This protocol describes how to obtain images by combining in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry of zebrafish embryonic sections. In situ hybridization was performed prior to cryosectioning, followed by antibody staining. It is useful to detect the expression patterns of two genes in zebrafish if there is a paucity of antibodies.
As a vertebrate, the zebrafish has been widely used in biological studies. Zebrafish and humans share high genetic homology, which allows its use as a model for human diseases. Gene function study is based on the detection of gene expression patterns. Although immunohistochemistry offers a powerful way to assay protein expression, the limited number of commercially available antibodies in zebrafish restricts the application of costaining. In situ hybridization is widely used in zebrafish embryos to detect mRNA expression. This protocol describes how to obtain images by combining in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry for zebrafish embryo sections. In situ hybridization was performed prior to cryosectioning, followed by antibody staining. Immunohistochemistry and the imaging of a single cryosection were performed after in situ hybridization. The protocol is helpful to unravel the expression pattern of two genes, first by in situ transcript detection and then by immunohistochemistry against a protein in the same section.
The zebrafish is a powerful vertebrate model for studies of development and genetics1,2. Zebrafish and humans share high genetic homology (70% of the genes are shared with the human genome), which allows its use as a model for human diseases3. In zebrafish, it is quite common to detect the expression patterns of two genes and their spatial relationship. Immunohistochemistry was first used in 1941 to detect pathogens in infected tissues by applying FITC-labeled antibodies4. The target protein in the tissue section is first labeled with a primary antibody, and the section is then labeled with a secondary antibody against the primary antibody's host species immunoglobulin. Antibody staining is a robust approach to detect the localization of proteins, which offers high optical resolution at the intracellular level. However, the number of antibodies available is very limited in zebrafish. A recent study shows that approximately 112,000 antibodies are commercially available for mice; however, very few antibodies have been demonstrated to be reliable in zebrafish5.
Instead, in zebrafish, in situ hybridization has been widely applied for gene expression pattern analysis. This method was first used to assess gene expression in Drosophila embryos in the 1980s6,7, and since then, this technology has been continuously developed and improved. Initially, radiolabeled DNA probes were used to detect mRNA transcripts; however, the spatial resolution was relatively low, and there were potential health risks caused by the radioactivity. Subsequently, in situ hybridization relies on the RNA probes labeled with digoxigenin (DIG) or fluorescein (Fluo), which are conjugated to alkaline phosphatase (AP) or detected by fluorescent tyramide signal amplification (TSA)8,9. Although TSA has been used to detect two or three genes, DIG labeling of RNA probes and antiDIG AP-conjugated antibody are still highly sensitive, stable, and widely used approaches for in situ hybridization. Therefore, commercialized antibodies combined with DIG-labeled in situ probes are useful for providing insight into protein localization and expression of one gene.
Whole-mount embryos cannot reveal the spatial relationship between genes due to the low optical resolution, even though zebrafish embryos are small and transparent10. Hence, sectioning is necessary to analyze the expression patterns of genes at the intracellular level. Cryosectioning has been widely used in zebrafish as it is easy to perform and can effectively preserve the antigen. Therefore, in situ hybridization combined with immunohistochemistry in zebrafish cryosections offers a powerful way for analyzing the expression patterns of two genes. A combination of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry has been applied to zebrafish11. However, proteinase K treatment was used to enhance probe penetration at the expense of antigen integrity. To overcome this limitation, this protocol uses heating to induce antigen retrieval. This protocol is not only applicable to embryos of different stages and tissue sections of various thicknesses (14 µm head sections and 20 µm spinal cord sections), but it has also been verified by using genes expressed in two organs, including the head and spinal cord.
This article will describe how to combine in situ hybridization and antibody staining in zebrafish embryos in cryosections. The versatility of this protocol is demonstrated by using a number of in situ hybridization-immunohistochemistry combinations, including in situ hybridization probes for two different neurons. This method is suitable for detecting mRNA and protein in different regions and embryos of different ages, as well as the expression patterns of two genes.
All animal protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Nantong University (No. S20191210-402).
1. Collection of zebrafish embryos
2. In situ hybridization
NOTE: The water used for steps 2.1-2.11 is diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC)-treated water (see the Table of Materials).
3. Embedding
4. Cryosectioning
5. Immunostaining
NOTE: GFP staining is performed on the sections.
