Research was supported by NIH Grants EY012031 and EY0182175 and the F.M. Kirby Foundation.

Optical tweezers for manipulating isolated cells in culture
Trapping forces of optical tweezers are generated from the momentum of light (Ashkin, 1991; Ashkin et al., 1986). Although these forces easily trap cells in suspension, they are not able to move cells that adhere to a surface. Therefore, to reduce adhesion to the culture dish at the point where cells are trapped, the coverslip is coated with poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (poly-HEMA) (Sigma Chemical Co., St Louis, MO), a nontoxic compound with cell repellent properties previously employed for adhesion studies on endothelial cells (Folkman and Moscona, 1978). While poly-HEMA covers one half of the culture dish, the other half is coated with a substrate that supports cell growth. In our laboratory, Sal-1 is used as the substrate for culturing salamander retinal cells. The procedure for fabricating Sal-1 and poly-HEMA coated dishes is described below:
Fabrication of culture dishes
<ol>
<li>Clean coverglasses (#1 VWR Scientific Inc., Media, PA) in acid. This coverglass was selected for its thickness of just 0.1mm, necessary for the high numerical aperture objectives required for focusing the laser. </li>
<li>To create a cell repellant area, dissolve 20 mg poly-HEMA (Sigma Chemical Co., St Louis, MO) in 1ml of 95% ethanol overnight at room temperature. Preferably, this solution should be used within 1 month of preparation.</li>
<li>Prop up the coverglasses at a near vertical position in a dust-free environment such as a hood.</li>
<li>Place one or two drops of poly-HEMA solution near the top of the coverglass from the plastic tip of a 200&mu;l micropipette. The drops (about 50-100&micro;l each) should be restricted to one half of the coverglass. The steep incline ensures the liquid flows down the surface of the coverglass to the bottom, providing a thin even coating of poly-HEMA. Allow the poly-HEMA coated coverglasses to dry in the hood for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.</li>
<li>Mark the poly-HEMA side of the coverglass with a fine tip pen close to the edge.</li>
<li>Drill a 1 cm hole in the bottom of a 35 mm culture dish.</li>
<li>Glue the poly-HEMA coated coverglass to the bottom of the culture dish with Sylgard 184 (Dow Corning Co., Midland, MI) so that the poly-HEMA coated side faces toward the inside of the dish. Ensure the edge of the poly-HEMA coating runs down the center of the hole. Allow the dishes to dry for 1-3 days at room temperature in a dust-free environment.</li>
<li>Scratch a line on the outside of the coverglass with a diamond-tip pen following the edge of the poly-HEMA coating. Then, scratch two crossing lines at right angles to it approximately 2mm apart. The two points of intersection serve as reference or fiducial points to be used for reproducing the same orientation of the culture dish on the microscope stage.</li>
<li>Sterilize the dishes under ultraviolet light overnight. </li>
<li>To create a cell-adherent half of the culture dish, coat the non poly-HEMA half with Sal-1, which contains a mouse anti-salamander antibody raised against retinal cell membranes (generously provided by Dr. Peter MacLeish, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA; see MacLeish et al. (1983)).&nbsp; First, coat the Sal-1 side with approximately 100&micro;l of 0.1 mg/ml sterile goat anti-mouse IgG antibody (Boehringer Mannheim Corporation, Indianapolis IN), taking care not to spill the liquid over onto the poly-HEMA side. Leave for three hours, then remove it. Wash the same area with sterile Ringer&rsquo;s solution once or twice,&nbsp;then place 100&micro;l Sal-1 supernatant, taking care not to spill the liquid into the poly-HEMA side of the dish. The first antibody ensures Sal-1 is coated at a known concentration.</li>
<li>Incubate the dishes with the Sal-1 overnight. </li>
<li>Remove the Sal-1 antibody solution and rinse the area with sterile Ringer&rsquo;s solution. Introduce 2 ml medium to the dish just prior to cell plating.</li>
</ol>
The composition of the amphibian Ringer&rsquo;s solution, serum-free amphibian medium, and Ringer&rsquo;s solution for enzyme digestion are found in MacLeish and Townes-Anderson (1988) and Mandell et al. (1993).
Preparation of cell cultures
The cells used in this video were derived from light-adapted, adult, aquatic-phase tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum), measuring 17&ndash;22 cm in length (Charles Sullivan Inc., Nashville, TN), maintained at 5&deg;C on a 12 h:12 h light-dark cycle. The protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in strict accordance with the guidelines from the National Institutes of Health. The procedures for preparing retinal cell cultures are described by Nachman-Clewner and Townes-Anderson (1996) and are as follows:
<ol>
<li>Decapitate and pith the animals. Remove the eyes and dissect out the corneas and iris. The retinas should detach slightly within the eyecup. By placing a curved forceps underneath the retina, scoop out the retinas. It is not important if the lens is attached to the retina at this stage. </li>
<li>Digest the retinas in 14 U/ml papain (Worthington, Freehold, NJ) in salamander Ringer's solution for 40 mins. </li>
