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Jayawardhana S, Ward AI, Francisco AF, Lewis MD, Taylor MC, Kelly JM, Olmo F. Benznidazole treatment leads to DNA damage in Trypanosoma cruzi and the persistence of rare widely dispersed non-replicative amastigotes in mice. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011627. [PMID: 37956215 PMCID: PMC10681306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Benznidazole is the front-line drug used to treat infections with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. However, for reasons that are unknown, treatment failures are common. When we examined parasites that survived benznidazole treatment in mice using highly sensitive in vivo and ex vivo bioluminescence imaging, we found that recrudescence is not due to persistence of parasites in a specific organ or tissue that preferentially protects them from drug activity. Surviving parasites are widely distributed and located in host cells where the vast majority contained only one or two amastigotes. Therefore, infection relapse does not arise from a small number of intact large nests. Rather, persisters are either survivors of intracellular populations where co-located parasites have been killed, or amastigotes in single/low-level infected cells exist in a state where they are less susceptible to benznidazole. To better assess the nature of parasite persisters, we exposed infected mammalian cell monolayers to a benznidazole regimen that reduces the intracellular amastigote population to <1% of the pre-treatment level. Of host cells that remained infected, as with the situation in vivo, the vast majority contained only one or two surviving intracellular amastigotes. Analysis, based on non-incorporation of the thymidine analogue EdU, revealed these surviving parasites to be in a transient non-replicative state. Furthermore, treatment with benznidazole led to widespread parasite DNA damage. When the small number of parasites which survive in mice after non-curative treatment were assessed using EdU labelling, this revealed that these persisters were also initially non-replicative. A possible explanation could be that triggering of the T. cruzi DNA damage response pathway by the activity of benznidazole metabolites results in exit from the cell cycle as parasites attempt DNA repair, and that metabolic changes associated with non-proliferation act to reduce drug susceptibility. Alternatively, a small percentage of the parasite population may pre-exist in this non-replicative state prior to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiromani Jayawardhana
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander I. Ward
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda F. Francisco
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael D. Lewis
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin C. Taylor
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - John M. Kelly
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francisco Olmo
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Daigle N, Duan S, Song H, Lima N, Sontz R, Merchant JL, Sawyer TW. Wide field-of-view fluorescence imaging for organ-level lineage tracing of rare intestinal stem cell populations. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2023; 28:096004. [PMID: 37711357 PMCID: PMC10499363 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.28.9.096004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Significance Lineage tracing using fluorescent reporters is a common tool for monitoring the expression of genes and transcription factors in stem cell populations and their progeny. The zinc-binding protein 89 (ZBP-89/Zfp148 mouse gene) is a transcription factor that plays a role in gastrointestinal (GI) stem cell maintenance and cellular differentiation and has been linked to the progression of colon cancer. While lineage tracing is a useful tool, it is commonly performed with high-magnification microscopy on a small field of view within tissue sections, thereby limiting the ability to resolve reporter expression at the organ level. Furthermore, this technique requires extensive tissue processing, which is time consuming and requires euthanizing the animal. Further knowledge could be elucidated by measuring the expression of fluorescent reporters across entire organs with minimal tissue processing. Aim We present the application of wide-field fluorescence imaging for whole-organ lineage tracing of an inducible Zfp148-tdTomato-expressing transgenic mouse line to assess the expression of ZBP-89/Zfp148 in the GI tract. Approach We measured tdTomato fluorescence in ex vivo organs at time points between 24 h and 6 months post-induction. Fluctuations in tdTomato expression were validated by fluorescence microscopy of tissue sections. Results Quantification of the wide field-of-view images showed a statistically significant increase in fluorescent signal across the GI tract between transgenic mice and littermate controls. The results also showed a gradient of decreasing reporter expression from proximal to distal intestine, suggesting a higher abundance of ZBP-89 expressing stem cells, or higher expression of ZBP-89 within the stem cells, in the proximal intestine. Conclusions We demonstrate that wide-field fluorescence imaging is a valuable tool for monitoring whole-organ expression of fluorescent reporters. This technique could potentially be applied in vivo for longitudinal assessment of a single animal, further enhancing our ability to resolve rare stem cell lineages spatially and temporally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle Daigle
- University of Arizona, Wyant College of Optical Sciences, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | - Suzann Duan
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | - Heyu Song
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | - Natzem Lima
- University of Arizona, Wyant College of Optical Sciences, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | - Ricky Sontz
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, United States
| | | | - Travis W. Sawyer
- University of Arizona, Wyant College of Optical Sciences, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, United States
