Volume 53 (7): 833-838, 2005 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Three-dimensional Imaging of the Intracellular Localization of Growth Hormone and Prolactin and Their mRNA Using Nanocrystal (Quantum Dot) and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Techniques
Department of Neurosurgery, Teikyo University Ichihara Hospital, Ichihara City, Chiba, Japan (AM,TN), and Teaching and Research Support Center (JI) and Department of Pathology (ST,RYO), Tokai University School of Medicine, Boseidai, Isehara City, Kanagawa, Japan Correspondence to: Akira Matsuno, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery, Teikyo University Ichihara Hospital 3426-3 Anesaki, Ichihara City, Chiba 299-0111, Japan. E-mail: akirakun{at}med.teikyo-u.ac.jp
Semiconductor nanocrystals (Quantum dots, Qdots) have recently been used in biological research, because they do not fade on exposure to light, and they enable us to obtain multicolor imaging because of a narrow emission peak that can be excited via a single wavelength of light. There have been no reports of simultaneous localization of mRNA and protein using Qdots. We successfully applied these advantages of Qdot and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to three-dimensional images of the intracellular localization of growth hormone and prolactin and to their mRNA. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry using Qdots combined with CLSM can optimally illustrate the relationship between protein and mRNA simultaneously in three dimensions. Such an approach enables us to visualize functional images of proteins in relation with mRNA synthesis and localization. (J Histochem Cytochem 53:833838, 2005)
Key Words: in situ hybridization immunohistochemistry mRNA Quantum dot confocal laser scanning microscopy pituitary cell
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC (EM) in situ hybridization (ISH) (EM-ISH) is used to examine the intracellular distribution and role of mRNA in protein synthesis (Guitteny and Bloch 1989
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) can facilitate the intracellular identification of subcellular organelles, mRNA, and protein (Itoh et al. 1997
Meanwhile, semiconductor nanocrystals (Quantum dots, Qdots) have been developed that do not fade on exposure to light and enable us to obtain multicolor images because of a narrow emission peak that can be excited via a single wavelength of light (Bruchez et al. 1998
Tissue Preparation Male and female Wistar-Imamichi rats (8 weeks from birth, body weight ranging from 240 to 330 g, purchased from Charles River Japan Inc.; Yokohama, Japan) were studied. Male rats were used to study the intracellular localization of GH mRNA and GH protein. Female rats were treated intramuscularly with 5 mg estradiol dipropionate (E2 depot: Ovahormon Depot; Teikoku Zoki Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan), and, after 4 weeks, were again injected with 5 mg estradiol dipropionate. Three weeks after the second injection, the female rats were sacrificed and used to study the intracellular localization of PRL mRNA and PRL protein. The pituitary glands were removed, and the anterior lobes were immediately fixed overnight at 4C in 4% paraformaldehyde dissolved in 0.01 M phosphate buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.4. After immersion in graded concentrations of sucrose dissolved in PBS at 4C (10% for 1 hr, 15% for 2 hr, 20% for 4 hr), the tissues were embedded in Optimal Cutting Temperature compound (Tissue-Tek; Miles Laboratories Inc, Elkhart, IN). RNase-free solutions treated with 0.02% diethylpyrocarbonate were used routinely, and gloves were used when handling all the tissue specimens and glass slides.
Biotinylation of Synthesized Oligonucleotide Probes for ISH
Combined ISH and IHC Using HRP-DAB for the Detection of mRNA and Qdot for the Detection of Protein The negative control experiments for ISH included hybridization studies with probes of sense or scramble sequence, as well as studies without probes. The negative control experiments for IHC involved the substitution of normal rabbit immunoglobulin fraction (DAKO; Carpinteria, CA) for primary antibodies.
Combined ISH and IHC Using Qdots for the Detection of mRNA and Protein The negative control experiments for ISH included hybridization studies with probes of sense or scramble sequence, as well as studies without probes. The negative control experiments for IHC involved the substitution of normal rabbit immunoglobulin fraction for primary antibodies.
Detection of Emission Signals of Qdot 605 and 655
Combined ISH and IHC Using HRP-DAB for the Detection of mRNA and Qdot for the Detection of Protein Hybridization signals for rat GH mRNA were demonstrated with light microscopy using ABC-HRP. With the CLSM reflection mode, GH mRNA was observed as a DAB signal, and with the confocal mode, GH protein was observed as a 655-nm emission signal (Figure 2). When GH mRNA and protein were located in the same or adjacent places, their signals were detected in the mixed color image (Figure 2).
