Name: assessment of global dna double-strand end resection using brdu-dna labeling coupled with cell cycle discrimination imaging
Uploaded: 2021-04-28T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assessment of Global DNA Double-Strand End Resection using BrdU-DNA Labeling coupled with Cell Cycle Discrimination Imaging at JoVE.com

We thank Marie-Christine Caron for outstanding technical advice. This work is supported by funding from Canadian Institutes of Health Research J.Y.M (CIHR FDN-388879). J.-Y.M. holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in DNA Repair and Cancer Therapeutics. J.O&#39;S is an FRQS PhD student fellow, and S.Y.M is a FRQS postdoctoral fellow.

1. Cell culture, treatments, and coverslip preparation
NOTE: All cell plating, transfections, and treatments, aside from irradiation, should take place under a sterile cell-culture hood.
<ol>
	<li>Day 1
	<ol>
		<li>In a 6-well plate, place a single coverslip in each well for as many conditions as needed. Plate ~150,000 HeLa cells for transfection or drug treatment, as desired. 
		NOTE: If transfecting, it is recommended to do a reverse transfection at the time of plating, or it is possi...

<ol>
	<li>Mouw, K. W., Goldberg, M. S., Konstantinopoulos, P. A., D'Andrea, 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=DNA+damage+and+repair+biomarkers+of+immunotherapy+response.">DNA damage and repair biomarkers of immunotherapy response.</a> Cancer Discovery. 7 (7), 675-693 (2017).</li><li>Scully, R., Panday, A., Elango, R., Willis, N. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=DNA+double-strand+break+repair-pathway+choice+in+somatic+mammalian+cells.">DNA double-strand break repair-pathway choice in somatic mammalian cells.</a> Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. 20 (11), 698-714 (2019).</li><li>Chang, H. H. Y., Pannunzio, N. R., Adachi, N., Lieber, M. 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A., 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=Limiting+the+DNA+double-strand+break+resectosome+for+genome+protection.">Limiting the DNA double-strand break resectosome for genome protection.</a> Trends in Biochemical Science. 45 (9), 779-793 (2020).</li><li>Hu, Y., 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=PARP1-driven+poly-ADP-ribosylation+regulates+BRCA1+function+in+homologous+recombination-mediated+DNA+repair.">PARP1-driven poly-ADP-ribosylation regulates BRCA1 function in homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair.</a> Cancer Discovery. 4 (12), 1430-1447 (2014).</li><li>Satoh, M. S., Lindahl, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Role+of+poly(ADP-ribose)+formation+in+DNA+repair.">Role of poly(ADP-ribose) formation in DNA repair.</a> Nature. 356 (6367), 356-358 (1992).</li><li>Sugimura, K., Takebayashi, S., Taguchi, H., Takeda, S., Okumura, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PARP-1+ensures+regulation+of+replication+fork+progression+by+homologous+recombination+on+damaged+DNA.">PARP-1 ensures regulation of replication fork progression by homologous recombination on damaged DNA.</a> Journal of Cell Biology. 183 (7), 1203-1212 (2008).</li><li>Bryant, H. E., 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=Specific+killing+of+BRCA2-deficient+tumours+with+inhibitors+of+poly(ADP-ribose)+polymerase.">Specific killing of BRCA2-deficient tumours with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.</a> Nature. 434 (7035), 913-917 (2005).</li><li>Farmer, H., 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=Targeting+the+DNA+repair+defect+in+BRCA+mutant+cells+as+a+therapeutic+strategy.">Targeting the DNA repair defect in BRCA mutant cells as a therapeutic strategy.</a> Nature. 434 (7035), 917-921 (2005).</li><li>Zhou, P., Wang, J., Mishail, D., Wang, C. Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Recent+advancements+in+PARP+inhibitors-based+targeted+cancer+therapy.">Recent advancements in PARP inhibitors-based targeted cancer therapy.</a> Precision Clinical Medicine. 3 (3), 187-201 (2020).</li><li>Noordermeer, S. M., van Attikum, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=PARP+inhibitor+resistance:+a+tug-of-war+in+BRCA-mutated+cells.">PARP inhibitor resistance: a tug-of-war in BRCA-mutated cells.</a> Trends in Cell Biology. 29 (10), 820-834 (2019).</li><li>Caron, M. C., 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=Poly(ADP-ribose)+polymerase-1+antagonizes+DNA+resection+at+double-strand+breaks.">Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 antagonizes DNA resection at double-strand breaks.</a> Nature Communications. 10 (1), 2954 (2019).</li><li>Zhou, Y., Caron, P., Legube, G., Paull, T. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Quantitation+of+DNA+double-strand+break+resection+intermediates+in+human+cells.">Quantitation of DNA double-strand break resection intermediates in human cells.</a> Nucleic Acids Research. 42 (3), 19 (2014).</li><li>Raderschall, E., Golub, E. I., Haaf, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nuclear+foci+of+mammalian+recombination+proteins+are+located+at+single-stranded+DNA+regions+formed+after+DNA+damage.">Nuclear foci of mammalian recombination proteins are located at single-stranded DNA regions formed after DNA damage.</a> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 96 (5), 1921-1926 (1999).</li><li>Sartori, A. A., 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=Human+CtIP+promotes+DNA+end+resection.">Human CtIP promotes DNA end resection.</a> Nature. 450 (7169), 509-514 (2007).</li><li>Huertas, P., Cruz-Garc&#237;a, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Single+molecule+analysis+of+resection+tracks.">Single molecule analysis of resection tracks.</a> Methods in Molecular Biology. 1672, 147-154 (2018).</li><li>Soniat, M. M., Myler, L. R., Kuo, H. -. C., Paull, T. T., Finkelstein, I. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RPA+phosphorylation+inhibits+DNA+resection.">RPA phosphorylation inhibits DNA resection.</a> Molecular Cell. 75 (1), 145-153 (2019).</li></ol>