<li>Prior to use, the papain Ringer&rsquo;s solution should be bubbled with 95% O2 / 5% CO2&nbsp; gas for 30 mins., then sterilized by passage through a 0.22 micron filter (Millipore, Carrigtwohill, Ireland).</li>
<li>Rinse the retinas with sterile salamander Ringer&rsquo;s solution three times.</li>
<li>Remove the lenses from the Ringer&rsquo;s solution, then gently triturate the retinal tissue with a 3 mm bore pipette to yield a cell suspension.</li>
</ol>
Laser tweezers manipulation of isolated neurons
<ol>
<li>Place the culture dish on the microscope stage, orienting the dish by aligning a mark on the dish with a reference point on the stage. Save the coordinates of the fiducial points in the computer.</li>
<li>Plate cells onto both Sal-1 and poly-HEMA halves of the dish.</li>
<li>Allow the cells to settle for approximately 20 mins, which is long enough for cells on the adherent side of the dish to attach to the antibody substrate. </li>
<li>Select a cell on the Sal-1 adherent side of the dish. Mark the x and y stage coordinates of a position close to the cell. In our case, the point was approximately 10&micro;m from the primary dendrites of the selected cell. Save coordinates in the computer. </li>
<li>Select a second neuron, in our case a photoreceptor, on the poly-HEMA side of the dish and use the laser tweezer tool to trap it.&nbsp; Trapping can be achieved over a broad range of power levels. However, we set the power of the laser at 10%&ndash;20%, which is low enough to avoid trapping debris along with the cell, but sufficient to transport the cell through the medium.</li>
<li>While holding the cell in the trap, lower the stage so that the cell is well above the surface of the culture dish and above any attached neurons. Move the stage under computer control to bring the cell to the previously saved x and y coordinates on the Sal-1 side. The stage movement was set at 8&ndash;20&micro;m/s, but maximum speed should be empirically determined. On arrival at the destination point on the Sal-1 side, raise the stage to bring the trapped cell to the surface of the dish. Cell placement can be made with an accuracy of a few microns. Allow the cell to adhere to the Sal-1 substrate. </li>
<li>Obtaining digitized images of both cells in the pair before and after pair formation provides a useful record. </li>
<li>Maintain the cell pairs in an incubator. For salamander cells, place the dishes in a humidified chamber at 10&deg;C. Cells can be monitored by video time lapse and used with any cell biological technique required.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Ashkin, A., Dziedzic, J. M., Bjorkholm, J. E., Chu, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Observation+of+a+Single-Beam+Gradient+Force+Optical+Trap+for+Dielectric+Particles.">Observation of a Single-Beam Gradient Force Optical Trap for Dielectric Particles.</a> Opt. Lett. 11, 288-290 (1986).</li><li>Clarke, R. J., Hoegnason, K., Brimacombe, M., Townes-Anderson, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cone+and+rod+cells+have+different+target+preferences+in+vitro+as+revealed+by+optical+tweezers.">Cone and rod cells have different target preferences in vitro as revealed by optical tweezers.</a> Mol. Vision. 14, 706-720 (2008).</li><li>Folkman, J., Moscona, A. <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+cell+shape+in+growth+control.">Role of cell shape in growth control.</a> Nature. 273, 345-349 (1978).</li><li>Liu, Y., Cheng, D. K., Soneck, G. J., Berns, M. W., Chapman, C. F., Tromberg, B. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evidence+of+localized+cell+heating+induced+by+infrared+optical+tweezers.">Evidence of localized cell heating induced by infrared optical tweezers.</a> Biophysical Journal. 68, 2137-2144 (1995).</li><li>MacLeish, P. R., Barnstable, C. J., Townes-Anderson, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Use+of+a+monoclonal+antibody+as+a+substrate+for+mature+neurons+in+vitro.">Use of a monoclonal antibody as a substrate for mature neurons in vitro.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 80, 7014-7018 (1983).</li><li>MacLeish, P. R., Townes-Anderson, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Growth+and+synapse+formation+among+major+classes+of+adult+salamander+retinal+neurons+in+vitro.">Growth and synapse formation among major classes of adult salamander retinal neurons in vitro.</a> Neuron. 1, 751-760 (1988).</li><li>Mandell, J. W., MacLeish, P. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Townes-Anderson+E.+Process+outgrowth+and+synaptic+varicosity+formation+by+adult+photoreceptors+in+vitro.">Townes-Anderson E. Process outgrowth and synaptic varicosity formation by adult photoreceptors in vitro.</a> J. Neurosci. 13, 3533-3548 (1993).</li><li>Nachman-Clewner, M., Townes-Anderson, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Injury-induced+remodelling+and+regeneration+of+the+ribbon+presynaptic+terminal+in+vitro.">Injury-induced remodelling and regeneration of the ribbon presynaptic terminal in vitro.</a> J. Neurocytol. 25, 597-613 (1996).</li><li>Townes-Anderson, E., St Jules, R. S., Sherry, D. M., Lichtenberger, J., Hassanain, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Micromanipulation+of+retinal+neurons+by+optical+tweezers.">Micromanipulation of retinal neurons by optical tweezers.</a> Mol. Vis.. 4, (1998).</li></ol>