Similarly, hybridization signals for rat PRL mRNA were demonstrated with light microscopy using ABC-HRP. With the CLSM reflection mode, PRL mRNA was observed as a DAB signal, and with the confocal mode, PRL protein was observed as a 655-nm emission signal (Figure 3). When PRL mRNA and protein were located in the same or adjacent places, their signals were detected in the mixed color image (Figure 3).
Compared with IHC using conventional fluorophores, such as fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Texas Red, for the detection of proteins, Qdots had no fading on exposure to light.
Combined ISH and IHC Using Qdots for the Detection of mRNA and Protein
With the confocal mode, PRL protein was observed as a 655-nm emission signal using Qdot 655 (Figure 5A), and PRL mRNA was observed as a 605-nm emission signal using Qdot 605 (Figure 5B). Merged images of both signals revealed that when PRL mRNA and protein were located either in the same or adjacent places, their signals were detected in the mixed color image (Figure 5C).
Negative control experiments, namely ISH with sense probe and IHC with substitution of normal rabbit immunoglobulin fraction for primary antibody, showed only signals for methyl green (Figure 6).
The GH signals were more abundant than those of PRL. GH was localized in the vicinity of GH mRNA, and thus abundant combined signals were noted. On the other hand, PRL, whose intracellular signals were more sparse than those of GH, had less of an association with PRL mRNA. These findings were more prominently shown in the combined ISH and IHC method using Qdots for the detection of mRNA and protein than in the combined ISH and IHC method using HRP-DAB for the detection of mRNA and Qdot for the detection of protein.
Qdots are nanometer-scale particles that absorb light, then quickly reemit the light in a different color. Although other organic and inorganic materials exhibit this phenomenon as fluorescence, Qdots are bright and nonphotobleaching. Also, Qdots have narrow, symmetric emission spectra with multiple resolvable colors that can be excited simultaneously using a single excitation wavelength. The most striking property is that the color of Qdots can be tuned to any chosen wavelength by simply changing their size. This property enables multiple labeling of subcellular molecules. Even though they may be larger molecules than conventional fluorophores, such as FITC and Texas Red, Qdots have more stable signals and do not fade on exposure to light. Xiao and Barker (2004) Using these Qdot properties, we successfully visualized the intracellular localization of pituitary hormones (GH and PRL) and their mRNA by using different sized Qdots with CLSM. This analysis has several merits in that it can be used with light microscopic specimens, it can be observed in any chosen cells and any chosen depth of the section, and it can reconstruct three-dimensional images. Immunohistochemical studies using multicolored images of Qdots have been demonstrated by the manufacturer; however, there have been no reports that have applied Qdot imaging to the detection of mRNA ISH signals. Thus this is the first description of three-dimensional imaging of the intracellular localization of GH and PRL and their mRNA using Qdots with CLSM. As we reported previously, EM-ISH is essential for the visualization of the intracellular distribution, which then leads to an understanding of its role in protein synthesis. The EM-ISH method, which includes the combined use of IHC and the nonradioisotopic preembedding ISH method, is very useful in the study of the spatial relationship between mRNA and the encoded protein. The EM-ISH method can provide higher resolution images of subcellular organelles than the ISH and IHC using Qdots. However, EM-ISH and IHC has some limitations: it can be used only with EM specimens, it can observe only a small number of cells, and it provides only a two-dimensional image of the mRNA and protein. However, intracellular organelles, such as the rough endoplasmic reticulum and secretory granule, have a three-dimensional structure and localization. Three-dimensional images of the intracellular localization of the mRNA and the encoded protein can be obtained by using combined ISH and IHC with Qdots for the detection of the mRNA and protein. These images may therefore enhance our three-dimensional understanding of the localization of the mRNA and the secreted protein. In our study, GH was more abundant than PRL, and GH was localized in the vicinity of GH mRNA, whereas PRL had less of an association with PRL mRNA. These findings could suggest that PRL is being transported to the plasma membrane and secreted more rapidly than GH. These observations were more prominently shown using the combined ISH and IHC with Qdots to detect the mRNA and protein than using the combined ISH and IHC with HRP-DAB to detect the mRNA and Qdot to detect the protein. By using the ISH and IHC with Qdots and CLSM, one can optimize the visualization of the relationship between the protein and the mRNA simultaneously and three dimensionally. It may enable us to visualize functional images of proteins as they relate to mRNA synthesis and localization.
Received for publication November 11, 2004; accepted February 1, 2005
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