This paper describes a method that makes use of IF staining to measure variations in DNA resection in cellulo. The current standard for observing an effect on DNA resection is through RPA staining; however, this is an indirect method that may be influenced by DNA replication. Previously, another BrdU incorporation-based DNA resection IF technique has been described for classifying the resulting intensities in BrdU-positive and BrdU-negative cells. This method allowed for cells that are not undergoing HR to be co...

Modulation of DNA repair factors is an ever-evolving method for cancer therapy, particularly in DNA DSB repair-deficient tumor environments. The inhibition of specific repair factors is one of the ingenious strategies used to sensitize cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents. Decades of research led to the identification of various mutations of DNA repair genes as biomarkers for therapeutic strategy choices1. Consequently, the DNA repair field has become a hub for drug development to ensure a wide range of treatments, empowering the personalized medicine concept. 
DSBs are repaired by two main pathways: NHEJ and HR2. The NHEJ pathway is error-prone, rapidly ligating the two DNA ends with little to no DNA end-processing and involving the protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), the Ku70/80 complex, 53BP1, and RIF1 proteins3. In contrast, HR is a faithful mechanism initiated by BRCA14. An essential step in HR repair is the DNA-end resection process, which is the degradation of the broken ends leading to single-stranded (ss) DNA with 3'-OH ends. BRCA1 facilitates the recruitment of the downstream proteins that form the resectosome MRN/RPA/BLM/DNA2/EXO1, which are involved in the 5' to 3' DNA resection5. 
The initial end-resection is accomplished through the endonuclease activity of MRE11, allowing for further processing by the DNA2 and EXO1 nucleases. The generated ssDNA overhangs are quickly coated by Replication Protein A (RPA) to protect them from further processing. Subsequently, BRCA2, PALB2, and BRCA1 engage to mediate the displacement of RPA and the assembly of the RAD51 nucleofilament required for homology-directed repair mechanism. A fine balance between the usage of NHEJ and HR is necessary for the optimal maintenance of genomic integrity. The pathway choice depends on the cell cycle phase. HR is preferentially used during the S to G2 phases wherein DNA resection is at the highest level, and the sister chromatids are available to ensure proper repair.
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is one of the earliest proteins recruited to the DSB. It regulates both resection activity and the assembly of downstream effectors involved in the NHEJ5,6. PARP-1 is also required for DNA single-stranded break repair during replication7,8. Due to its important role in DNA repair, PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are used as cancer therapies. In several HR-deficient cancers, PARPi treatment leads to a synthetic lethal response due to the incapacity of HR-deficient cells to repair the accumulated damage via an alternative pathway9,10. There are currently four FDA approved PARPi: Olaparib, Rucaparib, Niriparib, and Talazoparib (also called BMN 673), which are used for various breast and ovarian cancer treatments11. However, PARPi resistance is common, and one potential cause arises through the reacquisition of HR proficiency12. Loss or inhibition of PARP-1 in the presence of irradiation dysregulates the resectosome machinery, leading to the accumulation of longer ssDNA tracts13. Therefore, an in-depth study of DNA resection in vivo is critical for a clearer understanding of the DNA repair pathways and the subsequent development of new strategies to treat cancer and to overcome PARPi resistance. 
There have been several methods employed to detect DNA resection events5. One such method is the classical IF-based technique allowing for indirect staining and visualization of the resected DNA after stress-induced DSB by using an anti-RPA antibody. Labelling genomic DNA with 5-bromo-2&#8242;-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and detecting only ssDNA is a direct measurement of DNA resection events. It circumvents the monitoring of RPA, which is involved in multiple cellular processes such as DNA replication. In the method described here, cells incubated with BrdU for a single cell cycle allow BrdU to be incorporated into one strand of the replicating cellular DNA. Following resection, IF staining is performed under conditions allowing wherein BrdU detection only in the ssDNA form, with the use of an anti-BrdU antibody. This antibody can only access exposed BrdU nucleotides and will not detect those integrated into double-stranded DNA. Using fluorescence microscopy, the resected DNA can be visualized in the form of punctate BrdU/ssDNA foci. The nuclear intensity of these foci can be used as a readout to quantify resection following DNA damage. This paper describes step-by-step the processes of this method, which can be applied to most mammalian cell lines. This method should be of broad utility as a simple way of monitoring DNA end resection in cellulo, as a proof of concept.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Alexa 568 goat anti-rabbit</td>
