Feb 01, 2023

Public workspacePhageFISH detailed protocol

CheckPeer-reviewed method
  • 1DTU
Open access
Protocol CitationLine Jensen Ostenfeld, Saria Otani 2023. PhageFISH detailed protocol. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.4r3l273wqg1y/v1
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: January 27, 2023
Last Modified: February 01, 2023
Protocol Integer ID: 75967
Keywords: Staining and embedding, CARD amplification, Phage probe hybridisation, Antibody binding
Funders Acknowledgement:
NovoNordisk
Grant ID: NNF16OC0021856
Abstract
This protocol details about PhageFISh protocol.
Attachments
Guidelines

Controls to consider:

  • Faecal sample with no target for the phage probe

Timeframe:
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Materials
Necessary materials:

  • Poly-L-lysine coated glass slides with writing area
  • Pencil for writing (DO NOT use sharpie)
  • Pipette tip lids for holding glass slides (one will fit four slides, collect one lid for each condition tested)
  • Humidity chambers (one for each formamide concentration used simultaneously). Anaerobic growth chambers work well.
  • Aluminium foil (to protect samples from light)
  • Ice
  • Fume hood
  • Incubator set to Temperature46 °C
  • Incubator (or oven) set to Temperature85 °C
  • Water bath set to Temperature48 °C
  • Optimised and diluted Cy-labelled probes (see Optimisation of formamide concentration)
  • Diluted phage probes (see Buffers and Reagents)
  • All buffers (see Buffers and Reagents)
  • Faecal samples of interest
Note
  • If possible, samples should be submerged in plenty of buffer. Four slides can be submerged in 30-50ml in a pipette tip lid. For washing, very light agitation could be used (e.g. the shaking incubator set to 25rpm).
  • For valuable solutions (like probe-solutions), only cover the sample area and handle with care. Use 500µl-1ml to cover sample area.
  • All incubations are at room temperature unless specified.
  • DO NOT allow samples to dry unless specified.
  • When working with paraformaldehyde and formamide always work in the hood.
  • After using humidity chambers, allow fumes to evaporate in fume hood overnight.




Before start
Prepare buffers (see Preparation of Buffers for PhageFISH protocol).
Fix faecal samples to glass slides
Fix faecal samples to glass slides
Mix a loopful faecal sample with Amount10-20 µL PBS (1X) and vortex thoroughly.
Mix
Allow suspension to settle for Duration00:05:00 to avoid large debris.

5m
Take Amount10 µL of the supernatant and place on coated glass slide.

Smear the droplet thinly over the slide using a cover slip.
Note
Avoid smearing all the way to the edges.

Allow the sample to dry – this should not take more than Duration00:10:00 .
Note
If not dry after 10 minutes, aspirate off excess liquid.


10m
Work in fume hood. Overlay the slides with 1% paraformaldehyde (PFA). Ensure the whole sample area is covered (approx. Amount1 mL ).

Incubate for Duration01:00:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature in the fume hood.
Note
This incubation should NOT exceed Duration01:00:00 !


1h
Incubation
Aspirate off excess PFA.
Wash in PBS for Duration00:01:00 .
Note
If a lot of PFA remains on the sample, rinse twice in PBS.

FREEZING POINT – if necessary, samples can be rinsed in sterile water and 96% ethanol and air dried before freezing in closed box covered with aluminium foil at Temperature-20 °C .



1m
Wash
Permeabilise cells
Permeabilise cells
Add lysozyme to permeabilisation buffer.
Pipetting
Overlay samples with permeabilisation buffer.
Incubate TemperatureOn ice for Duration01:00:00 .

1h
Incubation
Discard permeabilisation buffer.
Wash samples in PBS for Duration00:05:00 .

5m
Wash
Wash samples in sterile water for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash
Inactivate peroxidases
Inactivate peroxidases
Incubate samples in Concentration0.01 Molarity (M) HCl for Duration00:10:00 .
10m
Incubation
Wash samples in PBS for Duration00:05:00 .

5m
Wash
Wash samples in sterile water for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash
Wash samples in 96% ethanol for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash
Allow slides to dry on blotting paper or filter paper.
Note
FREEZING POINT – if necessary, samples can be frozen after drying. Store in closed container covered with aluminium foil at Temperature-20 °C .

