私たちの仕事は、NIH / NIGMS、NSF、USDA / NIFA、とBARDからVCへの補助金によってサポートされています。

背景植物細胞間の接続を介して高分子のSymplastic輸送、原形質連絡は、多くの植物病理学者と生物学者のためのものです。例えば、いくつかのウイルスタンパク質は、ウイルスの動き1-3を有効にするplasmodesmalサイズ排除限界を調節することが知られている。また、それらの重要な発達の規制当局の間でいくつかの内在性タンパク質は、非細胞自律的に4を機能させるには、おそらく原形質連絡を介して、セルからセルに移動すると仮定されています。従って、植物細胞の間に高分子輸送を特定し、視覚化する信頼性の高い方法論は非常に需要があります。 1）対象となる植物を育てる高い形質転換効率については、健康な、堅牢な植物を使用する必要があります。 （1） シロイヌナズナの植物短い光周期（130から150μEM -2 s -1の光の8時間、23℃での環境制御室内にポットでプロミックスBXの1つのシロイヌナズナの植物を（10センチ× 10センチメートル× 10 cm）に成長する40から65 C/16時間20時暗い° C）、6〜8週間5％の相対湿度。 5を説明するように、市販製品と時折それらを受精させる。 15ミリメートル× 35 mm（長さの測定は葉柄を含む）より大きいサイズを持つ葉は実験のために選択されています。 2。N. benthamianaとN.アナタバカム 長い光周期（23 ° Cで130から150μEM -2 s -1の光の16時間と環境制御室内のポット（20センチ× 20センチメートル× 20センチメートル）でプロミックスBXの1つの植物を育てる/ 8 20時暗い時間​​° C）および7〜10週間の40から65パーセントの相対湿度。記述として市販の製品と時折それらを受精させる。 Nの50ミリメートル× 70 mmを超えるサイズの葉Nのbenthamiana、または100ミリメートル× 125ミリメートルアナタバカムは、（これらの長さの測定は、葉柄が含まれていない）実験のために選択されています。 DNAでコーティングされた金微粒子による遺伝子銃のカートリッジの2）の調製この実験的なステップのためのプロトコルは、以前は次の6詳細に記載されている。それは高濃度（〜の1μg/μl）の実験の後の段階での共焦点顕微鏡分析を容易にするために最も高い形質転換効率を得るためによく精製されたプラスミドDNAを使用することが非常に重要です。 蛍光シグナルのクラスタと関連付ける細胞の数がsymplastic輸送（すなわちの程度の指標として使用されるので、このアッセイの場合、それは、準備カートリッジは高い周波数で同時に二つ以上の隣接するセルを変換しないことを確認することが重要です。マルチセル信号のクラスタは、動きを示すのに対し、信号を含む単一セル）は、何の動きがないことを示します。各カートリッジの品質は、タンパク質16〜20時間の後の砲撃の発現を分析することによって確認することができます。我々のプロトコル6はこの実験のため、適切なこの時間枠のすべての式のイベントの&lt;3％、でマルチセル式のクラスタを生成カートリッジを生成します。 DNAでコーティングされた微粒子の3）バイオリスティックデリバリー<ol><li>鋭いカミソリの刃と同じ発達段階（つまり、同じサイズと同じ年齢で、ステップ1を参照）の葉を取り除くとすぐに平らな発泡スチロールの表面に上向きに背軸側面に配置してください。葉の背軸側は、その下のトリコーム密度と薄くキューティクルによる爆撃のためのより良い基質を表します。 シロイヌナズナの葉は、それらの比較的小さいサイズの、ウィンドウのスクリーンメッシュの部分で覆われているはず、とメッシュがその後画鋲で固定するため発泡スチロールの表面に。葉が平らな維持は、粒子のデリバリーの効率が向上し、microbombardment中の組織への損傷を最小限に抑えます。 </li><li>銃へのDNA -被覆微粒子（ステップ1で調製した）でカートリッジを挿入します。 シロイヌナズナの場合、撮影は1μmの微粒子のための80から110 psiの圧力、および0.6μmの微粒子のための140から160 psiで実行されます。 Nのbenthamianaとタバコは、撮影は1μmの微粒子のための100から120 psiの圧力、および0.6μmの微粒子のための160から180 psiで実行されます。