Steg-specifik Sortering av mus spermatider med flödescytometri
Summary
We describe a sorting strategy for mouse spermatids using flow cytometry. Spermatids are sorted into four highly pure populations, including round (spermiogenesis steps 1-9), early elongating (spermiogenesis steps 10-12), late elongating (spermiogenesis steps 13-14) and elongated spermatids (spermiogenesis steps 15-16). DNA staining, size and granulosity are used as selection parameters.
Abstract
Differentieringen av mus spermatider är en kritisk process för framställning av en funktionell hangamet med en intakt genom att överföras till nästa generation. Hittills har molekylära studier av denna morfologiska övergång hämmats av bristen på en metod som tillåter tillräcklig åtskillnad av dessa viktiga steg i spermatid differentiering för efterföljande analyser. Tidigare försök till korrekt grind av dessa celler med användning av flödescytometri kan ha varit svårt på grund av en egendomlig ökning av DNA-fluorescens i spermatider genomgår kromatin remodeling. Baserat på denna observation, vi lämna uppgifter om en enkel flödescytometri systemet möjliggör reproducerbar rening av fyra populationer av mus spermatider fast med etanol, var och en representerar en annan stat i kärn remodelleringsprocessen. Befolknings anrikning bekräftas med hjälp av stegspecifika markörer och morfologiska criterions. De renade spermatider kan användas för genomisk och proteomic analyser.
Introduction
Haploid round spermatids differentiate into spermatozoa by a process called spermiogenesis. This involves many different steps including the acquisition of a flagellum, chromatin and cytoskeleton remodeling, condensation of the nucleus as well as the loss of most of the cytoplasm. These unique cellular events must be finely regulated in order to produce a mature functional gamete with an intact genome suitable for fertilization. Spermiogenesis can hardly be studied in vitro since no reliable cell culture system has so far been able to support progression through the different steps of the process. Moreover, actual in vitro techniques lead to a poor yield1,2. In vivo, proper transitions through the different steps of spermiogenesis are crucial for the natural functional integrity of the male gamete. Successful purification of spermatids according to their differentiation steps has never been accomplished with a level of enrichment sufficient to allow molecular characterization of spermiogenesis. For instance, purification of key steps of the spermatidal differentiation would be especially useful to study the developing acrosome, formation of the midpiece3, cell junction dynamics4, RNA dynamics5, chromatin remodeling process6,7 or genomic stability8. Purification of spermatids has been hampered by their progressive morphological transformation, the lack of known stage-specific external biomarkers, and their peculiar shape and size.
Although most male germ cells display a direct relationship between DNA staining and ploidy (DNA content), we noticed that such positive correlation is no longer applicable to spermatids. This stems from our early observation that seminiferous tubule sections show variable intensity of DNA staining throughout the different spermiogenesis steps. Although DNA staining is consistent with their haploid set of chromosomes from spermiogenesis steps 1 to 7 (round spermatids), we observed a sharp increase in fluorescence intensity with DAPI or SYTO 16 around the onset of nuclear reorganization and chromatin remodeling (spermiogenesis step 8) reaching a peak at the onset of nuclear condensation (spermiogenesis steps 11-12). Following condensation of the nucleus, DNA staining intensity decreases until spermiation (spermiogenesis step 16). We surmised that this was likely associated with the formation of their peculiar chromatin structure transition where histones are replaced by protamines. We therefore developed a reliable flow cytometry method that allows the separation of spermatids using the variation of DNA intensity of spermatids as a main selection parameter.
A simple flow cytometry approach is described to separate mouse spermatids with high purity (95-100%) based on their apparent DNA content (SYTO16 staining), size and granulosity. Spermatids are separated into four populations; spermiogenesis steps 1-9, 10-12, 13-14 and 15-16. Purified spermatids are suitable for genetic/genomic analysis, as well as proteomic applications as described in a recent publication from our group9.
Protocol
Representative Results
Discussion
Spermatogenescykler celler har alltid varit en utmaning att studera med tanke på komplexiteten av seminiferiepitel, liksom den begränsade framgången för in vitro kultur. Under årens lopp har många metoder rena könsceller från olika arter utvecklades. Sedimenteringstekniker som använder gravitation rening med Percoll eller bovinserumalbumin gradienter brukar ge en god avkastning på intakta germinalceller, men saknar ordentlig definition mellan vissa celltyper såsom meiotiska tetraploida celler och spe…
Divulgazioni
The authors have nothing to disclose.
Acknowledgements
Författarna vill tacka Dr Leonid Volkov och Éric Bouchard för sina tekniska råd om epifluorescensmikroskopi.
Ekonomiskt stöd
Finansieras av den kanadensiska Institutes of Health Research (bidrags # MOP-93.781) till GB
Materials
| Isoflurane | ABBOT | 05260-05 | For mouse anesthesia before euthanasia |
| Fetal bovine serum | Wisent | 90150 | For tube coating |
| 1X PBS | |||
| EDTA | BioShop | EDT | For sorting buffer preparation |
| HEPES | Sigma | H | For sorting buffer preparation |
| 100 % Ethanol | Les alcools de commerce | 092-09-11N | For cell fixation |
| SYTO 16 | Life Technologies | S7578 | DNA staining |
| 5 ml polypropylene round bottom tubes | BD Falcon | 352063 | Sorted cells collection |
| 15 ml polypropylene conical bottom tubes | PROgene | 1500 | |
| 50 ml polypropylene conical bottom tubes | PROgene | 5000 | |
| TEC4 anaesthetic vaporizer | Ohmeda | 1160526 | For mouse euthanasia |
| CO2 gas tank | Praxair | C799117902 | For mouse euthanasia |
| O2 gas tank | Praxair | O254130501 | For mouse euthanasia |
| Homemade mouse gas chamber | For mouse euthanasia | ||
| 40 µm Falcon cell strainer | Corning Incorporated | 352340 | |
| 50-micron sample line filters | BD Biosciences | 649049 | |
| Vortex mixer | Labnet international, inc. | S0200 | For cell fixation |
| Dynac centrifuge | Clay Adams | 101 | |
| Celltrics 50 µm filters | Partec | 04-004-2327 | |
| 488 nm laser-euipped cell sorter | BD Biosciences | FACSAria III | |
| Accudop Fluorescent Beads | BD Biosciences | 345249 | |
| Sorting Buffer: 1X PBS, 1mM EDTA pH 8.0, 25mM HEPES pH 7.0, 1%FBS | FBS is heat-inactivated. Make fresh solution, 0.22 μm filtered and keep at 4°C. |
Riferimenti
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