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Hsu YC, Chung YF, Chen MS, Wang CK, Jiang ST, Chiu IM. Establishing F1A-CreER T2 Mice to Trace Fgf1 Expression in Adult Mouse Cardiomyocytes. Cells 2021; 11:cells11010121. [PMID: 35011683 PMCID: PMC8749990 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) regulates many biological and physiological processes. In mice, Fgf1 gene contains at least three upstream promoters and are alternatively spliced to the first protein coding exon, giving rise to different Fgf1 mRNA variants (1A, 1B and 1G). Among them, the Fgf1A transcript is predominantly expressed in the heart. FGF1 can induce cardiomyocyte regeneration and cardiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Here, we generated a novel mouse line using the Fgf1A promoter (F1A) driving the expression of the inducible Cre recombinase (CreERT2). We firstly demonstrated that the highest mRNA expression of CreERT2 were detected in the heart specifically of F1A-CreERT2 mice, similar to that of Fgf1A mRNA. The F1A-CreERT2 mice were crossed with ROSA26 mice, and the F1 mice were analyzed. The LacZ-positive signals were detected exclusively in the heart after tamoxifen administration. The CreERT2-mediated recombination in the tissues is monitored through LacZ-positive signals, indicating the in situ localization of F1A-positive cells. Consistently, these F1A-positive cells with RFP-positive signals or LacZ-positive blue signals were co-localized with cardiomyocytes expressing cardiac troponin T, suggesting cardiomyocyte-specific activation of Fgf1A promoter. Our data suggested that the F1A-CreERT2 mouse line could be used for time-dependent and lineage tracing of Fgf1A-expressing cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chao Hsu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City 252, Taiwan;
- Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City 252, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Fen Chung
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 350, Taiwan; (Y.-F.C.); (M.-S.C.)
| | - Mei-Shu Chen
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 350, Taiwan; (Y.-F.C.); (M.-S.C.)
| | - Chi-Kuang Wang
- Department of Research and Development, National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan 700, Taiwan; (C.-K.W.); (S.-T.J.)
| | - Si-Tse Jiang
- Department of Research and Development, National Laboratory Animal Center, National Applied Research Laboratories, Tainan 700, Taiwan; (C.-K.W.); (S.-T.J.)
| | - Ing-Ming Chiu
- Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 350, Taiwan; (Y.-F.C.); (M.-S.C.)
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 400, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-37-206-166 (ext. 37500); Fax: +886-37-587-408
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Chiou AE, Hinckley JA, Khaitan R, Varsano N, Wang J, Malarkey HF, Hernandez CJ, Williams RM, Estroff LA, Weiner S, Addadi L, Wiesner UB, Fischbach C. Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles to Label Metastatic Tumor Cells in Mineralized Bone Microenvironments. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2001432. [PMID: 32462807 PMCID: PMC7704907 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202001432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
During breast cancer bone metastasis, tumor cells interact with bone microenvironment components including inorganic minerals. Bone mineralization is a dynamic process and varies spatiotemporally as a function of cancer-promoting conditions such as age and diet. The functional relationship between skeletal dissemination of tumor cells and bone mineralization, however, is unclear. Standard histological analysis of bone metastasis frequently relies on prior demineralization of bone, while methods that maintain mineral are often harsh and damage fluorophores commonly used to label tumor cells. Here, fluorescent silica nanoparticles (SNPs) are introduced as a robust and versatile labeling strategy to analyze tumor cells within mineralized bone. SNP uptake and labeling efficiency of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells is characterized with cryo-scanning electron microscopy and different tissue processing methods. Using a 3D in vitro model of marrow-containing, mineralized bone as well as an in vivo model of bone metastasis, SNPs are demonstrated to allow visualization of labeled tumor cells in mineralized bone using various imaging modalities including widefield, confocal, and light sheet microscopy. This work suggests that SNPs are valuable tools to analyze tumor cells within mineralized bone using a broad range of bone processing and imaging techniques with the potential to increase the understanding of bone metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron E Chiou
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Joshua A Hinckley
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Rupal Khaitan
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Neta Varsano
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Jonathan Wang
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Henry F Malarkey
- Department of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Christopher J Hernandez
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Rebecca M Williams
- Biotechnology Resource Center Imaging Facility, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Lara A Estroff
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Steve Weiner
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Lia Addadi
- Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Ulrich B Wiesner
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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5
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Wang X, Balaji S, Steen EH, Blum AJ, Li H, Chan CK, Manson SR, Lu TC, Rae MM, Austin PF, Wight TN, Bollyky PL, Cheng J, Keswani SG. High-molecular weight hyaluronan attenuates tubulointerstitial scarring in kidney injury. JCI Insight 2020; 5:136345. [PMID: 32396531 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.136345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Renal fibrosis features exaggerated inflammation, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and peritubular capillary loss. We previously showed that IL-10 stimulates high-molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA) expression by fibroblasts, and we hypothesize that HMW-HA attenuates renal fibrosis by reducing inflammation and ECM remodeling. We studied the effects of IL-10 overexpression on HA production and scarring in mouse models of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) to investigate whether IL-10 antifibrotic effects are HA dependent. C57BL/6J mice were fed with the HA synthesis inhibitor, 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), before UUO. We observed that in vivo injury increased intratubular spaces, ECM deposition, and HA expression at day 7 and onward. IL-10 overexpression reduced renal fibrosis in both models, promoted HMW-HA synthesis and stability in UUO, and regulated cell proliferation in I/R. 4-MU inhibited IL-10-driven antifibrotic effects, indicating that HMW-HA is necessary for cytokine-mediated reduction of fibrosis. We also found that IL-10 induces in vitro HMW-HA production by renal fibroblasts via STAT3-dependent upregulation of HA synthase 2. We propose that IL-10-induced HMW-HA synthesis plays cytoprotective and antifibrotic roles in kidney injury, thereby revealing an effective strategy to attenuate renal fibrosis in obstructive and ischemic pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Wang