それぞれの葉だけ直径10〜12 mmの領域の上に微粒子を広げる1回の撮影で十分な表面積を持っているのでシロイヌナズナの場合、我々は通常、葉ごとに一つのカートリッジを利用する。大きいNとbenthamianaとタバコの葉は、同じ葉の複数の爆撃が可能な、しかし、彼らは（説明を参照）と同じ発生段階で葉の領域をターゲットに半ばリブの両側にある左右対称の位置に行う必要があります。 </li><li>発泡スチロールの表面から葉を取り出して、それらに私を置いてウェットワットマンろ紙の3層ではなくペトリ皿は、パラフィルムでシャーレをシールし、そのタンパク質産物の納入導入遺伝子と細胞間移行の可能性の発現を可能にするために36〜48時間室温で振とうする。 </li></ol> 4）タンパク質発現のイメージングは​​、 一過性に発現タグタンパク質の蛍光シグナルは、共焦点顕微鏡により視覚化です。ケアは、各試験蛋白質の検出に最適な顕微鏡の設定を見つけるに注意する必要があります。たとえば、タバコモザイクウイルスの移行タンパク質（TMV MP）1-3,6のplasmodesmal局在のような弱い信号強度、と限定された細胞内蓄積を示すタンパク質は、高い解像度とに支払う40X対物レンズ、下に観察する必要があります感度は、そのような自由なYFPなどの強いシグナル強度と細胞質の分布を示すタンパク質のに対し、（図1参照）より高速なイメージングのための共焦点ズーム機能で10倍の対物レンズ下で可視化することができます。 Symplastic輸送は、蛍光シグナルを含む、マルチセルクラスタの外観から推測されます。各クラスター内のクラスターやセルの数の数は、細胞間輸送の程度の指標である。信頼性の高いデータを取得するには、少なくとも100の発現のクラスターは、各実験系ごとに記録されるべきである。例えば、タンパク質の細胞間移行が合計200の発現のクラスターの二つの異なる遺伝的背景（例えば、野生型およびトランスジェニック植物）、で比較されている場合は、記録すべきである。重要なのは、実験、相互に比較されることになっているの結果は、同時に行われるべきである。 5。代表的な結果下の図は、蛍光タグタンパク質のsymplastic輸送を検出するための代表的な実験を示しています。パネルAおよびBは、Nの次のようmicrobombardmentを得ている典型的な共焦点画像を表示TMV MP - YFPを発現するとbenthamianaの葉は、構築する。パネルではTMV MP - YFPの、symplastic動きはYFPのシグナルのマルチセルクラスタの外観に基づいて観測される。すべて一過性に発現しないTMV MP - YFPは、いくつかのmicrobombardmentsの単一セルの信号（パネルB）によって証明されるように移動することができます。統計的に、で&lt;カウント信号クラスタの40％は、TMV MP - YFPは、一方のセル間を移動することができないで&gt;クラスタの60％、タンパク質は2つのセルの拡散が最も頻繁にされて、2-5細胞間を移動（約〜50％の症例）（図1C）。 生来の運動活動せず、比較的小さな分子サイズを持つタンパク質は、細胞間を移動するためにPDを通して拡散することができます。例えば、フリーYFP、または1xYFPは（約27 kDaの、パネルD）、カウントのクラスタ（パネルC）の30％で、いくつかの細胞間に広がっています。この非特異的な拡散は、TMV MP - YFP融合タンパク質（57 kDa）のためにサイズに匹敵する、と完全に細胞自律的である並進YFPの調光器、または2xYFP（54 kDaの、パネルE）、は発生しません（図1C）。 <img src="/files/ftp_upload/2208/2208fig1.jpg" alt="図1" /> 図1。N.でsymplastic輸送アッセイから得られた典型的な結果benthamiana葉組織。 TMV MP - YFPの（A、B）可視化。信号クラスターの（C）定量。 1xYFPと2xYFP、それぞれ自由なYFPと並進YFPダイマー、。 1xYFPの（D）可視化。 2xYFPの（E）可視化。顕微鏡写真で、左パネルはYFPシグナルを示し、右側のパネルには、マージされたYFPの画像（緑の）と葉緑体の自家蛍光（白の）信号を示します。画像は、単一の焦点セクションです。顕微鏡写真の中のアスタリスクは、YFPのシグナルを示す表皮細胞を示す。バー= 50μmの。

