Probing the spatial organization of nucleic acids within cells by nonisotopic in situ hybridization

Author(s):  
Jeanne Bentley Lawrence

In situ hybridization is a powerful experimental approach that directly couples molecular and cytological information in a visual context. Advances in hybridization procedures over recent years, coupled with previously described non-isotopic labelling methods developed in a number of laboratories, now provide a way to detect nucleic acids within cells with a high degree of resolution and sensitivity. Adaptations of this technology allow either DNA or RNA to be detected and visualized either with the light microscope, using fluorescence or colorimetric methods, or with the electron microscope using antibodies conjugated to gold or peroxidase. The potential applications of this technology are relevant to numerous areas of biomedical research and range from the more straightforward study of differential gene expression in single cells within a population to the precise localization of individual genes or RNAs within the cytoplasm or nucleus of a cell.

Author(s):  
Gary Bassell ◽  
Robert H. Singer

We have been investigating the spatial distribution of nucleic acids intracellularly using in situ hybridization. The use of non-isotopic nucleotide analogs incorporated into the DNA probe allows the detection of the probe at its site of hybridization within the cell. This approach therefore is compatible with the high resolution available by electron microscopy. Biotinated or digoxigenated probe can be detected by antibodies conjugated to colloidal gold. Because mRNA serves as a template for the probe fragments, the colloidal gold particles are detected as arrays which allow it to be unequivocally distinguished from background.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1819
Author(s):  
Tatyana Karamysheva ◽  
Svetlana Romanenko ◽  
Alexey Makunin ◽  
Marija Rajičić ◽  
Alexey Bogdanov ◽  
...  

The gene composition, function and evolution of B-chromosomes (Bs) have been actively discussed in recent years. However, the additional genomic elements are still enigmatic. One of Bs mysteries is their spatial organization in the interphase nucleus. It is known that heterochromatic compartments are not randomly localized in a nucleus. The purpose of this work was to study the organization and three-dimensional spatial arrangement of Bs in the interphase nucleus. Using microdissection of Bs and autosome centromeric heterochromatic regions of the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) we obtained DNA probes for further two-dimensional (2D)- and three-dimensional (3D)- fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies. Simultaneous in situ hybridization of obtained here B-specific DNA probes and autosomal C-positive pericentromeric region-specific probes further corroborated the previously stated hypothesis about the pseudoautosomal origin of the additional chromosomes of this species. Analysis of the spatial organization of the Bs demonstrated the peripheral location of B-specific chromatin within the interphase nucleus and feasible contact with the nuclear envelope (similarly to pericentromeric regions of autosomes and sex chromosomes). It is assumed that such interaction is essential for the regulation of nuclear architecture. It also points out that Bs may follow the same mechanism as sex chromosomes to avoid a meiotic checkpoint.


1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1495-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
P M Motte ◽  
R Loppes ◽  
M Menager ◽  
R Deltour

We report the 3-D arrangement of DNA within the nucleolar subcomponents from two evolutionary distant higher plants, Zea mays and Sinapis alba. These species are particularly convenient to study the spatial organization of plant intranucleolar DNA, since their nucleoli have been previously reconstructed in 3-D from serial ultra-thin sections. We used the osmium ammine-B complex (a specific DNA stain) on thick sections of Lowicryl-embedded root fragments. Immunocytochemical techniques using anti-DNA antibodies and rDNA/rDNA in situ hybridization were also applied on ultra-thin sections. We showed on tilted images that the OA-B stains DNA throughout the whole thickness of the section. In addition, very low quantities of cytoplasmic DNA were stained by this complex, which is now the best DNA stain used in electron microscopy. Within the nucleoli the DNA was localized in the fibrillar centers, where large clumps of dense chromatin were also visible. In the two plant species intranucleolar chromatin forms a complex network with strands partially linked to chromosomal nucleolar-organizing regions identified by in situ hybridization. This study describes for the first time the spatial arrangement of the intranucleolar chromatin in nucleoli of higher plants using high-resolution techniques.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohan T. Ranasinghe ◽  
Martin R. Challand ◽  
Kristina A. Ganzinger ◽  
Benjamin W. Lewis ◽  
Charlotte Softley ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 973-978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Bonvicini ◽  
Claudia Filippone ◽  
Elisabetta Manaresi ◽  
Giovanna Angela Gentilomi ◽  
Marialuisa Zerbini ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecules are known to bind complementary nucleic acid sequences with a much stronger affinity and with more stable binding than DNA or RNA molecules. We chose parvovirus B19, which is diagnosed by detection of nucleic acids by in situ hybridization assay (ISH) and/or PCR, as an experimental model to develop an ISH assay that uses biotinylated PNA probes to detect viral genome in clinical specimens. Methods: We first optimized the PNA-ISH assay on B19-infected and mock-infected UT-7/EpoS1 cells and then tested the assay on archival B19 specimens and on consecutive specimens. All data were compared with data obtained with a standardized DNA-based ISH assay and confirmed by a PCR-ELISA. Results: PNA-ISH detected B19 genome in a higher number of B19-infected UT-7/EpoS1 cells and with a more defined localization of viral nucleic acids than the standardized DNA-ISH assay. Moreover, PNA-ISH was able to detect B19 genome in all positive archival samples, whereas DNA-ISH failed in 5 samples. PNA-ISH detected more positive samples than DNA-ISH when consecutive specimens were analyzed, and a close agreement was found with PCR-ELISA results. Conclusions: The PNA-ISH assay had sensitivity and specificity comparable to a PCR assay and was more practical and quicker to perform than standard hybridization assays. The assay may be a suitable diagnostic test for the detection of viral nucleic acids in clinical specimens.


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