			<td>Molecular probes</td>
			<td>A11011</td>
			<td>1:800</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alexa Fluor 488 goat anti-mouse</td>
			<td>Molecular probes</td>
			<td>A11001</td>
			<td>1:800</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti PARP1 (F1-23)</td>
			<td>Homemade</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>1:2500</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti PCNA (SY12-07)</td>
			<td>Novus</td>
			<td>NBP2-67390</td>
			<td>1:500</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-Alpha tubulin (DM1A)</td>
			<td>Abcam</td>
			<td>Ab7291</td>
			<td>1:100000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-BrdU</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare</td>
			<td>RPN202</td>
			<td>1:1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Benchtop X-ray Irradiator</td>
			<td>Cell Rad</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BMN673</td>
			<td>MedChem Express</td>
			<td>HY-16106</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>B5002</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BSA</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A7906</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell profiler</td>
			<td>Broad Institute</td>
			<td>V 3.19</td>
			<td>https://cellprofiler.org/</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Curwood Parafilm M Laboratory Wrapping Film 4in / 250 ft</td>
			<td>Fisher scientific</td>
			<td>13-374-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DAPI (4&#39;,6-Diamidino-2-Phenylindole, Dihydrochloride)</td>
			<td>Invitrogen Life Technology</td>
			<td>D1306</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM high glucose</td>
			<td>Fisher scientific</td>
			<td>10063542</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EGTA</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>E3889</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine serum</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>12483-020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fisherbrand Cover Glasses: Squares 22 x 22</td>
			<td>Fisher scientific</td>
			<td>12 541B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fluorescent microscope</td>
			<td>Leica</td>
			<td>DMI6000B</td>
			<td>63x immersion objective</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HeLa</td>
			<td>ATCC</td>
			<td>CCL-2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HERACELL 160I CO2 INCUBATOR CU 1-21 TC 120V</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>51030408</td>
			<td>37% CO2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MgCl2</td>
			<td>BioShop Canada</td>
			<td>MAG520.500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>BioShop Canada</td>
			<td>SOD002.10</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Needle</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS 1x</td>
			<td>Wisent Bio Products</td>
			<td>311-010-CS</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PFA 16%</td>
			<td>Cedarlane Labs</td>
			<td>15710-S(EM)</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PIPES</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>P6757-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>ProLong Gold Antifade Mountant</td>
			<td>Invitrogen Life Technology</td>
			<td>P-36930</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAiMAX</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>13778-075</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>siPARPi</td>
			<td>Dharmacon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>AAG AUA GAG CGU GAA GGC GAA dTdT</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>siRNA control</td>
			<td>Dharmacon</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>UUCGAACGUGUCACGUCAA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Deoxycholcate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D6750-100G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sucrose</td>
			<td>BioShop Canada</td>
			<td>SUC507.5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-base</td>
			<td>BioShop Canada</td>
			<td>TRS001.5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trition X-100</td>
			<td>Millipore Sigma</td>
			<td>T8787-250ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tween20</td>
			<td>Fisher scientific</td>
			<td>BP337500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tweezers</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

assessment of global dna double-strand end resection using brdu-dna labeling coupled with cell cycle discrimination imaging