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Swathi Balaji
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Emily H Steen
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Alexander J Blum
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Hui Li
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Christina K Chan
- Matrix Biology Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Scott R Manson
- Division of Pediatric Urology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Thomas C Lu
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Meredith M Rae
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Paul F Austin
- Division of Pediatric Urology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Thomas N Wight
- Matrix Biology Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Paul L Bollyky
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jizhong Cheng
- Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Sundeep G Keswani
- Laboratory for Regenerative Tissue Repair, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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6
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Serowoky MA, Patel DD, Hsieh JW, Mariani FV. The use of commercially available adhesive tapes to preserve cartilage and bone tissue integrity during cryosectioning. Biotechniques 2019; 65:191-196. [PMID: 30284932 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2018-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of fluorescent tags to monitor protein expression and to lineage-trace cells has become a standard complement to standard histological techniques in the fields of embryology, pathology and regenerative medicine. Unfortunately, traditional paraffin embedding protocols can substantially diminish or abolish the native emission signal of the fluorophore of interest. To preserve the fluorescent signal, an alternative is to use cryosectioning; however, this can often result in undesirable artefacts such as tearing or shattering - particularly for mineralized tissues such as bone and cartilage. Here we present a method of using a commercially available tape to stabilize murine femur tissue, thus allowing for cryosectioning of cartilage and bone tissues carrying fluorescent tags without the need for demineralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell A Serowoky
- Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, USA
| | - Divya D Patel
- Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, USA
| | - Jason W Hsieh
- Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, USA
| | - Francesca V Mariani
- Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, USA
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7
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Zhanmu O, Zhao P, Yang Y, Yang X, Gong H, Li X. Maintenance of Fluorescence During Paraffin Embedding of Fluorescent Protein-Labeled Specimens. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:752. [PMID: 31396038 PMCID: PMC6664058 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Paraffin embedding is widely used in microscopic imaging for preparing biological specimens. However, owing to significant fluorescence quenching during the embedding process, it is not compatible with fluorescent-labeling techniques, such as transgenic and viral labeling using green fluorescent protein (GFP). Here, we investigate the quenching mechanism and optimize the embedding process to improve the preservation of fluorescence intensity. The results show that dehydration is the main reason for fluorescence quenching during paraffin embedding, caused by the full denaturation of GFP molecules in ethyl alcohol. To evaluate fluorescent and morphological preservation, we modified the embedding process using tertiary butanol (TBA) instead of ethyl alcohol. Fluorescence intensity following TBA dehydration increased 12.08-fold of that observed in the traditional method. We obtained uniform fluorescence maintenance throughout the whole mouse brain, while the continuous apical dendrites, spines, and axon terminals were shown evenly within the cortex, hippocampus, and the amygdala. Moreover, we embedded a whole rat brain labeled with AAV in the prelimbic cortex (Prl). With the axon terminals in different areas, such as the caudate putamen, thalamus, and pyramidal tract, the results showed a continuous tract of Prl neurons throughout the whole brain. This method was also suitable for tdTomota labeled samples. These findings indicate that this modified embedding method could be compatible with GFP and provides a potential turning point for applications in the fluorescent labeling of samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouyang Zhanmu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Peilin Zhao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoquan Yang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiangning Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, China
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8
