocal microscopy and computational approaches to determine the number and position of nuclei in each region of the germline. Our method also analyzes germline protein distribution that enables the three-dimensional examination of protein expression in different genetic backgrounds. Further, our study shows variations in cytoskeletal architecture in distinct regions of the germline that may accommodate specific spatial developmental requirements. Finally, our method enables automated counting of the sperm in the spermatheca of each germline. Taken together, our method enables rapid and reproducible phenotypic analysis of the C. elegans germline.

Computational Analysis of the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline to Study the Distribution of Nuclei, Proteins, and the Cytoskeleton

We present an automated method for three-dimensional reconstruction of the Caenorhabditis elegans germline. Our method determines the number and position of each nucleus within the germline and analyses germline protein distribution and cytoskeletal structure.

The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) germline is used to study several biologically important processes including stem cell development, apoptosis, and ...

In Vitro Generation of Somite Derivatives from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

In response to signals such as WNTs, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and sonic hedgehog (SHH) secreted from surrounding tissues, somites (SMs) give rise to multiple cell types, including the myotome (MYO), sclerotome (SCL), dermatome (D), and syndetome (SYN), which in turn develop into skeletal muscle, axial skeleton, dorsal dermis, and axial tendon/ligament, respectively. Therefore, the generation of SMs and their derivatives from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is critical to obtain pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) for application in regenerative medicine and for disease research in the field of orthopedic surgery. Although the induction protocols for MYO and SCL from PSCs have been previously reported by several researchers, no study has yet demonstrated the induction of SYN and D from iPSCs. Therefore, efficient induction of fully competent SMs remains a major challenge. Here, we recapitulate human SM patterning with human iPSCs in vitro by mimicking the signaling environment during chick/mouse SM development, and report on methods of systematic induction of SM derivatives (MYO, SCL, D, and SYN) from human iPSCs under chemically defined conditions through the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) and SM states. Knowledge regarding chick/mouse&#160;SM development was successfully applied to the induction of SMs with human iPSCs. This method could be a novel tool for studying human somitogenesis and patterning without the use of embryos and for cell-based therapy and disease modeling.

We present here a protocol for the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into each somite derivative (myotome, sclerotome, dermatome, and syndetome) in chemically defined conditions, which has applications in future disease modeling and cell-based therapies in orthopedic surgery.

In response to signals such as WNTs, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and sonic hedgehog (SHH) secreted from surrounding tissues, somites (SMs) give ...

Three-dimensional Angiogenesis Assay System using Co-culture Spheroids Formed by Endothelial Colony Forming Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Studies in the field of angiogenesis have been aggressively growing in the last few decades with the recognition that angiogenesis is a hallmark of more than 50 different pathological conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, oculopathy, cardiovascular diseases, and tumor metastasis. During angiogenesis drug development, it is crucial to use in vitro assay systems with appropriate cell types and proper conditions to reflect the physiologic angiogenesis process. To overcome limitations of current in vitro angiogenesis assay systems using mainly endothelial cells, we developed a 3-dimensional (3D) co-culture spheroid sprouting assay system. Co-culture spheroids were produced by two human vascular cell precursors, endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with a ratio of 5 to 1. ECFCs+MSCs spheroids were embedded into type I collagen matrix to mimic the in vivo extracellular environment. A real-time cell recorder was utilized to continuously observe the progression of angiogenic sprouting from spheroids for 24 h. Live cell fluorescent labeling technique was also applied to tract the localization of each cell type during sprout formation. Angiogenic potential was quantified by counting the number of sprouts and measuring the cumulative length of sprouts generated from the individual spheroids. Five randomly-selected spheroids were analyzed per experimental group. Comparison experiments demonstrated that ECFCs+MSCs spheroids showed greater sprout number and cumulative sprout length compared with ECFCs-only spheroids. Bevacizumab, an FDA-approved angiogenesis inhibitor, was tested with the newly-developed co-culture spheroid assay system to verify its potential to screen anti-angiogenic drugs. The IC50 value for ECFCs+MSCs spheroids compared to the ECFCs-only spheroids was closer to the effective plasma concentration of bevacizumab obtained from the xenograft tumor mouse model. The present study suggests that the 3D ECFCs+MSCs spheroid angiogenesis assay system is relevant to physiologic angiogenesis, and can predict an effective plasma concentration in advance of animal experiments.

Three-dimensional co-culture spheroid angiogenesis assay system is designed to mimic the physiologic angiogenesis. Co-culture spheroids are formed by two human vascular cell precursors, ECFCs and MSCs, and embedded in collagen gel. The new system is effective for evaluating angiogenic modulators, and provides more relevant information to the in vivo study.

Studies in the field of angiogenesis have been aggressively growing in the last few decades with the recognition that angiogenesis is a hallmark of more ...

Visualizing Ocular Morphogenesis by Lightsheet Microscopy Using rx3:GFP Transgenic Zebrafish

Vertebrate eye development is a complex process that begins near the end of embryo gastrulation and requires the precise coordination of cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Time-lapse imagining offers unique insight to the behavior of cells during eye development because it allows us to visualize oculogenesis in vivo. Zebrafish are an excellent model to visualize this process due to their highly conserved vertebrate eye and their ability to develop rapidly and externally while remaining optically transparent. Time-lapse imaging studies of zebrafish eye development are greatly facilitated by use of the transgenic zebrafish line Tg(rx3:GFP). In the developing forebrain, rx3:GFP expression marks the cells of the single eye field, and GFP continues to be expressed as the eye field evaginates to form an optic vesicle, which then invaginates to form an optic cup. High resolution time lapse imaging of rx3:GFP expression, therefore, allows us to track the eye primordium through time as it develops into the retina. Lightsheet microscopy is an ideal method to image ocular morphogenesis over time due to its ability to penetrate thicker samples for fluorescent imaging, minimize photobleaching and phototoxicity, and image at a high speed. Here, a&#160;protocol is&#160;provided&#160;for time-lapse imaging of ocular morphogenesis using a commercially available lightsheet microscope and an image processing workstation to analyze the resulting data. This protocol details the procedures for embryo anesthesia, embedding in low melting temperature agarose, suspension in the imaging chamber, setting up the imaging parameters, and finally analyzing the imaging data using image analysis software. The resulting dataset can provide valuable insights into the process of ocular morphogenesis, as well as perturbations to this process as a result of genetic mutation, exposure to pharmacological agents, or other experimental manipulations.

Here, a&#160;protocol is&#160;provided&#160;for time-lapse imaging of ocular morphogenesis using a commercially available lightsheet microscope and an image processing workstation to analyze the resulting data. This protocol details the procedures for embryo anesthesia, embedding in low melting temperature agarose, suspension in the imaging chamber, setting up the imaging parameters, and finally analyzing the imaging data using image analysis software.&#160;

Vertebrate eye development is a complex process that begins near the end of embryo gastrulation and requires the precise coordination of cell migration, ...