Light has momentum, and when a light ray is refracted as it passes through a cell, a force is required to change the direction of the momentum. Because of the law of conservation of momentum, a force in the opposite direction must, in turn, react back on a cell. Ashkin (1991) showed that the force generated by a laser beam focused by a microscope objective lens will move a cell toward the center of focus. Even though a laser beam generates only a few piconewtons of force, this force is sufficient to pull a cell through m...

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">	
		
		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>25mm circle No.1 coverglass</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>VWR Scientific Inc., Westchester, PA</td>
<td>48380 080</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (poly-HEMA)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma Chemical Co., St Louis, MO</td>
<td>P-3932</td>
<td>Dissolve in 95% ethanol</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Goat anti-mouse IgG antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Chemicon International, Temecula CA</td>
<td>AP181</td>
<td> 1mg in 1ml, dilute 10x for use</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sal-1 supernatant containing mouse anti-salamander antibody</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>generously provided by Dr. Peter MacLeish</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Dr. Peter MacLeish, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3 mm bore 5ml pyrex disposable pipets</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Corning Inc., Corning NY</td>
<td>7078A-5</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Cell culture dishes 35mm x 10mm</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Corning inc., Corning NY</td>
<td>430165</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Sylgard 184 silicone elastomer kit</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Dow Corning Corp., Midland MI</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Optical tweezers-microtool or laser tweezers</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cell Robotics Inc., Albuquerque NM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>1 W continuous wave diode laser of 980nm wavelength</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cell Robotics Inc., Albuquerque NM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Axiovert 100 inverted light microscope</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Carl Zeiss Inc., Thornwood, NY</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>40x oil immersion plan neofluor objective lens</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Carl Zeiss Inc., Thornwood, NY</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Numerical aperture (N.A. 1.3)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Black and white CCD camera</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Computer and joystick with software</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cell Robotics Inc.</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>for controlling a motorized stage</td>
</tr>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>