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	<li>Waigmann, E., Ueki, S., Trutnyeva, K., Citovsky, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+ins+and+outs+of+non-destructive+cell-to-cell+and+systemic+movement+of+plant+viruses.+.">The ins and outs of non-destructive cell-to-cell and systemic movement of plant viruses. .</a> Crit Rev Plant Sci. 23, 195-250 (2004).</li><li>Lucas, W. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plant+viral+movement+proteins:+agents+for+cell-to-cell+trafficking+of+viral+genomes.">Plant viral movement proteins: agents for cell-to-cell trafficking of viral genomes.</a> Virology. 344, 169-184 (2006).</li><li>Epel, B. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plant+viruses+spread+by+diffusion+on+ER-associated+movement-protein-rafts+through+plasmodesmata+gated+by+viral+induced+host+beta-1,3-glucanases.">Plant viruses spread by diffusion on ER-associated movement-protein-rafts through plasmodesmata gated by viral induced host beta-1,3-glucanases.</a> Semin Cell Dev Biol. 20, 1074-1081 (2009).</li><li>Zambryski, P. C., Crawford, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Plasmodesmata:+gatekeepers+for+cell-to-cell+transport+of+developmental+signals+in+plants.">Plasmodesmata: gatekeepers for cell-to-cell transport of developmental signals in plants.</a> Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 16, 393-421 (2000).</li><li>Rivero-Lepinckas, L., Crist, D., Scholl, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Growth+of+plants+and+presercation+of+seeds.">Growth of plants and presercation of seeds.</a> Methods Mol Biol. 323, 3-12 (2006).</li><li>Ueki, S., Lacroix, B., Krichevsky, A., Lazarowitz, S. G., Citovsky, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Functional+transient+genetic+transformation+of+Arabidopsis+leaves+by+biolistic+bombardment.">Functional transient genetic transformation of Arabidopsis leaves by biolistic bombardment.</a> Nat Protoc. 4, 71-77 (2009).</li><li>Oparka, K. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Simple,+but+not+branched,+plasmodesmata+allow+the+nonspecific+trafficking+of+proteins+in+developing+tobacco+leaves.">Simple, but not branched, plasmodesmata allow the nonspecific trafficking of proteins in developing tobacco leaves.</a> Cell. 97, 743-754 (1999).</li><li>Imlau, A., Truernit, E., Sauer, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell-to-cell+and+long-distance+trafficking+of+the+green+fluorescent+protein+in+the+phloem+and+symplastic+unloading+of+the+protein+into+sink+tissues.">Cell-to-cell and long-distance trafficking of the green fluorescent protein in the phloem and symplastic unloading of the protein into sink tissues.</a> Plant Cell. 11, 309-322 (1999).</li><li>Gisel, A., Barella, S., Hempel, F. D., Zambryski, P. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temporal+and+spatial+regulation+of+symplastic+trafficking+during+development+in+Arabidopsis+thaliana+apices.">Temporal and spatial regulation of symplastic trafficking during development in Arabidopsis thaliana apices.</a> Development. 126, 1879-1889 (1999).</li><li>Kim, I., Cho, E., Crawford, K. M., Hempel, F. D., Zambryski, P. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cell-to-cell+movement+of+GFP+during+embryogenesis+and+early+seedling+development+in+Arabidopsis.">Cell-to-cell movement of GFP during embryogenesis and early seedling development in Arabidopsis.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 102, 2227-2231 (2005).</li><li>Crawford, K. M., Zambryski, P. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Non-targeted+and+targeted+protein+movement+through+plasmodesmata+in+leaves+in+different+developmental+and+physiological+states.">Non-targeted and targeted protein movement through plasmodesmata in leaves in different developmental and physiological states.</a> Plant Physiol. 125, 1802-1812 (2001).</li><li>Roberts, A. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Phloem+unloading+in+sink+leaves+of+Nicotiana+benthamiana:+comparison+of+a+fluorescent+solute+with+a+fluorescent+virus.">Phloem unloading in sink leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana: comparison of a fluorescent solute with a fluorescent virus.</a> Plant Cell. 9, 1381-1396 (1997).</li><li>Guenoune-Gelbart, D., Elbaum, M., Sagi, G., Levy, A., Epel, B. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tobacco+mosaic+virus+(TMV)+replicase+and+movement+protein+function+synergistically+in+facilitating+TMV+spread+by+lateral+diffusion+in+the+plasmodesmal+desmotubule+of+Nicotiana+benthamiana.">Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) replicase and movement protein function synergistically in facilitating TMV spread by lateral diffusion in the plasmodesmal desmotubule of Nicotiana benthamiana.</a> Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 21, 335-345 (2008).</li></ol>

