Nov 05, 2021
HCR RNA-FISH protocol for the whole-mount brains of Drosophila and other insects
- Amanda A. G. Ferreira1,
- Bogdan Sieriebriennikov2,
- Hunter Whitbeck1
- 1New York University;
- 2NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Desplan Lab
Protocol Citation: Amanda A. G. Ferreira, Bogdan Sieriebriennikov, Hunter Whitbeck 2021. HCR RNA-FISH protocol for the whole-mount brains of Drosophila and other insects. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bzh5p386
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it’s working
Created: October 26, 2021
Last Modified: November 05, 2021
Protocol Integer ID: 54557
Keywords: brain, drosophila, ant, hcr, in situ, larva, rna fish, rna fluorescent in situ hybridization, rna fluorescent, hcr rna, fly drosophila melanogaster, hcr reagent, drosophila, rna, other insect, hcr, ant harpegnathos saltator, hybridization chain reaction, mount samples of the brain, using hybridization chain reaction, jumping ant harpegnathos saltator, molecular instrument, different probe set, probe, situ hybridization, larger concentrations of probe, fish protocol, mount brains of drosophila
Abstract
This is a protocol to perform RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) using hybridization chain reaction (HCR) on whole-mount samples of the brains of the fly Drosophila melanogaster and other insects, e.g. the jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator. Probes and HCR reagents are purchased from Molecular Instruments. This protocol is loosely based on the "generic sample in solution" protocol published by Molecular Instruments. Our modifications include the description of fixation conditions, counterstaining by Hoechst, and altered washes. Additionally, we use larger concentrations of probes and hairpins following the protocol described by Younger, Herre et al. 2020. We have successfully employed this protocol to stain insect brains with up to 4 different probe sets simultaneously (hairpins conjugated with Alexa Fluor 488, 546, 496, and 647).
Citation
LINK
Guidelines
WORKING PRACTICES:
Prepare all buffers using nuclease-free water. Use filter tips and nuclease-free tubes. If using spot plates, pre-clean them first with household bleach diluted 1:10 in water and then with 70% ethanol. Wear gloves and adhere to other practices aimed at minimizing RNA degradation in the sample. Working in a clean bench is not required if other RNAse-free practice are followed.
PROBE DESIGN:
We select the target sequence or isoform of the gene of interest and let Molecular Instruments design the probes. For genes with multiple isoforms, either target the isoform that includes as many as possible constitutive exons and as few as possible alternatively spliced exons, or the isoform that has the highest RNA-seq coverage (assessed visually in IGV) if RNA-seq data are available. Aim for the highest number of probes in a set, ideally 40, although we have successfully performed experiments with probe sets containing <20 probes.
AMPLIFIER CHOICE:
We routinely perform multiplexed stainings with up to 4 different probe sets and a Hoechst counterstain. We use amplifiers conjugated with Alexa Fluor 488, 546, 594, and 647. We are able to detect clearly distinguishable signals with minimal bleed-through on our confocal microscope (Leica SP8). However, be aware that simultaneously using fluorophores with partially overlapping spectra (e.g. AF 546 and 594) requires setting narrower detection ranges, which reduces the amount of signal detected.
Materials
REAGENTS TO PURCHASE:
Nuclease-Free Water (not DEPC-Treated)Thermo Fisher ScientificCatalog #AM9937
20X PBS (Phosphate Buffered Saline) pH 7.4growcells.comCatalog #MRGF-6396
Schneider's Drosophila MediumThermo FisherCatalog #21720024
Paraformaldehyde, 16% (wt/vol)Electron Microscopy SciencesCatalog #15710
Safety information
Paraformaldehyde is toxic, consult the SDS sheet for proper handling instructions
Note
Avoid long-term storage of the paraformaldehyde solution after opening the ampoule
Triton X-100 Merck MilliporeSigma (Sigma-Aldrich)Catalog #X100
10% Tween 20Bio-Rad LaboratoriesCatalog #1662404
20X SSCQuality BiologicalCatalog #351-003-131
SlowFade™ Gold Antifade MountantInvitrogen - Thermo FisherCatalog #S36936 - or any other antifade mountant
Hoechst 33258, Pentahydrate (bis-Benzimide), 100 mgThermo FisherCatalog #H1398 - dissolve in DMSO to 5 mg / mL, aliquot and store at -20 ºC
MethanolFisher ScientificCatalog #A412-4
HCR Probe Hybridization BufferMolecular Instruments
HCR Probe Wash BufferMolecular Instruments
Safety information
Hybridization and Wash Buffers contain formamide, consult the SDS sheet for proper handling instructions
HCR Amplification BufferMolecular Instruments
BUFFERS TO PREPARE ("Fly" version of the protocol, see Steps for details):
Note
Prepare fresh using nuclease-free water, store at 4 ºC if required after the 1st day of the protocol.
- 0.3% PBSTX (1X PBS with 0.3% v/v Triton X-100)
- Fixation Buffer (4% paraformaldehyde prepared from the 16% solution by diluting it with 0.3% PBSTX, i.e. 1 volume 16% PFA + 3 volumes 0.3% PBSTX)
- 0.3% PBST (1X PBS with 0.3% v/v Tween-20)
- 5X SSCT (5X SSC with 0.1% v/v Tween-20)
- 1X PBS
BUFFERS TO PREPARE ("Ant" version of the protocol, see Steps for details):
Note
Prepare fresh using nuclease-free water, store at 4 ºC if required after the 1st day of the protocol.