Cy-labelled probe hybridisation (16S rRNA probes)
Cy-labelled probe hybridisation (16S rRNA probes)
Work in fume hood. Place a paper towel in the bottom of the hybridisation chamber and soak in formamide/milliQ solution corresponding to the hybridisation buffer concentration.
Overlay samples with hybridisation buffer-probe mix at Amount0.5 ng/µl of each probe and close humidity chamber.
Incubate at Temperature46 °C for Duration03:00:00 .
3h
Incubation
Prepare the washing buffer – heat to Temperature48 °C .
Work in fume hood. Overlay the samples with washing buffer and incubate for Duration00:15:00 at Temperature48 °C (in humidity chamber to avoid formamide fumes).

15m
Incubation
Wash samples in sterile water.
Wash
Allow samples to dry.
Note
FREEZING POINT – if necessary, samples can be frozen after drying. Store in closed container covered with aluminium foil at Temperature-20 °C .


Phage probe hybridisation
Phage probe hybridisation
Work in fume hood. Place a paper towel in the bottom of the hybridisation chamber and soak in formamide/milliQ solution corresponding to the hybridisation buffer concentration.
Overlay samples with hybridisation buffer (no probes!) and close humidity chamber (Amount500 µL per slide).

Incubate for Duration01:00:00 at Temperature46 °C .

1h
Incubation
Cover the samples with hybridisation buffer-probe mix at Amount10 pg/µl of each probe (500µl per slide).

Place the dish back in the humidity chamber and incubate for Duration01:00:00 at Temperature85 °C .

1h
Incubation
Immediately place the humidity chamber at hybridisation temperature DurationOvernight .

1h
Overnight
Wash slides.
Wash
Wash slides in gene washing buffer I for Duration00:01:00 . (1/3)

1m
Wash slides in gene washing buffer I for Duration00:01:00 . (2/3)
1m
Wash slides in gene washing buffer I for Duration00:01:00 . (3/3)
1m
Wash slides in gene washing buffer I for Duration00:30:00 at Temperature42 °C .

30m
Wash slides.
Wash
Wash slides in gene washing buffer II for Duration00:01:00 . (1/3)

1m
Wash slides in gene washing buffer II for Duration00:01:00 . (2/3)
1m
Wash slides in gene washing buffer II for Duration00:01:00 . (3/3)
1m
Wash slides in gene washing buffer II for Duration01:30:00 at Temperature42 °C .

1h 30m
Wash slides in PBS for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash
Antibody binding
Antibody binding
Cover slides with antibody-blocking solution. Incubate for Duration00:30:00 .

30m
Incubation
Discard antibody-blocking solution and cover with antibody binding solution. Incubate for Duration01:30:00 .

1h 30m
Incubation
Wash slides.
Wash
Wash slides in antibody washing solution for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash slides in antibody washing solution for Duration00:10:00 . (1/3)

10m
Wash slides in antibody washing solution for Duration00:10:00 . (2/3)
10m
Wash slides in antibody washing solution for Duration00:10:00 . (3/3)

10m
CARD amplification
CARD amplification
Mix Amount1 mL amplification buffer with Amount10 µL H2O2 and Amount2 µL Alexa tyramides (488). Vortex to mix.

Mix
Cover slides with CARD buffer-tyramide mix (approx. Amount500 µL per slide). Incubate at Temperature37 °C for Duration00:45:00 .

45m
Incubation
Wash slides.
Wash
Wash slides in PBS for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash slides in PBS for Duration00:05:00 .

5m
Wash slides in PBS for Duration00:10:00 at Temperature46 °C .

10m
Wash slides in PBS for Duration00:10:00 at Temperature46 °C .

10m
Wash slides in sterile water for Duration00:01:00 .

1m
Wash
Wash slides in 96% ethanol for Duration00:01:00 .
Note
FREEZING POINT


1m
Staining and embedding
Staining and embedding
Mix Amount1 mL SlowFade Gold antifade reagent with 1 5m/ml DAPI (final concentration Amount5 µg/mL , can be stored at TemperatureRoom temperature ).

Mix
Place Amount10 µL solution in small droplets on the slides.

Place coverslip and press down gently to remove air pockets without disturbing the sample area.
Seal edges with clear nail polish.
Samples can now be stored at Temperature-20 °C in covered container indefinitely.