利害の衝突は宣言されません。

symplastic輸送アッセイの成功の鍵は、統計的に有意かつ容易に検出可能信号クラスターの生産を可能にする高い形質転換効率を、得ることである。これは健康な、堅牢な植物から収穫された葉を使用して、そして純粋な、そして濃縮したDNAの調製により被覆された金粒子を準備達成することができます。 同じ成長段階で葉を使用しても、アッセイの信頼性にとって不可欠です。 Plasmodesmal開口部は差動組織7-11の発達段階に応じて、規制されることが知られている。多くの植物種の葉は、その基底部12よりも成熟している葉の先端部と、頂点からベースに、basipetally開発する。従って、実験の各セットに対して選択された葉の発達段階（通常は幹でそのサイズと位置によって反射）だけが同じになる必要がありますが、microbombardmentの対象となる葉の領域は、同一の位置に配置する必要があります。 いくつかの以前の研究では、どのテスト蛋白質はsymplastic交通機関で移動したために、それらから最初に形質転換された細胞を区別するために小胞体係留GFP（erGFP）11、のような細胞自律的なマーカーを、採用している。しかし、その後の研究ではerGFPといくつかの細胞非自律的なタンパク質のその同時発現は、初期変換マーカーとしてerGFPの信頼性を問う、その細胞間移動13を誘導し、実質的にデータの解釈の難しさを増加させることが示されたこのような共発現実験。従って、我々は運動アッセイに別のタンパク質の発現を導入しないようにすることを好む、そして、代わりに、信号のクラスタ番号の統計分析に依存しています。

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		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
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<td>Gold microparticles, 1.0 &mu;m in diameter</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2262</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Gold microparticles, 0.6 &mu;m in diameter</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2263</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Spermidine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>S0266-1G</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Tefzel tubing</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2441</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Helios cartridge preparatory station</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2420</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Tubing cutter</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2422</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Helios gene gun</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2432</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Helium gas regulator</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Bio-Rad</td>
<td>165-2413</td>
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a cell-to-cell macromolecular transport assay in planta utilizing biolistic bombardment

ここで、我々は、 植物体中の細胞間の高分子輸送の範囲を検出し、評価するために簡単かつ迅速にプロトコルを提示する。このプロトコルでは、関心の蛍光標識タンパクが一時的にそのエンコーディングのDNA構築物の遺伝子銃送達後の植物組織に発現しています。タグタンパク質の内と細胞間の配布は、共焦点顕微鏡で分析される。我々は、アッセイにステップバイステップのプロトコルを提供する、詳細にこの技術を説明し三植物種のsymplasticタンパク質輸送の範囲、 シロイヌナズナ 、 タバコbenthamianaとNを評価するアナタバカム （タバコ）。

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Cell-to-cell Macromolecular Transport Assay in Planta Utilizing Biolistic Bombardment at JoVE.com

A Cell-to-cell Macromolecular Transport Assay in Planta Utilizing Biolistic Bombardment

植物細胞の間に高分子の人身売買は、一過性の関心の蛍光タグ融合タンパク質を発現し、共焦点顕微鏡によるその内および細胞間の分布を分析することによって評価することができます。

細胞間の高分子輸送アッセイプランタで微粒子銃砲撃を活用

Here, we present a simple and rapid protocol to detect and assess the extent of cell-to-cell macromolecular transport in planta. In this protocol, a ...

a-cell-to-cell-macromolecular-transport-assay-planta-utilizing

Universidad San Sebastian

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

A Cell-to-cell Macromolecular Transport Assay in Planta Utilizing Biolistic Bombardment

11.8K ビュー.  State University of New York at Stony Brook. 植物細胞の間に高分子の人身売買は、一過性の関心の蛍光タグ融合タンパク質を発現し、共焦点顕微鏡によるその内および細胞間の分布を分析することによって評価することができます。

ビデオ: A Cell-to-cell Macromolecular Transport Assay in Planta Utilizing Biolistic Bombardment

Preparation of Gene Gun Bullets and Biolistic Transfection of Neurons in Slice Culture

Biolistic transfection is a physical means of transfecting cells by bombarding tissue with high velocity DNA coated particles. We provide a detailed protocol for biolistic transfection of rat hippocampal slices, from the initial preparation of DNA coated bullets to the final shooting of the organotypic slice cultures using a gene gun. Gene gun transfection is an efficient and easy means of transfecting neurons and is especially useful for fluorescently labeling a small subset of cells in tissue slice. In this video, we first outline the steps required to coat gold particles with DNA. We next demonstrate how to line the inside of plastic tubing with the gold/DNA bullets, and how to cut this tubing to obtain the plastic cartridges for loading into the gene gun. Finally, we perform biolistic transfection of rat hippocampal slice cultures, demonstrating handling of the Bio-Rad Helios gene gun, and offering trouble shooting advice to obtain healthy and optimally transfected tissue slices.  

We describe a method for preparing DNA coated gold bullets and demonstrate the use of such bullets to biolistically transfect neurons in cultured hippocampal slices.