The study of the DNA damage response (DDR) is a complex and essential field, which has only become more important due to the use of DDR-targeting drugs for cancer treatment. These targets are poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), which initiate various forms of DNA repair. Inhibiting these enzymes using PARP inhibitors (PARPi) achieves synthetic lethality by conferring a therapeutic vulnerability in homologous recombination (HR)-deficient cells due to mutations in breast cancer type 1 (BRCA1), BRCA2, or partner and localizer of BRCA2 (PALB2). 
Cells treated with PARPi accumulate DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). These breaks are processed by the DNA end resection machinery, leading to the formation of single-stranded (ss) DNA and subsequent DNA repair. In a BRCA1-deficient context, reinvigorating DNA resection through mutations in DNA resection inhibitors, such as 53BP1 and DYNLL1, causes PARPi resistance. Therefore, being able to monitor DNA resection in cellulo is critical for a clearer understanding of the DNA repair pathways and the development of new strategies to overcome PARPi resistance. Immunofluorescence (IF)-based techniques allow for monitoring of global DNA resection after DNA damage. This strategy requires long-pulse genomic DNA labeling with 5-bromo-2&#8242;-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Following DNA damage and DNA end resection, the resulting single-stranded DNA is specifically detected by an anti-BrdU antibody under native conditions. Moreover, DNA resection can also be studied using cell cycle markers to differentiate between various phases of the cell cycle. Cells in the S/G2 phase allow the study of end resection within HR, whereas G1 cells can be used to study non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). A detailed protocol for this IF method coupled to cell cycle discrimination is described in this paper.

In this protocol, the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-based assay was used to quantitatively measure the resection response of HeLa cells to irradiation-induced damage. The generated ssDNA tracks are visualized as distinct foci after immunofluorescence staining (Figure 1A). The identified foci were then quantified and expressed as the total integrated intensity of the BrdU staining in the nuclei (Figure 1B, Supplemental Figure S1, Supplemental Figure S2,</stron...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assessment of Global DNA Double-Strand End Resection using BrdU-DNA Labeling coupled with Cell Cycle Discrimination Imaging at JoVE.com

Assessment of Global DNA Double-Strand End Resection using BrdU-DNA Labeling coupled with Cell Cycle Discrimination Imaging

In the present protocol, we demonstrate how to visualize DNA double-strand end resection during S/G2 phase of the cell cycle using an immunofluorescence-based method.

The study of the DNA damage response (DDR) is a complex and essential field, which has only become more important due to the use of DDR-targeting drugs ...

This protocol allows for in cellulo quantification of DNA and resection following DNA damage. This technique's main advantage is the cell cycle marking which restricts the cells to S and G2 phase, ensuring the bromodeoxyuridine signal results from DNA and resection. Demonstrating the procedure will be Jean-Yves Masson, a principal investigator, and Sofiane Y.Mersaoui, a post-doctoral researcher.Working under a sterile culture hood, place a single coverslip in each well of a six-well plate for as many conditions needed. Plate approximately 150, 000 HeLa cells for transfection or drug treatment. On day three, following the overnight incubation with BrdU at a final concentration of 10 micromolar, irradiate the plates with a total dose of five gray of x-ray irradiation.After irradiation, return the plates for incubation at 37 degrees Celsius in a 5%carbon oxide humidified incubator for three hours. For pre-extraction, aspirate the medium and carefully wash the cells twice with PBS. After removing PBS, add two milliliters of pre-extraction buffer A and incubate the cells at four degrees Celsius on ice for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes, aspirate buffer A, add two milliliters of cytoskeleton stripping buffer B, and repeat the incubation. Then carefully aspirate buffer B and wash the cells with PBS. After aspirating PBS, fix the cells by adding two milliliters of 4%of paraformaldehyde under the chemical hood.Following removal of the paraformaldehyde and washes with PBS, cover the coverslips with 100%cold methanol for incubation at minus 20 degrees Celsius for five minutes and wash the coverslips twice with PBS. For permeabilization, incubate the cells with two milliliters of PBS containing 0.5%Tritan X-100 at room temperature. After 15 minutes, wash the coverslips three times with two milliliters of PBS.For immunostaining, add two milliliters of blocking buffer to each well. After one hour of incubation, add 100 microliters of primary antibody solution to each coverslip. Use tweezers to cover the coverslips with square parafilm and carefully position the parafilm to not create bubbles.Then cover the plate in aluminum foil and incubate the primary antibody overnight at four degrees Celsius in a humidified chamber. On the following day, remove the parafilm squares and wash the coverslips three times with two milliliters of PBS. After the wash, add 100 microliters of secondary antibody solution on each coverslip and cover the coverslips with a square of parafilm as demonstrated.Incubate the secondary antibody at room temperature for one hour and protect the plate from light using foil. Then wash the coverslips three times with two milliliters of 1X PBS. For nuclear staining, add two milliliters of DAPI solution to each coverslip and wash the coverslips with PBS.Add 10 to 20 microliters of IF-specific mounting medium on microscope slides. Use the needle or fine tweezers to lift the coverslip from the bottom of the well. Carefully blot off excess liquid by tapping one edge gently on a paper towel and mount the coverslips on microscope slides.For image acquisition and analysis, import these files into CellProfiler and analyze them using the speckle counting pipeline. Identify the primary object to identify the foci using the settings described in the text manuscript and measure the intensity. Representative images of 5-bromo-2-prime-deoxyuridine foci formation and proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining following irradiation are shown here.The generated single-stranded DNA tracks were visualized as distinct foci. The identified foci were then quantified and expressed as the total integrated intensity of the bromodeoxyuridine staining in the nuclei. Co-staining showed differentiation between the short range resection due to non-homologous end joining and the long range resection of homologous recombination using an anti-PCNA antibody to identify cells going through the S phase.PCNA is prominent in the nucleus and reaches maximal expression during the S phase of the cell cycle with quite an intense staining. The result in values are then plotted as a scatterplot to discriminate between PCNA positive and PCNA negative nuclei. The PCNA negative results are removed from the dataset to allow for BrdU intensity-based analysis because of the low BrdU signal regardless of the condition.The PCNA negative nuclei harbor a basal integrated intensity of BrdU foci of 900 arbitrary units and this value reaches 1, 800 AU in PCNA positive nuclei. In the siRNA control condition, the integrated intensity of BrdU foci per nucleus is approximately 1, 500 AU in the PCNA positive nuclei. After an efficient knockdown of PARP-1 using an siRNA, a significant increase in the intensity of the BrdU foci to approximately 1, 900 AU was observed.This technique can provide key insights into the first stage of homologous recombination, thus helping to identify if a protein is involved in the first step of the repair pathway. The incubation time for the pre-extraction buffers must be strictly kept. Over-exposure to these buffers will result in excessive cell detachment and increased background signal.

