Mapping of D1 dopamine receptor mRNA by non-radioactive in situ hybridization

 In order to improve the identification and characterization of dopaminoceptive neurons, the rat brain was mapped for D₁ dopamine receptor mRNA by non-radioactive in situ hybridization (ISH) with a 45mer digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probe. The specificity of the results was controlled with the help of a 396-bp D₁ receptor riboprobe. Labeled hybrids were visualized with an alkaline phosphatase-coupled anti-digoxigenin antibody. The high resolution obtained permitted individual labeled cells to be identified and to distinction between cell bodies and processes. D₁ mRNA was largely confined to neurons. With the exception of ependymal cells, glial cells were not distinctly labeled. Subcellularly, D₁ mRNA was localized to perikarya but not to dendrites or axons. D₁ receptor-expressing neurons were present in all of the known terminal fields of mesencephalic or diencephalic dopaminergic neurons. However, D₁ message was also detected in brain areas which are not known to contain D₁ ligand binding sites or in which the presence or the cellular source of this receptor subtype had previously not been unequivocally established, such as the hippocampus or cerebellar cortex. Moreover, labeled neurons were present in regions not known to receive dopaminergic projections, such as the thalamic and some brainstem nuclei. We conclude that this ISH technique provides a considerable gain in sensitivity and resolution with regard to neurotransmitter receptor mapping. Accepted: 25 August 1997     

Cellular localization of induced human interferon-beta mRNA by non-radioactive in situ hybridization

Induced interferon-beta (IFN-beta) mRNA was localized in human FS-4 fibroblasts by in situ hybridization using biotinylated probes. The hybridization sites were detected by incubation with a nick-translated genomic DNA probe (1.8 kb) via streptavidin-colloidal gold followed by silver contrast enhancement. The positive signals were observed by reflection-contrast light microscopy. IFN-beta mRNA was transiently induced by poly r(I): r(C) in fibroblasts 2-4 h after induction. Induction in the presence of cycloheximide and actinomycin D (superinduction conditions) exhibited an enhanced level of IFN-beta mRNA with a maximum at 4-8 h. The kinetics of the IFN-beta mRNA expression in the cytoplasm as revealed by in situ hybridization proved to be compatible with the results of Northern blotting experiments of total cellular RNA.     

Detection of calcitonin-encoding mRNA by radioactive and non-radioactive in situ hybridization: improved colorimetric detection and cellular localization of mRNA in thyroid sections

The localization of mRNA encoding calcitonin was studied by in situ hybridization using 35S-labeled RNA probes and biotin-labeled DNA probes. Radiolabeled probes were detected by autoradiography and biotin-labeled probes by streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase. To intensify the colorimetric signal, the indirect avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method was performed. However, the results were often variable. To improve the sensitivity, the peroxidase reaction signal was enhanced with a gold-silver deposit intensification reaction. To shorten the incubation times and to enhance the colorimetric reaction, several reaction steps were performed in a microwave oven. The localization of calcitonin mRNA in thyroid tissue, as detected with in situ hybridization, was confirmed by immunohistochemical localization of the calcitonin polypeptide. The results of in situ hybridization using biotinylated probes were compared to in situ hybridization using radioactive probes. Our data show that the results of in situ hybridization applied on frozen and paraffin-embedded sections using biotinylated DNA probes, detected with an indirect streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase reaction and intensified by silver-gold enhancement, were comparable to those obtained with radioactive probes. The localization of calcitonin encoding mRNA was in agreement with the localization of the calcitonin polypeptide.     

Ultrastructural localisation of intramuscular expression of BDNF mRNA by silver-gold intensified non-radioactive in situ hybridisation

A non-radioactive in situ hybridisation method is described for the detection of low intramuscular levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA at the electron microscope level. Application of high-grade silver-gold intensification of the diaminobenzidine end product of in situ hybridisation revealed that in adult rat muscle the constitutive expression of muscular BDNF is confined to the myofibres; satellite cells, Schwann cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts or axons do not appear to contribute to BDNF production in normal muscle. Although muscular BDNF is a neurotrophic factor for innervating motoneurons and supposedly released only at the motor endplates, the production of BDNF mRNA appears to occur along the entire length of the myofibres and is not confined to nuclei in the postsynaptic regions.     