This protocol can be used to simultaneously examine the expression pattern of one mRNA and one protein. Figure 1 shows the experimental workflow. The 5-HT2C receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT receptor bound by the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). It is widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) and can significantly regulate a variety of brain functions, including appetite, mood, anxiety, and reproductive behavior13. The expression of 5-HT2C in the CNS was detected by the transgenic line Tg (foxp2:egfp-caax), in which foxP2 neurons are labeled by fluorescein green fluorescent protein (GFP). GFP was not expressed in wild-type zebrafish but only in the transgenic line. Simultaneous detection of the expression of RNA (5-HT2C, the probe for htr2c, Figure 2A) and protein (GFP, antiGFP, Figure 2B) can be used for protein and mRNA colocalization analysis.
Insulinoma-associated 1a (insm1a), a zinc-finger transcription factor, was first identified from the tumor reduction library and played several functions in the formation and differentiation of the vertebrate central and peripheral nervous system and neuroendocrine system. Recent studies have shown that insm1a is an important regulator of motor neuron development. The expression of insm1a in the zebrafish spinal cord and motor neurons was detected by the transgenic line Tg (hb9:egfp), in which hb9 neurons are labeled by fluorescein GFP. GFP was not expressed in wild-type zebrafish but only in the transgenic line. The simultaneous detection of the expression of RNA (insm1a, the probe for insm1a, Figure 3A) and protein (GFP, antiGFP, Figure 3B) can be used for protein and mRNA colocalization analysis. This protocol was successfully applied to detect the colocalization of protein and RNA to understand their spatial relationship.
Figure 1: Outline of the method. This flowchart shows an experimental workflow. The workflow can be completed in a minimum of 9 days (see the number of days in the upper right corner of each phase in the workflow), although some steps can be completed in a longer period, as described in the protocol. Abbreviations: PFA = paraformaldehyde; O/N = overnight; RT = room temperature. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 2: Whole-mount embryos stained with 5-HT2C probe and GFP antibody in Tg (foxP2:egfp-caax). Bright-field (A), fluorescent (B), and merged images (C) show 5-HT2C (the probe for htr2c, A) and GFP (antiGFP, B) expression in foxP2 neurons and axon tracts. Scale bar = 50 µm. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Figure 3: Whole-mount embryos stained with insm1a probe and GFP antibody in Tg (hb9:egfp). Bright-field (A), fluorescent (B), and merged images (C) show insm1a (the probe for insm1a, A) and GFP (anti-GFP, B) expression in hb9 neurons. Scale bar = 20 µm. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
Embryos | Time |
24 hpf | 2 min |
30 hpf | 3 min |
36 hpf | 5 min |
48 hpf | 10 min |
72 hpf | 15 min |
96 hpf | 45 min |
4-5 dpf | 60 min |
Table 1: Proteinase K digestion time for zebrafish embryos. Abbreviations: hpf = hours post fertilization; dpf = days post fertilization.
This protocol proposes a combination of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, an important step in the colocalization experiments on zebrafish embryos. This method serves as an easy and efficient way to simultaneously analyze one mRNA and one protein. In situ hybridization and antibody staining were performed on zebrafish embryos. In contrast to several protocols published previously14,15,16, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to explore protein expression. Few zebrafish-specific antibodies have been appropriately validated for use in sections17. Previous studies have used only one technique: immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, or in situ hybridization. Combining in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry to analyze RNA and protein overcomes the limitations of any one technique. The first step was in situ hybridization, which greatly protects mRNA from degradation. Antigen retrieval was induced by heating to avoid the disruption by proteinase K treatment of antibody binding during immunohistochemical staining. Whether this approach works for all antigens will require further testing. Images of the sections showed that the 5-HT2C receptor was coexpressed in foxP2 neurons and that the insm1a receptor was coexpressed in hb9 neurons.
Whole-mount in situ hybridization greatly preserves the integrity of samples. In situ hybridization followed by sectioning can decrease the incubation time for antibody staining. In addition, antibody staining after in situ hybridization can help avoid fluorescence quenching.
The following specific steps are essential to the success of the experiment. The first critical step is to refix the embryo in 4% PFA. This step stops the proteinase K reaction because PFA inactivates proteinase K. The samples should be mixed gently to expose all embryos to PFA; the tube can also be placed on its side so that the embryos are evenly distributed in the solution. The second critical step is the treatment of the embryo during OCT implantation. The embryos should be arranged in a specific direction (either dorsal-ventral or lateral), keeping them straight so that they can be cut into sections from roughly the same area for all embryos. A small needle is used to make small, conscious movements in the viscous OCT medium to locate the embryo and remove bubbles.