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Biology

Measuring Exocytosis in Neurons Using FM Labeling

The ability to measure the kinetics of vesicle release can help provide insight into some of the basics of neurotransmission.  Here we used real-time imaging of vesicles labeled with FM dye to monitor the rate of presynaptic vesicle release.  FM4-64 is a red fluorescent amphiphilic styryl dye that embeds into the membranes of synaptic vesicles as endocytosis is stimulated.  Lipophilic interactions cause the dye to greatly increase in fluorescence, thus emitting a bright signal when associated with vesicles and a nominal one when in the extracellular fluid. After a wash step is used to help remove external dye within the plasma membrane, the remaining FM is concentrated within the vesicles and is then expelled when exocytosis is induced by another round of electrical stimulation. The rate of vesicles release is measured from the resulting decrease in fluorescence.  Since FM dye can be applied external and transiently, it is a useful tool for determining rates of exocytosis in neuronal cultures, especially when comparing the rates between transfected synapses and neighboring control boutons.



The ability to measure the kinetics of vesicle release can help provide insight into some of the basics of neurotransmission. Here we used real-time imaging of vesicles labeled with the red fluorescent dye FM 4-64 to measure the rate of presynaptic vesicle release in hippocampal neuronal cultures.

The ability to measure the kinetics of vesicle release can help provide insight into some of the basics of neurotransmission.  Here we used real-time ...

Labeling hESCs and hMSCs with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Non-Invasive in vivo Tracking with MR Imaging

In recent years, stem cell research has led to a better understanding of developmental biology, various diseases and its potential impact on regenerative medicine. A non-invasive method to monitor the transplanted stem cells repeatedly in vivo would greatly enhance our ability to understand the mechanisms that control stem cell death and identify trophic factors and signaling pathways that improve stem cell engraftment. MR imaging has been proven to be an effective tool for the in vivo depiction of stem cells with near microscopic anatomical resolution. In order to detect stem cells with MR, the cells have to be labeled with cell specific MR contrast agents. For this purpose, iron oxide nanoparticles, such as superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO), are applied, because of their high sensitivity for cell detection and their excellent biocompatibility. SPIO particles are composed of an iron oxide core and a dextran, carboxydextran or starch coat, and function by creating local field inhomogeneities, that cause a decreased signal on T2-weighted MR images. This presentation will demonstrate techniques for labeling of stem cells with clinically applicable MR contrast agents for subsequent non-invasive in vivo tracking of the labeled cells with MR imaging.

For the evaluation of new stem cell therapies it is important to non-invasively track the injected cells in vivo. This video will show you how to label human mesenchymal and embryonic stem cells with iron oxide based contrast agents in vivo for subsequent MR imaging in vivo.

In recent years, stem cell research has led to a better understanding of developmental biology, various diseases and its potential impact on regenerative ...