using laser tweezers for manipulating isolated neurons in vitro

In this paper and video, we describe the protocols used in our laboratory to study the targeting preferences of regenerating cell processes of adult retinal neurons in vitro. Procedures for preparing retinal cell cultures start with the dissection, digestion and trituration of the retina, and end with the plating of isolated retinal cells on dishes made especially for use with laser tweezers. These dishes are divided into a cell adhesive half and a cell repellant half. The cell adhesive side is coated with a layer of Sal-1 antibodies, which provide a substrate upon which our cells grow. Other adhesive substrates could be used for other cell types. The cell repellant side is coated with a thin layer of poly-HEMA. The cells plated on the poly-HEMA side of the dish are trapped with the laser tweezers, transported and then placed adjacent to a cell on the Sal-1 side to create a pair. Formation of cell groups of any size should be possible with this technique. "Laser-tweezers-controlled micromanipulation" means that the investigator can choose which cells to move, and the desired distance between the cells can be standardized. Because the laser beam goes through transparent surfaces of the culture dish, cell selection and placement are done in an enclosed, sterile environment. Cells can be monitored by video time-lapse and used with any cell biological technique required. This technique may help investigations of cell-cell interactions.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Using Laser Tweezers For Manipulating Isolated Neurons In Vitro at JoVE.com

Using Laser Tweezers For Manipulating Isolated Neurons In Vitro

This video describes the manipulation of cultured neurons using laser tweezers in vitro.

In this paper and video, we describe the protocols used in our laboratory to study the targeting preferences of regenerating cell processes of adult ...

using-laser-tweezers-for-manipulating-isolated-neurons-in-vitro

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

10.3K Views.  University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - UMDNJ. This video describes the manipulation of cultured neurons using laser tweezers in vitro.

Video: Using Laser Tweezers For Manipulating Isolated Neurons In Vitro

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 ...

Silicon Microchips for Manipulating Cell-cell Interaction

The role of the cellular microenvironment is recognized as crucial in determining cell fate and function in virtually all mammalian tissues from development to malignant transformation.&nbsp; In particular, interaction with neighboring stroma has been implicated in a plethora of biological phenomena; however, conventional techniques limit the ability to interrogate the spatial and dynamic elements of such interactions.
In Micromechanical Reconfigurable Culture (RC), we employ a micromachined silicon substrate with moving parts to dynamically control cell-cell interactions through mechanical repositioning. Previously, this method has been applied to investigate intercellular communication in co-cultures of hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells, demonstrating time-dependent interactions and a limited range for soluble signaling 1.
Here, we describe in detail the preparation and use of the RC system. We begin by demonstrating the handling of the device parts using tweezers, including actuating between the gap and contact configurations (cell populations separated by a narrow 80-&micro;m gap, or in direct intimate contact). Next, we detail the process of preparing the substrates for culture, and the multi-step cell seeding process required for obtaining confluent cell monolayers. Using live microscopy, we then illustrate real-time manipulation of cells between the different possible experimental configurations. Finally, we demonstrate the steps required in order to regenerate the device surface for reuse: toluene and piranha cleaning, polystyrene coating, and oxygen plasma treatment.

This article describes an experimental approach for dynamic regulation of cell-cell interactions between adherent cells on a micrometer scale. Manipulation of intercellular communication between hepatocytes and stromal cell is demonstrated. The developed platform enables investigation of cell-cell interactions in a variety of biological processes, including development and pathogenesis.

The role of the cellular microenvironment is recognized as crucial in determining cell fate and function in virtually all mammalian tissues from ...