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Exploiting Genetically Modified Dual-Reporter Strains to Monitor Experimental Trypanosoma cruzi Infections and Host-Parasite Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1955:147-163. [PMID: 30868525 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9148-8_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, the most important parasitic infection in Latin America. Despite a global research effort, there have been no significant treatment advances for at least 40 years. Gaps in our knowledge of T. cruzi biology and pathogenesis have been major factors in limiting progress. In addition, the extremely low parasite burden during chronic infections has complicated the monitoring of both disease progression and drug efficacy, even in predictive animal models. To address these problems, we genetically modified T. cruzi to express a red-shifted luciferase. Mice infected with these highly bioluminescent parasites can be monitored by in vivo imaging, with exquisite sensitivity. However, a major drawback of bioluminescence imaging is that it does not allow visualization of host-parasite interactions at a cellular level. To facilitate this, we generated T. cruzi strains that express a chimeric protein that is both bioluminescent and fluorescent. Bioluminescence allows the tissue location of infection foci to be identified, and fluorescence can then be exploited to detect parasites in histological sections derived from excised tissue. In this article, we describe in detail the in vivo imaging and confocal microscopy protocols that we have developed for visualizing T. cruzi parasites expressing these dual-reporter fusion proteins. The approaches make it feasible to locate individual parasites within chronically infected murine tissues, to assess their replicative status, to resolve the nature of host cells, and to characterize their immunological context.
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9
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Abstract
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a routinely used technique in clinical diagnosis of pathological conditions and in basic and translational research. It combines anatomical, immunological, and biochemical methods and relies on the specific binding of an antibody to an antigen. Using the technique with mineralized tissues is more challenging than with soft tissues. Demineralizing the samples allows for embedding in paraffin wax, and also facilitates cryosectioning. This chapter describes methods for IHC on formaldehyde-fixed, demineralized, paraffin-embedded, or frozen sections to detect antigens in skeletal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke J Roelofs
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
| | - Cosimo De Bari
- Arthritis and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Aberdeen Centre for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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10
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Expanding the toolbox for Trypanosoma cruzi: A parasite line incorporating a bioluminescence-fluorescence dual reporter and streamlined CRISPR/Cas9 functionality for rapid in vivo localisation and phenotyping. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006388. [PMID: 29608569 PMCID: PMC5897030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, a major public health problem throughout Latin America. There is no vaccine and the only drugs have severe side effects. Efforts to generate new therapies are hampered by limitations in our understanding of parasite biology and disease pathogenesis. Studies are compromised by the complexity of the disease, the long-term nature of the infection, and the fact that parasites are barely detectable during the chronic stage. In addition, functional dissection of T. cruzi biology has been restricted by the limited flexibility of the genetic manipulation technology applicable to this parasite. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, we describe two technical innovations, which will allow the role of the parasite in disease progression to be better assessed. First, we generated a T. cruzi reporter strain that expresses a fusion protein comprising red-shifted luciferase and green fluorescent protein domains. Bioluminescence allows the kinetics of infection to be followed within a single animal, and specific foci of infection to be pinpointed in excised tissues. Fluorescence can then be used to visualise individual parasites in tissue sections to study host-parasite interactions at a cellular level. Using this strategy, we have been routinely able to find individual parasites within chronically infected murine tissues for the first time. The second advance is the incorporation of a streamlined CRISPR/Cas9 functionality into this reporter strain that can facilitate genome editing using a PCR-based approach that does not require DNA cloning. This system allows the rapid generation of null mutants and fluorescently tagged parasites in a background where the in vivo phenotype can be rapidly assessed. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The techniques described here will have multiple applications for studying aspects of T. cruzi biology and Chagas disease pathogenesis previously inaccessible to conventional approaches. The reagents and cell lines have been generated as a community resource and are freely available on request.
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11
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Lal S, Nguyen L, Tezone R, Ponten F, Odeberg J, Li A, dos Remedios C. Tissue microarray profiling in human heart failure. Proteomics 2016; 16:2319-26. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201600135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2016] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Lal
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School; The University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
| | - Lisa Nguyen
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School; The University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
| | - Rhenan Tezone
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School; The University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
| | - Fredrik Ponten
- Department of Proteomics, School of Biotechnology; Royal Institute of Technology, KTH; Science for Life Laboratory; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Jacob Odeberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory; Uppsala University; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Amy Li
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School; The University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
| | - Cristobal dos Remedios
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Bosch Institute, Sydney Medical School; The University of Sydney; Sydney Australia
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