Labeling Stem Cells with Fluorescent Dyes for non-invasive Detection with Optical Imaging

Optical imaging (OI) is an easy, fast and inexpensive tool for in vivo monitoring of new stem cell based therapies. The technique is based on ex vivo labeling of stem cells with a fluorescent dye, subsequent intravenous injection of the labeled cells and visualization of their accumulation in specific target organs or pathologies. The presented technique demonstrates how we label human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) by simple incubation with the lipophilic fluorescent dye DiD (C67H103CIN2O3S) and how we label human embryonic stem cells (hESC) with the FDA approved fluorescent dye Indocyanine Green (ICG). The uptake mechanism is via adherence and diffusion of the lypophilic dye across the phospholipid cell membrane bilayer. The labeling efficiency is usually improved if the cells are incubated with the dye in serum-free media as opposed to incubation in serum-containing media. Furthermore, the addition of the transfection agent Protamine Sulfate significantly improves contrast agent uptake.

This video shows techniques for labeling of human embryonic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells with fluorescent dyes. This technique can be used for an in vivo tracking of transplanted stem cells with optical imaging and for histopathological correlations with fluorescence microscopy.

Optical imaging (OI) is an easy, fast and inexpensive tool for in vivo monitoring of new stem cell based therapies. The technique is based on ex vivo ...

Analysis of DNA Double-strand Break (DSB) Repair in Mammalian Cells

DNA double-strand breaks are the most dangerous DNA lesions that may lead to massive loss of genetic information and cell death. Cells repair DSBs using two major pathways: nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Perturbations of NHEJ and HR are often associated with premature aging and tumorigenesis, hence it is important to have a quantitative way of measuring each DSB repair pathway. Our laboratory has developed fluorescent reporter constructs that allow sensitive and quantitative measurement of NHEJ and HR. The constructs are based on an engineered GFP gene containing recognition sites for a rare-cutting I-SceI endonuclease for induction of DSBs. The starting constructs are GFP negative as the GFP gene is inactivated by an additional exon, or by mutations. Successful repair of the I-SceI-induced breaks by NHEJ or HR restores the functional GFP gene. The number of GFP positive cells counted by flow cytometry provides quantitative measure of NHEJ or HR efficiency.

Analysis of DNA Double-strand Break DSB Repair in Mammalian Cells

This article describes GFP-based fluorescence in vivo assays that separately quantify homologous recombination and nonhomologous end joining in mammalian cells.

DNA double-strand breaks are the most dangerous DNA lesions that may lead to massive loss of genetic information and cell death.  Cells repair DSBs using ...

Quantification of Proteins Using Peptide Immunoaffinity Enrichment Coupled with Mass Spectrometry

There is a great need for quantitative assays in measuring proteins. Traditional sandwich immunoassays, largely considered the gold standard in quantitation, are associated with a high cost, long lead time, and are fraught with drawbacks (e.g. heterophilic antibodies, autoantibody interference, 'hook-effect').1 An alternative technique is affinity enrichment of peptides coupled with quantitative mass spectrometry, commonly referred to as SISCAPA (Stable Isotope Standards and Capture by Anti-Peptide Antibodies).2 In this technique, affinity enrichment of peptides with stable isotope dilution and detection by selected/multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (SRM/MRM-MS) provides quantitative measurement of peptides as surrogates for their respective proteins. SRM/MRM-MS is well established for accurate quantitation of small molecules 3, 4 and more recently has been adapted to measure the concentrations of proteins in plasma and cell lysates.5-7 To achieve quantitation of proteins, these larger molecules are digested to component peptides using an enzyme such as trypsin. One or more selected peptides whose sequence is unique to the target protein in that species (i.e. "proteotypic" peptides) are then enriched from the sample using anti-peptide antibodies and measured as quantitative stoichiometric surrogates for protein concentration in the sample. Hence, coupled to stable isotope dilution (SID) methods (i.e. a spiked-in stable isotope labeled peptide standard), SRM/MRM can be used to measure concentrations of proteotypic peptides as surrogates for quantification of proteins in complex biological matrices. The assays have several advantages compared to traditional immunoassays. The reagents are relatively less expensive to generate, the specificity for the analyte is excellent, the assays can be highly multiplexed, enrichment can be performed from neat plasma (no depletion required), and the technique is amenable to a wide array of proteins or modifications of interest.8-13 In this video we demonstrate the basic protocol as adapted to a magnetic bead platform.

Stable Isotope Standards and Capture by Anti-Peptide Antibodies (SISCAPA) couples affinity enrichment of peptides with stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry (MRM-MS) to provide quantitative measurement of peptides as surrogates for their respective proteins. Here we describe the protocol using magnetic particles in a partially automated format.