Detection of different developmental stages of malaria parasites by non-radioactive DNAin situ hybridization

Journal of Molecular Histology - A highly sensitive non-radioactive DNAin situ hybridization procedure is described that enables detection and unequivocal identification of various developmental...     

Detection of Klinefelter syndrome by G-banding analysis combined with primed in situ labeling technique

Primed in situ labeling (PRINS) technique is an alternative to in situ hybridization for rapid chromosome screening. We employed triple-color PRINS technique to detect chromosomal abnormalities in Klinefelter syndrome patients diagnosed by G-banding karyotype analysis. Among 1034 infertile male patients, 134 were found to be cytogenetically abnormal, including 70 with chromosomal number abnormalities and 64 with chromosomal structure abnormalities. Among these cytogenetically abnormal patients, 56 were diagnosed as having Klinefelter syndrome. PRINS technique was used on cultured lymphocyte metaphase cells of the Klinefelter syndrome patients; the same result was obtained with G-banding karyotype analysis. PRINS proved to be a rapid and reliable method to detect numerical chromosome abnormalities in peripheral blood lymphocytes in metaphase.     

Detection of mRNA molecules coding for neuropeptide hormones of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis by radioactive and non-radioactive in situ hybridization: a model study for mRNA detection

To develop and optimize non-radioactive in situ hybridization techniques for mRNA detection, we used the neuropeptidergic system of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis as a biological model system. First, we investigated the in situ hybridization procedure using radioactive-labeled cDNA and synthetic oligonucleotide probes specific for egg-laying hormone (ELH) mRNA and molluscan insulin-like peptide (MIP) mRNA. The results show an intense grain deposit above the caudodorsal cells and light-green cells expressing, respectively, ELH mRNA and MIP mRNA. Good results with relation to signal strength and tissue morphology were obtained with freeze-dry paraformaldehyde vapor fixation. The necessity to perform tissue pre-treatment appeared to be dependent on the cell type of interest. The optimized in situ hybridization protocol proved to be applicable using probes that are either sulfonated/transaminated or labeled with acetylaminofluorene (AAF). In situ hybridization of such haptenized probes led to intense and specific staining of the cytoplasm of the caudodorsal cells. Egg-laying hormone mRNA appeared not to be homogeneously distributed in the cytoplasm but showed a "patch-like" pattern. Nuclear and axoplasmic staining for mRNA was also observed.     

Detection of gastrin and its messenger RNA in Zollinger-Ellison tumors by non-radioactive in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry

Summary Gastrin immunocytochemistry and non-radioactive in situ hybridization, using biotinylated oligonucleotide probes, for gastrin mRNA have been used for studying a retrospective material of six gastrin-producing (Zollinger-Ellison) tumors. Hybridization results for gastrin mRNA were positive in all six, while gastrin immunoreactivity could be detected in five tumors. In one of the patients, different areas of the same tumor displayed differences in immunoreactivity to gastrin, but were uniformly hybridization positive. Weak hybridization signals were detected in liver metastases from a necropsy case, while the gastrin immunostaining was more pronounced. The results show that non-radioactive hybridization methods are applicable to routine clinical specimens stored for as long as 16 years and that in situ hybridization may be a useful complement to immunocytochemical diagnosis, particularly in cases where high synthesis and little storage of hormonal products occur.     