There are several potential modifications that can be applied to the described scenario. The digestion time of proteinase K in in situ hybridization can be determined according to the different developmental stages of the zebrafish embryos (Table 1). In addition, the thickness of the cryosections is very flexible and can be determined according to experimental requirements. While it is predicted that this approach will be suitable for a wide range of experiments, it has some potential limitations. The successful execution of this procedure depends on maintaining a complete sample through two successive experiments. There are multiple possible pause points in this protocol. The dehydrated embryos can be stored in 30% sucrose solution at -20 °C for several months14. Similarly, the prepared slides can be stored in a slide box at -20 °C for more than 1 year14. The frozen blocks can be stored at -80 °C for three months.
This protocol for in situ hybridization combined with immunohistochemistry has been shown to be successful in detecting 5-HT2C and insm1a expression in zebrafish embryos and can be easily applied to a variety of tissues at different developmental stages. In addition, this protocol can be applied to neurons or glial cells, providing a robust investigational approach for neuroscientists.
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was supported by the Nantong Science and Technology Foundation of China (MS12019011), the Nantong Science and Technology Foundation of China (JC2021058), and the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (21KJB180009).
Alexa Fluor 488 secondary antibody | Invitrogen | A21202 | |
Anti-Digoxigenin AP Fab fragments | Roche | 11093274910 | |
Anti-GFP antibody | Millipore | MAB3580 | |
Blocking solution | made in lab | N/A | 0.1% Triton X-100, 3% BSA, 10% goat serum in 1x PBS |
BM purple | Roche | 11442074001 | |
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) | Sigma | B2064 | |
CaCl2 | Sigma | C5670 | |
Citrate buffer | Leagene | IH0305 | |
Citric acid | Sigma | C2404 | |
Cryomold for tissue, 15 mm x 15 mm x 5 mm | Head Biotechnology | H4566 | |
DEPC-Treated Water | Sangon Biotech | B501005 | |
Digital camera, fluorescence microscope | Nikon | NI-SSR 931479 | |
E3 embryo medium | made in lab | N/A | 5 mM NaCl, 0.17 mM KCl, 0.33 mM CaCl2, 0.33 mM MgSO4 |
Formamide | Invitrogen | AM9342 | |
Goat serum | Sigma | G9023 | |
Heparin sodium salt | J&K Scientific | 542858 | |
HYB | made in lab | N/A | preHYB plus 50 µg/mL heparin sodium salt, 100 µg/mL ribonucleic acid diethylaminoethanol salt |
Immunohistochemical wet box | Mkbio | MH10002 | |
KCl | Sigma | P5405 | |
Low profile leica blades | Leica | 819 | |
MABT (1x) | made in lab | N/A | 0.1 M maleic acid, 0.15 M NaCl, 0.02% Tween-20, pH 7.5 |
Maleic acid | Sigma | M0375 | |
Methanol | J&K Scientific | 116481 | |
Methylene blue | Macklin | M859248 | |
MgSO4 | Sigma | M2643 | |
NaCl | Sigma | S5886 | |
NTMT | made in lab | N/A | 0.1M Tris-HCl, 0.1M NaCl, 1% Tween-20 |
OCT medium | Tissue-Tek | 4583 | |
PAP pen | Enzo Life Sciences | ADI-950-233 | |
Paraformaldehyde, 4% | Abbexa | abx082483 | made in lab in 1x PBS |
PBST (1x) | made in lab | N/A | 1x PBS plus 0.1% Tween-20 |
Phenylthiourea | Merck | 103-85-5 | |
Phosphate-buffered saline (10x) | Invitrogen | AM9624 | |
preHYB | made in lab | N/A | 50% formamide, 5x SSC, 9.2 mM citric acid (pH 6.0), 0.1% Tween-20 |
Proteinase K | Roche | 1092766 | |
Ribonucleic acid diethylaminoethanol salt | Sigma | R3629 | |
RNase-free 1.5 mL tubes | Ambion | AM12400 | |
SSC (20x) | Invitrogen | AM9770 | |
SSCT (0.2x) | made in lab | N/A | 0.2x SSC plus 0.1% Tween-20 |
SSCT (1x) | made in lab | N/A | 1x SSC plus 0.1% Tween-20 |
Sucrose | Invitrogen | 15503022 | |
Triton X-100 | Sigma | T9284 | |
Tween-20 | Sigma | P1379 | |
Zebrafish | Laboratory Animal Center of Nantong University | N/A |