There is a great need for quantitative assays in measuring proteins. Traditional sandwich immunoassays, largely considered the gold standard in ...

Measuring Cell Cycle Progression Kinetics with Metabolic Labeling and Flow Cytometry

Precise control of the initiation and subsequent progression through the various phases of the cell cycle are of paramount importance in proliferating cells. Cell cycle division is an integral part of growth and reproduction and deregulation of key cell cycle components have been implicated in the precipitating events of carcinogenesis 1,2. Molecular agents in anti-cancer therapies frequently target biological pathways responsible for the regulation and coordination of cell cycle division 3. Although cell cycle kinetics tend to vary according to cell type, the distribution of cells amongst the four stages of the cell cycle is rather consistent within a particular cell line due to the consistent pattern of mitogen and growth factor expression. Genotoxic events and other cellular stressors can result in a temporary block of cell cycle progression, resulting in arrest or a temporary pause in a particular cell cycle phase to allow for instigation of the appropriate response mechanism. 
The ability to experimentally observe the behavior of a cell population with reference to their cell cycle progression stage is an important advance in cell biology. Common procedures such as mitotic shake off, differential centrifugation or flow cytometry-based sorting are used to isolate cells at specific stages of the cell cycle 4-6. These fractionated, cell cycle phase-enriched populations are then subjected to experimental treatments. Yield, purity and viability of the separated fractions can often be compromised using these physical separation methods. As well, the time lapse between separation of the cell populations and the start of experimental treatment, whereby the fractionated cells can progress from the selected cell cycle stage, can pose significant challenges in the successful implementation and interpretation of these experiments.
Other approaches to study cell cycle stages include the use of chemicals to synchronize cells. Treatment of cells with chemical inhibitors of key metabolic processes for each cell cycle stage are useful in blocking the progression of the cell cycle to the next stage. For example, the ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor hydroxyurea halts cells at the G1/S juncture by limiting the supply of deoxynucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. Other notable chemicals include treatment with aphidicolin, a polymerase alpha inhibitor for G1 arrest, treatment with colchicine and nocodazole, both of which interfere with mitotic spindle formation to halt cells in M phase and finally, treatment with the DNA chain terminator 5-fluorodeoxyridine to initiate S phase arrest 7-9. Treatment with these chemicals is an effective means of synchronizing an entire population of cells at a particular phase. With removal of the chemical, cells rejoin the cell cycle in unison. Treatment of the test agent following release from the cell cycle blocking chemical ensures that the drug response elicited is from a uniform, cell cycle stage-specific population. However, since many of the chemical synchronizers are known genotoxic compounds, teasing apart the participation of various response pathways (to the synchronizers vs. the test agents) is challenging. 
Here we describe a metabolic labeling method for following a subpopulation of actively cycling cells through their progression from the DNA replication phase, through to the division and separation of their daughter cells. Coupled with flow cytometry quantification, this protocol enables for measurement of kinetic progression of the cell cycle in the absence of either mechanically- or chemically- induced cellular stresses commonly associated with other cell cycle synchronization methodologies 10. In the following sections we will discuss the methodology, as well as some of its applications in biomedical research.

Tracking subtle changes in the progression and kinetics of cell cycle stages can be accomplished by use of a combination of metabolic labeling of nucleic acids with BrdU and total genomic DNA staining via Propidium Iodide. This method avoids the need of chemical synchronization of cycling cells, thereby preventing the introduction of non-specific DNA damage, which in turn affects cell cycle progression.

Precise control of the initiation and subsequent progression through the various phases of the cell cycle are of paramount importance in proliferating ...

Live Cell Cycle Analysis of Drosophila Tissues using the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer and Vybrant DyeCycle Violet DNA Stain

Flow cytometry has been widely used to obtain information about DNA content in a population of cells, to infer relative percentages in different cell cycle phases. This technique has been successfully extended to the mitotic tissues of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster for genetic studies of cell cycle regulation in vivo. When coupled with cell-type specific fluorescent protein expression and genetic manipulations, one can obtain detailed information about effects on cell number, cell size and cell cycle phasing in vivo. However this live-cell method has relied on the use of the cell permeable Hoechst 33342 DNA-intercalating dye, limiting users to flow cytometers equipped with a UV laser. We have modified this protocol to use a newer live-cell DNA dye, Vybrant DyeCycle Violet, compatible with the more common violet 405nm laser. The protocol presented here allows for efficient cell cycle analysis coupled with cell type, relative cell size and cell number information, in a variety of Drosophila tissues. This protocol extends the useful cell cycle analysis technique for live Drosophila tissues to a small benchtop analyzer, the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer, which can be run and maintained on a single-lab scale.