Sensitive mRNA detection using unfixed tissue: combined radioactive and non-radioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry

Summary In the present study some experimental parameters for in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) have been analysed using³⁵S-labelled and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated probes, in order to develop a reproducible double-labelling procedure. We have compared the total exclusion of tissue fixation with tissue sections fixed by immersion in formalin. In addition, the effect of dithiothreitol was assessed both when combining radiolabelled and non-radioactive probes on a single tissue section and when the probes were used separately. Hybridization of unfixed tissue resulted in stronger specific labelling and lower background both for radiolabelled and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated probes. No loss in tissue preservation was seen at the light microscopic level after hybridization of unfixed tissue. High concentrations (200 mM) of dithiothreitol strongly suppressed background when using³⁵S-labelled probes, whereas in the non-radioactive procedure, alkaline phosphatase labelling could only be achieved with very low dithiothreitol concentrations (<1 mM). This incompatibility led to a protocol using unfixed tissue sections and a sequential hybridization procedure, with the radiolabelled probe and high concentrations of dithiothreitol in the first step and the alkaline phosphatase-conjugated probe without dithiothreitol in the second step.     

Detection of gastrin and its messenger RNA in Zollinger-Ellison tumors by non-radioactive in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry.

Gastrin immunocytochemistry and non-radioactive in situ hybridization, using biotinylated oligonucleotide probes, for gastrin mRNA have been used for studying a retrospective material of six gastrin-producing (Zollinger-Ellison) tumors. Hybridization results for gastrin mRNA were positive in all six, while gastrin immunoreactivity could be detected in five tumors. In one of the patients, different areas of the same tumor displayed differences in immunoreactivity to gastrin, but were uniformly hybridization positive. Weak hybridization signals were detected in liver metastases from a necropsy case, while the gastrin immunostaining was more pronounced. The results show that non-radioactive hybridization methods are applicable to routine clinical specimens stored for as long as 16 years and that in situ hybridization may be a useful complement to immunocytochemical diagnosis, particularly in cases where high synthesis and little storage of hormonal products occur.     

Sensitive mRNA detection using unfixed tissue: combined radioactive and non-radioactive in situ hybridization histochemistry.

In the present study some experimental parameters for in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) have been analysed using 35S-labelled and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated probes, in order to develop a reproducible double-labelling procedure. We have compared the total exclusion of tissue fixation with tissue sections fixed by immersion in formalin. In addition, the effect of dithiothreitol was assessed both when combining radiolabelled and non-radioactive probes on a single tissue section and when the probes were used separately. Hybridization of unfixed tissue resulted in stronger specific labelling and lower background both for radiolabelled and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated probes. No loss in tissue preservation was seen at the light microscopic level after hybridization of unfixed tissue. High concentrations (200 mM) of dithiothreitol strongly suppressed background when using 35S-labelled probes, whereas in the non-radioactive procedure, alkaline phosphatase labelling could only be achieved with very low dithiothreitol concentrations (less than 1 mM). This incompatibility led to a protocol using unfixed tissue sections and a sequential hybridization procedure, with the radiolabelled probe and high concentrations of dithiothreitol in the first step and the alkaline phosphatase-conjugated probe without dithiothreitol in the second step.     

Bi-color detection of two target DNAs by non-radioactive in situ hybridization

Summary A non-radioactive in situ hybridization technique is described which allows the simultaneous detection of different DNA sequences. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proccdure, metaphases and interphase nuclei of a human-mouse somatic cell hybrid were simultaneously hybridized with mercurated total human DNA and a biotinylated mouse satellite DNA probe. After the hybridization, the probes were detected immunocytochemically using two different and independent affinity systems. By this approach we visualized the two DNA target sequences in metaphase chromosomes and in interphase nuclei with FITC and TRITC fluorescence, or blue (alkaline phosphatase) and brown (peroxidase) precipitated enzyme products. This method not only allows detection of intact chromosomes but also the visualization of rearrangements between parts of human and mouse chromosomes. Furthermore, the technique demonstrates the high topological resolution of nonradioactive in situ hybridizations.This investigation was supported in part by FUNGO, Foundation of Medical Scientific Research in The Netherlands (grant nr 13-54-21)