遺伝子銃の箇条書きとスライス培養における神経細胞の微粒子銃トランスフェクションの準備

Biolistic transfection is a physical means of transfecting cells by bombarding tissue with high velocity DNA coated particles. We provide a detailed ...

生物学

Window on a Microworld: Simple Microfluidic Systems for Studying Microbial Transport in Porous Media

Microbial growth and transport in porous media have important implications for the quality of groundwater and surface water, the recycling of nutrients in the environment, as well as directly for the transmission of pathogens to drinking water supplies. Natural porous media is composed of an intricate physical topology, varied surface chemistries, dynamic gradients of nutrients and electron acceptors, and a patchy distribution of microbes. These features vary substantially over a length scale of microns, making the results of macro-scale investigations of microbial transport difficult to interpret, and the validation of mechanistic models challenging. Here we demonstrate how simple microfluidic devices can be used to visualize microbial interactions with micro-structured habitats, to identify key processes influencing the observed phenomena, and to systematically validate predictive models. Simple, easy-to-use flow cells were constructed out of the transparent, biocompatible and oxygen-permeable material poly(dimethyl siloxane). Standard methods of photolithography were used to make micro-structured masters, and replica molding was used to cast micro-structured flow cells from the masters. The physical design of the flow cell chamber is adaptable to the experimental requirements: microchannels can vary from simple linear connections to complex topologies with feature sizes as small as 2 &mu;m. Our modular EcoChip flow cell array features dozens of identical chambers and flow control by a gravity-driven flow module. We demonstrate that through use of EcoChip devices, physical structures and pressure heads can be held constant or varied systematically while the influence of surface chemistry, fluid properties, or the characteristics of the microbial population is investigated. Through transport experiments using a non-pathogenic, green fluorescent protein-expressing Vibrio bacterial strain, we illustrate the importance of habitat structure, flow conditions, and inoculums size on fundamental transport phenomena, and with real-time particle-scale observations, demonstrate that microfluidics offer a compelling view of a hidden world.

Microfluidic devices can be used to visualize complex natural processes in real time and at the appropriate physical scales. We have developed a simple microfluidic device that mimics key features of natural porous media for studying growth and transport of bacteria in the subsurface.

多孔質媒体中の微生物トランスポート研究のためのシンプルなマイクロ流体システム：マイクロワールドでのウィンドウ

Microbial growth and transport in porous media have important implications for the quality of groundwater and surface water, the recycling of nutrients in ...

Generation of Transgenic C. elegans by Biolistic Transformation

The number of laboratories using the free living nematode C. elegans is rapidly growing. The popularity of this biological model is attributed to a rapid generation time and short life span, easy and inexpensive maintenance, fully sequenced genome, and array of RNAi resources and mutant animals. Additionally, analysis of the C. elegans genome revealed a great similarity between worms and higher vertebrates, which suggests that research in worms could be an important adjunct to studies performed in whole mice or cultured cells. A powerful and important part of worm research is the ability to use transgenic animals to study gene localization and function. Transgenic animals can be created either via microinjection of the worm germline or through the use of biolistic bombardment. Bombardment is a newer technique and is less familiar to a number of labs. Here we describe a simple protocol to generate transgenic worms by biolistic bombardment with gold particles using the Bio-Rad PDS-1000 system. Compared with DNA microinjection into hermaphrodite germline, this protocol has the advantage of not requiring special skills from the operator with regards to identifying worm anatomy or performing microinjection. Further multiple transgenic lines are usually obtained from a single bombardment. Also in contrast to microinjection, biolistic bombardment produces transgenic animals with both extrachromosomal arrays and integrated transgenes. The ability to obtain integrated transgenic lines can avoid the use of mutagenic protocols to integrate foreign DNA. In conclusion, biolistic bombardment can be an attractive method for the generation of transgenic animals, especially for investigators not interested in investing the time and effort needed to become skilled at microinjection.

Generation of Transgenic C. elegans by Biolistic Transformation

Transgenic worms are commonly used in C. elegans research. Described is a simple, yet effective, protocol to introduce transgenes into worms using biolistic bombardment with DNA-coated gold particles. The effort involved and results of bombardment compare favorably with microinjection for the generation of transgenic animals.

トランスジェニックの世代 C.エレガンスバイオリスティック変換による

The number of laboratories using the free living nematode C. elegans is rapidly growing. The popularity of this biological model is attributed to a rapid ...