- Fixation Buffer (1X PBS with 0.03% v/v Triton X-100 and 4% paraformaldehyde)
- 0.1% PBST (1X PBS with 0.1% v/v Tween-20)
- 5X SSCT (5X SSC with 0.1% v/v Tween-20)
- 1X PBS
Troubleshooting
Safety warnings
This protocol uses solutions of paraformaldehyde and formamide, which are highly toxic chemicals. Consult the SDS sheets of the reagents used in this protocol for proper handling instructions.
Day 1
1h 45m
Prepare all solutions
15m
Pre-heat an aliquot of Probe Hybridization Buffer if proceeding with hybridization on the same day (see step case below)
37 °C
2m
Dissect brains in cold Schneider's Medium
Note
Dissection can also be done in 1X Nuclease-Free PBS.
10m
Choose the version of the protocol you would like to follow (Fly is default)
Drosophila melanogaster28 steps
We follow this path when working with Drosophila melanogaster brains.
This path is 2 days shorter than the other one.
Fixation is shorter, there is no dehydration-rehydration, and final washes are in both 5X SSCT and Probe Wash Buffer.
Fix brains in 800 μL of Fixation Buffer
00:20:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
Note
For fixation and all subsequent steps, samples can be placed either in Eppendorf tubes or in wells of a spot plate (e.g. Pyrex spot plate with 9 depressions, Catalog #CLS722085). Tubes are incubated on a nutator and plates are incubated on an orbital (horizontal) shaker.
20m
Rinse 3x with 500 μL of PBST
Room temperature
3m
Wash 3x 15 min with 500 μL of PBST
00:15:00
00:15:00
00:15:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
45m
Pre-hybridize samples by incubating them with 250 μL of warm Probe Hybridization Buffer from step 2
00:10:00 can be extended to 30 min
37 °C
10m
In the meantime, prepare a 16 nM probe solution by adding 8 pmol of each probe mixture (e.g. 8 μL of 1 μM stock) to the warm Probe Hybridization Buffer for the total volume of 500 μL
Note
4 μL of each probe in 250 μL total volume should work as well.
Remove the pre-hybridization solution from the sample and add the probe solution from step 9
Note
Take extra care while removing the liquid. Hybridization Buffer is viscous and brains may float.
3m
Incubate samples with the probes
Overnight We usually do ~24 h, but incubation can be extended to ~48 h. Minimum recommended is 12 h
37 °C
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
Day 2
1h 20m
Pre-heat an aliquot of Probe Wash Buffer
37 °C
2m
Equilibrate an aliquot of Amplification Buffer to room temperature
Room temperature
2m
Remove excess probes by washing 5x 10 min with pre-heated Probe Wash Buffer from step 12
00:10:00
00:10:00
00:10:00
00:10:00
00:10:00
37 °C
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
50m
In the meantime, prepare separately each hairpin (h1 and h2) of each amplifier. Add 7 μL / sample of the 3 μM stock of each hairpin to a separate PCR tube. For example, if amplifiers B1 and B2 are being used, prepare 4 PCR tubes that contain B1-h1, B1-h2, B2-h1, and B2-h2, respectively. Incubate the tubes in a thermocycler at 95 ºC for 90 sec. Immediately take them out of the machine (while it is still at 95 ºC), place them in a rack and incubate them at room temperature in the dark for at least 30 min.
00:30:00 or longer
Room temperature
30m
Wash samples 2x 5 min with 500 μL of 5X SSCT
00:05:00
00:05:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
10m
Pre-amplify each sample with 250 μL of Amplification Buffer
00:10:00 can be extended to 30 min
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
10m
In the meantime, add 6 μL of each hairpin from step 15 to 100 μL of Amplification Buffer (keep the volume of Amplification Buffer at 100 μL even if multiple hairpin sets are being used)
Room temperature
Remove 250 μL liquid from the samples and add the Amplification Buffer + hairpins from step 18
Note
Take extra care while removing the liquid. Amplification Buffer is viscous and the brain may float.
2m
All the next steps are light sensitive and must be done in the dark!
Incubate in the dark
Overnight
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
Day 3
3h 15m
Equilibrate an aliquot of Probe Wash Buffer to room temperature
Room temperature
20m
Add 300 μL of 5X SSCT to samples, which at this point still contain Amplification Buffer + hairpins. This will make the solution inside the tubes less viscous. Remove as much liquid as possible.
2m
Wash 1x 5 min with 500 μL of 5X SSCT
00:05:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
5m
Wash 1x 15 min with 500 μL of Probe Wash Buffer
00:15:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
15m
If not using Hoechst, skip this step and the next and proceed to step 28.
If using Hoechst: incubate samples with 500 μL of Probe Wash Buffer + Hoechst (1 μL of the 5 mg/mL stock - final concentration 10 μg/mL) for 2 h
02:00:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
2h
Wash 1x 15 min with 500 μL of Probe Wash Buffer
00:15:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
15m
Wash 1x 10 min with 500 μL of 5X SSCT
00:10:00
Room temperature
24 rpm Nutator or 60 rpm Orbital shaker
10m
Rinse with 1X Nuclease-Free PBS to remove the detergent
2m
Remove the PBS and add Slowfade (or another antifade mountant)
2m
If necessary, finish dissecting to remove extra tissue. Mount brains on slides.
10m
Proceed with imaging
Citations
Meg A. Younger, Margaret Herre, Alison R. Ehrlich, Zhongyan Gong, Zachary N. Gilbert, Saher Rahiel, Benjamin J. Matthews, Leslie B. Vosshall. Non-canonical odor coding ensures unbreakable mosquito attraction to humans
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.07.368720Meg A. Younger, Margaret Herre, Alison R. Ehrlich, Zhongyan Gong, Zachary N. Gilbert, Saher Rahiel, Benjamin J. Matthews, Leslie B. Vosshall. Non-canonical odor coding ensures unbreakable mosquito attraction to humans
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.07.368720