Live Cell Cycle Analysis of Drosophila Tissues using the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer and Vybrant DyeCycle Violet DNA Stain

A protocol for cell cycle analysis of live Drosophila tissues using the Attune Acoustic Focusing Cytometer is described. This protocol simultaneously provides information about relative cell size, cell number, DNA content and cell type via lineage tracing or tissue specific expression of fluorescent proteins in vivo.

Flow cytometry has  been widely used to obtain information about DNA content in a population of  cells, to infer relative percentages in different cell ...

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons

The growing realization that both the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression can have important consequences on cell function has led to the development of diverse techniques to visualize individual RNA transcripts in single living cells. One promising technique that has recently been described utilizes an oligonucleotide-based optical probe, ratiometric bimolecular beacon (RBMB), to detect RNA transcripts that were engineered to contain at least four tandem repeats of the RBMB target sequence in the 3&#8217;-untranslated region. RBMBs are specifically designed to emit a bright fluorescent signal upon hybridization to complementary RNA, but otherwise remain quenched. The use of a synthetic probe in this approach allows photostable, red-shifted, and highly emissive organic dyes to be used for imaging. Binding of multiple RBMBs to the engineered RNA transcripts results in discrete fluorescence spots when viewed under a wide-field fluorescent microscope. Consequently, the movement of individual RNA transcripts can be readily visualized in real-time by taking a time series of fluorescent images. Here we describe the preparation and purification of RBMBs, delivery into cells by microporation and live-cell imaging of single RNA transcripts.

Ratiometric bimolecular beacons (RBMBs) can be used to image single engineered RNA transcripts in living cells. Here, we describe the preparation and purification of RBMBs, delivery of RBMBs into cells by microporation and fluorescent imaging of single RNA transcripts in real-time.

The growing realization that both the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression can have important consequences on cell function has led to the ...

Discrimination and Characterization of Heterocellular Populations Using Quantitative Imaging Techniques

Cellular processes are complex and result from the interplay between multiple cell types and their environment. Existing cell biology techniques often do not allow for accurate interpretation of this interplay. Using a quantitative imaging-based approach, we present a high-content protocol for characterizing the dynamic phenotypic responses (i.e. morphology changes, proliferation, apoptosis) of heterogeneous cell populations to changes in environmental stimuli. We highlight our ability to distinguish between cell types based upon either fluorescence intensity or inherent morphology features depending on the application. This platform allows for a more comprehensive characterization of subpopulation response to perturbation while utilizing shorter time, smaller amounts of reagents, and lower likelihood of error than traditional cell biology assays. However, in some cases, cell populations may be difficult to identify and quantitate based on complex cellular features and will require additional troubleshooting; we highlight some of these circumstances in the protocol. We demonstrate this application using response to drug in a cancer model; however, it can easily be applied more broadly to other physiological processes. This protocol allows one to identify subpopulations within a co-culture system and characterize the particular response of each to external stimuli.

We have developed a novel protocol for studying heterocellular population dynamics in response to perturbations. This manuscript describes an imaging-based platform that produces quantitative datasets for simultaneous characterization of multiple cellular phenotypes of heterocellular populations in a robust manner.

Cellular processes are complex and result from the interplay between multiple cell types and their environment. Existing cell biology techniques often do ...

Live-Cell Imaging of the Life Cycle of Bacterial Predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus using Time-Lapse Fluorescence Microscopy

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a small gram-negative, obligate predatory bacterium that kills other gram-negative bacteria, including harmful pathogens. Therefore, it is considered a living antibiotic. To apply B. bacteriovorus as a living antibiotic, it is first necessary to understand the major stages of its complex life cycle, particularly its proliferation inside prey. So far, it has been challenging to monitor successive stages of the predatory life cycle in real-time. Presented here is a comprehensive protocol for real-time imaging of the complete life cycle of B. bacteriovorus, especially during its growth inside the host. For this purpose, a system consisting of an agarose pad is used in combination with cell-imaging dishes, in which the predatory cells can move freely beneath the agarose pad while immobilized prey cells are able to form bdelloplasts. The application of a strain producing a fluorescently tagged &#946;-subunit of DNA polymerase III further allows chromosome replication to be monitored during the reproduction phase of the B. bacteriovorus life cycle.

Live-Cell Imaging of the Life Cycle of Bacterial Predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus using Time-Lapse Fluorescence Microscopy

Presented here is a protocol that describes monitoring of the complete life cycle of predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy in combination with an agarose pad and cell-imaging dishes.

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a small gram-negative, obligate predatory bacterium that kills other gram-negative bacteria, including harmful pathogens. ...