Agrobacterium-Mediated Virus-Induced Gene Silencing Assay In Cotton

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Considerable efforts have been made on molecular breeding of new varieties. The large-scale gene functional analysis in cotton has been lagged behind most of the modern plant species, likely due to its large size of genome, gene duplication and polyploidy, long growth cycle and recalcitrance to genetic transformation1. To facilitate high throughput functional genetic/genomic study in cotton, we attempt to develop rapid and efficient transient assays to assess cotton gene functions.
Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) is a powerful technique that was developed based on the host Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing (PTGS) to repress viral proliferation2,3. Agrobacterium-mediated VIGS has been successfully applied in a wide range of dicots species such as Solanaceae, Arabidopsis and legume species, and monocots species including barley, wheat and maize, for various functional genomic studies3,4. As this rapid and efficient approach avoids plant transformation and overcomes functional redundancy, it is particularly attractive and suitable for functional genomic study in crop species like cotton not amenable for transformation.
In this study, we report the detailed protocol of Agrobacterium-mediated VIGS system in cotton. Among the several viral VIGS vectors, the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) invades a wide range of hosts and is able to spread vigorously throughout the entire plant yet produce mild symptoms on the hosts5. To monitor the silencing efficiency, GrCLA1, a homolog gene of Arabidopsis Cloroplastos alterados 1 gene (AtCLA1) in cotton, has been cloned and inserted into the VIGS binary vector pYL156. CLA1 gene is involved in chloroplast development6, and previous studies have shown that loss-of-function of AtCLA1 resulted in an albino phenotype on true leaves7, providing an excellent visual marker for silencing efficiency. At approximately two weeks post Agrobacterium infiltration, the albino phenotype started to appear on the true leaves, with 100% silencing efficiency in all replicated experiments. The silencing of endogenous gene expression was also confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. Significantly, silencing could potently occur in all the cultivars we tested, including various commercially grown varieties in Texas. This rapid and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated VIGS assay provides a very powerful tool for rapid large-scale analysis of gene functions at genome-wide level in cotton.

We present the detailed protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay in cotton. The tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-derived VIGS vectors were deployed to induce RNA silencing of cotton GrCLA1, Cloroplastos alterados 1 gene. The albino phenotype caused by silencing GrCLA1 was observed at the seedling stage within 2 weeks after inoculation.

コットンでアグロバクテリウムを介したウイルス誘発遺伝子サイレンシングアッセイ

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Considerable efforts have been made on molecular breeding of new varieties.  The ...

In Vitro Analysis of PDZ-dependent CFTR Macromolecular Signaling Complexes

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a chloride channel located primarily at the apical membranes of epithelial cells, plays a crucial role in transepithelial fluid homeostasis1-3. CFTR has been implicated in two major diseases: cystic fibrosis (CF)4 and secretory diarrhea5. In CF, the synthesis or functional activity of the CFTR Cl- channel is reduced. This disorder affects approximately 1 in 2,500 Caucasians in the United States6. Excessive CFTR activity has also been implicated in cases of toxin-induced secretory diarrhea (e.g., by cholera toxin and heat stable E. coli enterotoxin) that stimulates cAMP or cGMP production in the gut7.
Accumulating evidence suggest the existence of physical and functional interactions between CFTR and a growing number of other proteins, including transporters, ion channels, receptors, kinases, phosphatases, signaling molecules, and cytoskeletal elements, and these interactions between CFTR and its binding proteins have been shown to be critically involved in regulating CFTR-mediated transepithelial ion transport in vitro and also in vivo8-19. In this protocol, we focus only on the methods that aid in the study of the interactions between CFTR carboxyl terminal tail, which possesses a protein-binding motif [referred to as PSD95/Dlg1/ZO-1 (PDZ) motif], and a group of scaffold proteins, which contain a specific binding module referred to as PDZ domains. So far, several different PDZ scaffold proteins have been reported to bind to the carboxyl terminal tail of CFTR with various affinities, such as NHERF1, NHERF2, PDZK1, PDZK2, CAL (CFTR-associated ligand), Shank2, and GRASP20-27. The PDZ motif within CFTR that is recognized by PDZ scaffold proteins is the last four amino acids at the C terminus (i.e., 1477-DTRL-1480 in human CFTR)20. Interestingly, CFTR can bind more than one PDZ domain of both NHERFs and PDZK1, albeit with varying affinities22. This multivalency with respect to CFTR binding has been shown to be of functional significance, suggesting that PDZ scaffold proteins may facilitate formation of CFTR macromolecular signaling complexes for specific/selective and efficient signaling in cells16-18.
Multiple biochemical assays have been developed to study CFTR-involving protein interactions, such as co-immunoprecipitation, pull-down assay, pair-wise binding assay, colorimetric pair-wise binding assay, and macromolecular complex assembly assay16-19,28,29. Here we focus on the detailed procedures of assembling a PDZ motif-dependent CFTR-containing macromolecular complex in vitro, which is used extensively by our laboratory to study protein-protein or domain-domain interactions involving CFTR16-19,28,29.