Using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) to Develop Diagnostic Tools

Using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems MEMS to Develop Diagnostic Tools

Analysis of Schwann-astrocyte Interactions Using In Vitro Assays

Schwann cells are one of the commonly used cells in repair strategies following spinal cord injuries. Schwann cells are capable of supporting axonal regeneration and sprouting by secreting growth factors 1,2 and providing growth promoting adhesion molecules 3 and extracellular matrix molecules 4. In addition they myelinate the demyelinated axons at the site of injury 5.
However following transplantation, Schwann cells do not migrate from the site of implant and do not intermingle with the host astrocytes 6,7. This results in formation of a sharp boundary between the Schwann cells and astrocytes, creating an obstacle for growing axons trying to exit the graft back into the host tissue proximally and distally. Astrocytes in contact with Schwann cells also undergo hypertrophy and up-regulate the inhibitory molecules 8-13.
In vitro assays have been used to model Schwann cell-astrocyte interactions and have been important in understanding the mechanism underlying the cellular behaviour.
These in vitro assays include boundary assay, where a co-culture is made using two different cells with each cell type occupying different territories with only a small gap separating the two cell fronts. As the cells divide and migrate, the two cellular fronts get closer to each other and finally collide. This allows the behaviour of the two cellular populations to be analyzed at the boundary. Another variation of the same technique is to mix the two cellular populations in culture and over time the two cell types segregate with Schwann cells clumped together as islands in between astrocytes together creating multiple Schwann-astrocyte boundaries.
The second assay used in studying the interaction of two cell types is the migration assay where cellular movement can be tracked on the surface of the other cell type monolayer 14,15. This assay is commonly known as inverted coverslip assay. Schwann cells are cultured on small glass fragments and they are inverted face down onto the surface of astrocyte monolayers and migration is assessed from the edge of coverslip.
Both assays have been instrumental in studying the underlying mechanisms involved in the cellular exclusion and boundary formation. Some of the molecules identified using these techniques include N-Cadherins 15, Chondroitin Sulphate proteoglycans(CSPGs) 16,17, FGF/Heparin 18, Eph/Ephrins19.
This article intends to describe boundary assay and migration assay in stepwise fashion and elucidate the possible technical problems that might occur.

Analysis of Schwann-astrocyte Interactions Using In Vitro Assays

This article intends to describe in stepwise fashion the commonly used in vitro assays used in studying Schwann cell-asrtocyte interactions.

Schwann cells are one of the commonly used cells in repair strategies following spinal cord injuries. Schwann cells are capable of supporting axonal ...

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

The rate of translational elongation is non-uniform. mRNA secondary structure, codon usage and mRNA associated proteins may alter ribosome movement on the messagefor review see 1. However, it's now widely accepted that synonymous codon usage is the primary cause of non-uniform translational elongation rates1. Synonymous codons are not used with identical frequency. A bias exists in the use of synonymous codons with some codons used more frequently than others2. Codon bias is organism as well as tissue specific2,3. Moreover, frequency of codon usage is directly proportional to the concentrations of cognate tRNAs4. Thus, a frequently used codon will have higher multitude of corresponding tRNAs, which further implies that a frequent codon will be translated faster than an infrequent one. Thus, regions on mRNA enriched in rare codons (potential pause sites) will as a rule slow down ribosome movement on the message and cause accumulation of nascent peptides of the respective sizes5-8. These pause sites can have functional impact on the protein expression, mRNA stability and protein foldingfor review see 9. Indeed, it was shown that alleviation of such pause sites can alter ribosome movement on mRNA and subsequently may affect the efficiency of co-translational (in vivo) protein folding1,7,10,11. To understand the process of protein folding in vivo, in the cell, that is ultimately coupled to the process of protein synthesis it is essential to gain comprehensive insights into the impact of codon usage/tRNA content on the movement of ribosomes along mRNA during translational elongation.
Here we describe a simple technique that can be used to locate major translation pause sites for a given mRNA translated in various cell-free systems6-8. This procedure is based on isolation of nascent polypeptides accumulating on ribosomes during in vitro translation of a target mRNA. The rationale is that at low-frequency codons, the increase in the residence time of the ribosomes results in increased amounts of nascent peptides of the corresponding sizes. In vitro transcribed mRNA is used for in vitro translational reactions in the presence of radioactively labeled amino acids to allow the detection of the nascent chains. In order to isolate ribosome bound nascent polypeptide complexes the translation reaction is layered on top of 30% glycerol solution followed by centrifugation. Nascent polypeptides in polysomal pellet are further treated with ribonuclease A and resolved by SDS PAGE. This technique can be potentially used for any protein and allows analysis of ribosome movement along mRNA and the detection of the major pause sites. Additionally, this protocol can be adapted to study factors and conditions that can alter ribosome movement and thus potentially can also alter the function/conformation of the protein.

