Localization by high resolution in situ hybridization of the ribosomal minichromosomes during the nucleolar cycle of Physarum polycephalum

Highly ordered spatial organization of the structural long noncoding NEAT1 RNAs within paraspeckle nuclear bodies

Paraspeckles (PSPs) are nuclear bodies associated with the retention in the nucleus of specific mRNAs. Two isoforms of a long noncoding RNA (NEAT1_v1/Menε and NEAT1_v2/Menβ) are required for the integrity of PSPs. Here, we analyzed the molecular organization of PSPs by immuno- and in situ hybridization electron microscopy. Detection of the paraspeckle markers PSPC1 and P54NRB/NONO confirm the identity between PSPs and the previously described interchromatin granule-associated zones (IGAZs). High-resolution in situ hybridization of NEAT1 transcripts revealed a highly ordered organization of IGAZ/PSPs. Although the 3.7-kb NEAT1_v1 and the identical 5' end of the 22.7-kb NEAT1_v2 transcripts are confined to the periphery, central sequences of NEAT1_v2 are found within the electron-dense core of the bodies. Moreover, the 3' end of NEAT1_v2 also localize to the periphery, indicating possible architectures for IGAZ/PSPs. These results further suggest that the organization of NEAT1 transcripts constrains the geometry of these bodies. Accordingly, we observed in HeLa and NIH 3T3 cells that IGAZ/PSPs are elongated structures with a well-defined diameter. Our results provide new insight on the ability of noncoding RNAs to form subcellular structures.

Non-isotopic electron microscope in situ hybridization for studying the functional sub-compartmentalization of the cell nucleus

Post-embedding electron microscope in situ hybridization using gold particles as label permits the clear identification of the cellular structures which contain the nucleic acid molecules under study. It has yielded information on the distribution of defined nucleic acid sequences of different origins-cellular or viral, DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded molecules-which has revolutionized the study of the nucleus. Application of this powerful technique in combination with other refined techniques to studies on transcription and replication of cellular and viral genes has augmented our knowledge of the functional organization of the cell nucleus. One can now ask mechanistically meaningful questions concerning the successive steps of gene replication and expression not only under normal conditions of cell growth, but also when the cellular metabolism is altered by a drug treatment or a viral infection. This chapter aims (a) to present the established methods of post-embedding electron microscope in situ hybridization for localizing, precisely and specifically, a nucleic acid target in its normal environment and (b) to present some contributions of this technique to investigations of the functional compartmentalization of the cell nucleus and to elucidate the cell-virus relationships in infected cells.

Non-isotopic in situ hybridization at the ultrastructural level

Non-isotopic in situ hybridization techniques are becoming increasingly widely used at the ultrastructural level, permitting rapid localization of nucleic acid targets with a high degree of resolution. Technical considerations dictate that the great specificity of the method cannot be matched by a similar degree of sensitivity; the value of non-isotopic ultrastructural in situ hybridization lies in its unique ability to localize nucleic acid targets in relation to submicroscopic cellular structures. This article presents an overview of non-isotopic ultrastructural hybridization methods and applications.

Site-specific initiation of DNA replication within the non-transcribed spacer of Physarum rDNA

Physarum polycephalum rRNA genes are found on extrachromosomal 60 kb linear palindromic DNA molecules. Previous work using electron microscope visualization suggested that these molecules are duplicated from one of four potential replication origins located in the 24 kb central non-transcribed spacer [Vogt and Braun (1977) Eur. J. Biochem., 80, 557-566]. Considering the controversy on the nature of the replication origins in eukaryotic cells, where both site-specific or delocalized initiations have been described, we study here Physarum rDNA replication by two dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis and compare the results to those obtained by electron microscopy. Without the need of cell treatment or enrichment in replication intermediates, we detect hybridization signals corresponding to replicating rDNA fragments throughout the cell cycle, confirming that the synthesis of rDNA molecules is not under the control of S-phase. The patterns of replication intermediates along rDNA minichromosomes are consistent with the existence of four site-specific replication origins, whose localization in the central non-transcribed spacer is in agreement with the electron microscope mapping. It is also shown that, on a few molecules, at least two origins are active simultaneously.