In Vitro Analysis of PDZ-dependent CFTR Macromolecular Signaling Complexes

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an epithelial chloride channel, has been reported to interact with various proteins and regulate important cellular processes; among them the CFTR PDZ motif-mediated interactions have been well documented. This protocol describes methods we developed to assemble a PDZ-dependent CFTR macromolecular signaling complex in vitro.

PDZ-依存性のCFTRの高分子シグナル伝達複合体のin vitroでの解析で

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a chloride channel located primarily at the apical membranes of epithelial cells, plays a ...

Culturing Caenorhabditis elegans in Axenic Liquid Media and Creation of Transgenic Worms by Microparticle Bombardment

In this protocol, we present the required materials, and the procedure for making modified&#160;C. elegans&#160;Habituation and Reproduction media (mCeHR). Additionally, the steps for exposing and acclimatizing C. elegans grown on E. coli to axenic liquid media are described. Finally, downstream experiments that utilize axenic C. elegans illustrate the benefits of this procedure. The ability to analyze and determine C. elegans&#160;nutrient requirement was illustrated by growing N2 wild type worms in axenic liquid media with varying heme concentrations. This procedure can be replicated with other nutrients to determine the optimal concentration for worm growth and development or, to determine the toxicological effects of drug treatments. The effects of varied heme concentrations on the growth of wild type worms were determined through qualitative microscopic observation and by quantitating the number of worms that grew in each heme concentration. In addition, the effect of varied nutrient concentrations can be assayed by utilizing worms that express fluorescent sensors that respond to changes in the nutrient of interest. Furthermore, a large number of worms were easily produced for the generation of transgenic C. elegans using microparticle bombardment.

Culturing Caenorhabditis elegans in Axenic Liquid Media and Creation of Transgenic Worms by Microparticle Bombardment

C. elegans is usually grown on solid agar plates or in liquid cultures seeded with E. coli. To prevent bacterial byproducts from confounding toxicological and nutritional studies, we utilized an axenic liquid medium, CeHR, to grow and synchronize a large number of worms for a range of downstream applications.

培養<em&gt;線虫（Caenorhabditis elegans）</em &gt;微小粒子衝撃による無菌液体培地およびトランスジェニックワームの作成に

In this protocol, we present the required materials, and the procedure for making modified&#160;C. elegans&#160;Habituation and Reproduction media ...

Open Source High Content Analysis Utilizing Automated Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy

We present an open source high content analysis instrument utilizing automated fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for assaying protein interactions using F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based readouts of fixed or live cells in multiwell plates. This provides a means to screen for cell signaling processes read out using intramolecular FRET biosensors or intermolecular FRET of protein interactions such as oligomerization or heterodimerization, which can be used to identify binding partners. We describe here the functionality of this automated multiwell plate FLIM instrumentation and present exemplar data from our studies of HIV Gag protein oligomerization and a time course of a FRET biosensor in live cells. A detailed description of the practical implementation is then provided with reference to a list of hardware components and a description of the open source data acquisition software written in &#181;Manager. The application of FLIMfit, an open source MATLAB-based client for the OMERO platform, to analyze arrays of multiwell plate FLIM data is also presented. The protocols for imaging fixed and live cells are outlined and a demonstration of an automated multiwell plate FLIM experiment using cells expressing fluorescent protein-based FRET constructs is presented. This is complemented by a walk-through of the data analysis for this specific FLIM FRET data set.

We present an open source high content analysis (HCA) instrument utilizing automated fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for assaying protein interactions using F&#246;rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based readouts. Data acquisition for this openFLIM-HCA instrument is controlled by software written in &#181;Manager and data analysis is undertaken in FLIMfit.

自動化された蛍光寿命イメージング顕微鏡を利用してオープンソースのハイコンテンツな解析

We present an open source high content analysis instrument utilizing automated fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for assaying protein interactions ...