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

A technique to identify translational pause sites on mRNA is described. This procedure is based on isolation of nascent polypeptides accumulating on ribosomes during in vitro translation of a target mRNA, followed by the size analysis of the nascent chains using a denaturing gel electrophoresis.

The rate of translational elongation is non-uniform. mRNA secondary structure, codon usage and mRNA associated proteins may alter ribosome movement on the ...

In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein

Alzheimer's disease is one of a large group of neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies that are manifested by the neuronal deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the form of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The density of NFT correlates well with cognitive impairment and other neurodegenerative symptoms, thus prompting the endeavor of developing tau aggregation-based therapeutics. Thus far, however, tau aggregation assays use recombinant or synthetic tau that is devoid of the pathology-related phosphorylation marks. Here we describe two assays using recombinant, hyperphosphorylated tau as the subject. These assays can be scaled up for high-throughput screens for compounds that can modulate the kinetics or stability of hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates. Novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies can potentially be discovered using hyperphosphorylated tau isoforms.

In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein

Unmodified and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins were used in two in vitro aggregation assays to reveal the hyperphosphorylation-dependent fast aggregation kinetics. These assays pave the way for future screens for compounds that can modulate the propensity of hyperphosphorylated tau to form fibrils that underlie the progression of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease.

Alzheimer's disease is one of a large group of neurodegenerative disorders known as tauopathies that are manifested by the neuronal deposits of ...

Manipulating the Murine Lacrimal Gland

The lacrimal gland (LG) secretes aqueous tears necessary for maintaining the structure and function of the cornea, a transparent tissue essential for vision. In the human a single LG resides in the orbit above the lateral end of each eye delivering tears to the ocular surface through 3 - 5 ducts. The mouse has three pairs of major ocular glands, the most studied of which is the exorbital lacrimal gland (LG) located anterior and ventral to the ear. Similar to other glandular organs, the LG develops through the process of epithelial branching morphogenesis in which a single epithelial bud within a condensed mesenchyme undergoes multiple rounds of bud and duct formation to form an intricate interconnected network of secretory acini and ducts. This elaborate process has been well documented in many other epithelial organs such as the pancreas and salivary gland. However, the LG has been much less explored and the mechanisms controlling morphogenesis are poorly understood. We suspect that this under-representation as a model system is a consequence of the difficulties associated with finding, dissecting and culturing the LG. Thus, here we describe dissection techniques for harvesting embryonic and post-natal LG and methods for ex vivo culture of the tissue.

The lacrimal gland (LG) is a branching organ that produces the aqueous components of tears necessary for maintaining vision and ocular health. Here we describe murine LG dissection and ex vivo culture techniques to decipher signaling pathways involved in LG development.

The lacrimal gland (LG) secretes aqueous tears necessary for maintaining the structure and function of the cornea, a transparent tissue essential for ...

The Mouse Isolated Perfused Kidney Technique

The mouse isolated perfused kidney (MIPK) is a technique for keeping a mouse kidney under ex vivo conditions perfused and functional for 1 hr. This is a prerequisite for studying the physiology of the isolated organ and for many innovative applications that may be possible in the future, including perfusion decellularization for kidney bioengineering or the administration of anti-rejection or genome-editing drugs in high doses to prime the kidney for transplantation. During the time of the perfusion, the kidney can be manipulated, renal function can be assessed, and various pharmaceuticals administered. After the procedure, the kidney can be transplanted or processed for molecular biology, biochemical analysis, or microscopy.
This paper describes the perfusate and the surgical technique needed for the ex vivo perfusion of mouse kidneys. Details of the perfusion apparatus are given and data are presented showing the viability of the kidney&#39;s preparation: renal blood flow, vascular resistance, and urine data as functional, transmission electron micrographs of different nephron segments as morphological readouts, and western blots of transport proteins of different nephron segments as molecular readout.

The mouse isolated perfused kidney (MIPK) is a technique for keeping a mouse kidney under ex vivo conditions perfused and functional for 1 hr. The buffers and surgical technique are described in detail.

The mouse isolated perfused kidney (MIPK) is a technique for keeping a mouse kidney under ex vivo conditions perfused and functional for 1 hr. This is a ...

Analysis of Cell Suspensions Isolated from Solid Tissues by Spectral Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry has been used for the past 40 years to define and analyze the phenotype of lymphoid and other hematopoietic cells. Initially restricted to the analysis of a few fluorochromes, currently there are dozens of different fluorescent dyes, and up to 14-18 different dyes can be combined at a time. However, several limitations still impair the analytical capabilities. Because of the multiplicity of fluorescent probes, data analysis has become increasingly complex due to the need of large, multi-parametric compensation matrices. Moreover, mutant mouse models carrying fluorescent proteins to detect and trace specific cell types in different tissues have become available, so the analysis (by flow cytometry) of auto-fluorescent cell suspensions obtained from solid organs is required. Spectral flow cytometry, which distinguishes the shapes of emission spectra along a wide range of continuous wavelengths, addresses some of these problems. The data is analyzed with an algorithm that replaces compensation matrices and treats auto-fluorescence as an independent parameter. Thus, spectral flow cytometry should be capable of discriminating fluorochromes with similar emission peaks and can provide a multi-parametric analysis without compensation requirements.
This protocol describes the spectral flow cytometry analysis, allowing for a 21-parameter (19 fluorescent probes) characterization and the management of an auto-fluorescent signal, providing high resolution in minor population detection. The results presented here show that spectral flow cytometry presents advantages in the analysis of cell populations from tissues difficult to characterize in conventional flow cytometry, such as the heart and the intestine. Spectral flow cytometry thus demonstrates the multi-parametric analytical capacity of high-performing conventional flow cytometry without the requirement for compensation and enables auto-fluorescence management.

This article describes spectral cytometry, a new approach in flow cytometry that uses the shapes of emission spectra to distinguish fluorochromes. An algorithm replaces compensations and can treat auto-fluorescence as an independent parameter. This new approach allows for the proper analysis of cells isolated from solid organs.

Flow cytometry has been used for the past 40 years to define and analyze the phenotype of lymphoid and other hematopoietic cells. Initially restricted to ...

Laser-Capture Microdissection RNA-Sequencing for Spatial and Temporal Tissue-Specific Gene Expression Analysis in Plants

The development of a complex multicellular organism is governed by distinct cell types that have different transcriptional profiles. To identify transcriptional regulatory networks that govern developmental processes it is necessary to measure the spatial and temporal gene expression profiles of these individual cell types. Therefore, insight into the spatio-temporal control of gene expression is essential to gain understanding of how biological and developmental processes are regulated. Here, we describe a laser-capture microdissection (LCM) method to isolate small number of cells from three barley embryo organs over a time-course during germination followed by transcript profiling. The method consists of tissue fixation, tissue processing, paraffin embedding, sectioning, LCM and RNA extraction followed by real-time PCR or RNA-seq. This method has enabled us to obtain spatial and temporal profiles of seed organ transcriptomes from varying numbers of cells (tens to hundreds), providing much greater tissue-specificity than typical bulk-tissue analyses. From these data we were able to define and compare transcriptional regulatory networks as well as predict candidate regulatory transcription factors for individual tissues. The method should be applicable to other plant tissues with minimal optimization.

Presented here is a protocol for laser-capture microdissection (LCM) of plant tissues. LCM is a microscopic technique for isolating areas of tissue in a contamination-free manner. The procedure includes tissue fixation, paraffin embedding, sectioning, LCM and RNA extraction. RNA is used in the downstream tissue-specific, temporally resolved analysis of transcriptomes.