Methods to Study Epithelial Transport Protein Function and Expression in Native Intestine and Caco-2 Cells Grown in 3D

The intestinal epithelium has important transport and barrier functions that play key roles in normal physiological functions of the body while providing a barrier to foreign particles. Impaired epithelial transport (ion, nutrient, or drugs) has been associated with many diseases and can have consequences that extend beyond the normal physiological functions of the transporters, such as by influencing epithelial integrity and the gut microbiome. Understanding the function and regulation of transport proteins is critical for the development of improved therapeutic interventions. The biggest challenge in the study of epithelial transport is developing a suitable model system that recapitulates important features of the native intestinal epithelial cells. Several in vitro cell culture models, such as Caco-2, T-84, and HT-29-Cl.19A cells are typically used in epithelial transport research. These cell lines represent a reductionist approach to modeling the epithelium and have been used in many mechanistic studies, including their examination of epithelial-microbial interactions. However, cell monolayers do not accurately reflect cell-cell interactions and the in vivo microenvironment. Cells grown in 3D have shown to be promising models for drug permeability studies. We show that Caco-2 cells in 3D can be used to study epithelial transporters. It is also important that studies in Caco-2 cells are complemented with other models to rule out cell specific effects and to take into account the complexity of the native intestine. Several methods have been previously used to assess the functionality of transporters, such as everted sac and uptake in isolated epithelial cells or in isolated plasma membrane vesicles. Taking into consideration the challenges in the field with respect to models and the measurement of transport function, we demonstrate here a protocol to grow Caco-2 cells in 3D and describe the use of an Ussing chamber as an effective approach to measure serotonin transport, such as in intact polarized intestinal epithelia.

We describe simple methods to study the regulation of intestinal serotonin transporter (SERT) function and expression using an in vitro cell culture model of Caco-2 cells grown in 3D&#160;and an ex vivo model of mouse intestines. These methods are applicable to the study of other epithelial transporters.

3Dで栽培ネイティブ腸とのCaco-2細胞において上皮輸送タンパク質の機能および発現を研究するための方法

The intestinal epithelium has important transport and barrier functions that play key roles in normal physiological functions of the body while providing ...

Quantifying Spatiotemporal Parameters of Cellular Exocytosis in Micropatterned Cells

Live imaging of the pHluorin tagged Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor Attachment protein REceptor (v-SNARE) Vesicle-associated membrane protein 7 (VAMP7) by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is a straightforward way to explore secretion from the lysosomal compartment. Taking advantage of cell culture on micropatterned surfaces to normalize cell shape, a variety of statistical tools were employed to perform a spatial analysis of secretory patterns. Using Ripley&#8217;s K function and a statistical test based on the nearest neighbor distance (NND), we confirmed that secretion from lysosomes is not a random process but shows significant clustering. Of note, our analysis revealed that exocytosis events are also clustered in nonadhesion areas, indicating that adhesion molecules are not the only structures that can induce secretory hot spots at the plasma membrane. Still, we found that cell adhesion enhances clustering. In addition to precisely defined adhesive and nonadhesive areas, the circular geometry of these micropatterns allows the use of polar coordinates, simplifying analyses. We used Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and the cumulative distribution function on polar coordinates of exocytosis events to identify enriched areas of exocytosis. In ring-shaped micropattern cells, clustering occurred at the border between the adhesive and nonadhesive areas. Our analysis illustrates how statistical tools can be employed to investigate spatial distributions of diverse biological processes.

Live imaging of lysosomal exocytosis on micropatterned cells allows a spatial quantification of this process. Morphology normalization using micropatterns is an outstanding tool to uncover general rules about the spatial distribution of cellular processes.

微小パターン化細胞における細胞興奮性の時空間的パラメータの定量

Live imaging of the pHluorin tagged Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor Attachment protein REceptor (v-SNARE) Vesicle-associated membrane protein 7 ...

Optimization of Crystal Growth for Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography

The use of neutron macromolecular crystallography (NMX) is expanding rapidly with most structures determined in the last decade thanks to new NMX beamlines having been built and increased availability of structure refinement software. However, the neutron sources currently available for NMX are significantly weaker than equivalent sources for X-ray crystallography. Despite advances in this field, significantly larger crystals will always be required for neutron diffraction studies, particularly with the tendency to study ever-larger macromolecules and complexes. Further improvements in methods and instrumentation suited to growing larger crystals are therefore necessary for the use of NMX to expand.
In this work, we introduce rational strategies and a crystal growth bench (OptiCrys) developed in our laboratory that combines real-time observation through a microscope-mounted video camera with precise automated control of crystallization solutions (e.g., precipitant concentration, pH, additive, temperature). We then demonstrate how this control of temperature and chemical composition facilitates the search for optimal crystallization conditions using model soluble proteins. Thorough knowledge of the crystallization phase diagram is crucial for selecting the starting position and the kinetic path for any crystallization experiment. We show how a rational approach can control the size and number of crystals generated based on knowledge of multidimensional phase diagrams.

Structural studies of biomacromolecules by crystallography require high-quality crystals. Here we demonstrate a protocol that can be used by OptiCrys (a fully automated instrument developed in our lab) and/or microdialysis buttons for growing large high-quality crystals based on knowledge of the crystallization phase diagram.