Aug 22, 2022

Public workspaceDAB immunostaining of thin, fixed mouse brain tissue sections using HNA or NCAM to characterize human iPSC-derived cell xenografts

  • 1The University of Sydney
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Protocol CitationBenjamin Trist, Ashish Mathai, Asheeta Prasad 2022. DAB immunostaining of thin, fixed mouse brain tissue sections using HNA or NCAM to characterize human iPSC-derived cell xenografts. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.14egn7pb6v5d/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: August 12, 2022
Last Modified: May 31, 2024
Protocol Integer ID: 68551
Keywords: NCAM, HNA, Human-to-mouse xenograft, Human iPSC, Immunohistochemistry, ASAPCRN
Funders Acknowledgement:
Michael J Fox Foundation
Grant ID: ASAP-000497
Abstract
This protocol describes our use of chromogenic 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) immunohistochemistry to identify human iPSC-derived cells within thin, fixed mouse brain tissue section series’. We apply this workflow for post-mortem assessment of the survival and growth of human iPSC-derived cells which have been transplanted into the living brain of athymic mice.
Attachments
Materials
Equipment:

  • Horizontal rocker
  • Vortex
  • Microcentrifuge
  • Glass petri dish
  • Oven

Consumables:

  • Amount20 mL scintillation vials
  • Paint brushes
  • Gelatin-Chrom Alum-coating microscope slides
1. See related protocol - Coating superfrost microscope slides with gelatin-chromium potassium sulfate
  • Microscope slide coverslips (no. 1.5, Thikness25 mm xThikness75 mm )
  • Glass pipettes
  • Rubber teats
  • Transfer pipettes

Key reagents:

  • Optimal Cutting Temperature (OCT) compound
  • Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)
  • Casein
  • Sodium citrate
  • Tween-20 and Triton X-100
  • Ethanol
  • Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
  • DEPEX
  • 3, 3'-diaminobenzidine (Sigma #D5905)
  • Antibodies
1 ReagentNCAM AbcamCatalog #ab75813
2. HNA (Novus #NOVNBP-313912)
3. Biotinylated anti-rabbit secondary antibody (Vector Labs #BA-1000)
4. ReagentAvidin/Biotin HRP ComplexVector LaboratoriesCatalog #PK-6100

Solutions:

  • 1x PBS, pH 7.4
AB
Antigen retrieval (AR) buffer
Sodium citrate2.94 g (10 mM)
Tween-20500 µL (0.05%) 
Up to 1L with dH2O, pH 6.0
  • Quenching solution
10mL (3.3%) 33% H2O2, 50mL (50%) ethanol up to 100mL with 1x PBS
  • 1x PBST
500 µL (0.05%) Tween-20 in 1L 1x PBS
AB
Blocking solution
Casein1 g (1% w/v)
Triton X-100250 µL (0.25% v/v)
Glycine1.5 g (1.5% w/v)
BSA5 g (5% w/v)
Up to 100mL with 1xPBS

Material input (animal, cell, tissue, fraction details):

Thin, fixed athymic mouse brain tissue sections prepared from whole mouse brains grafted with human iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells.



Day 1 (~4-6 hrs)
Day 1 (~4-6 hrs)
Pre-heat oven and AR buffer to Temperature70 °C .
Label scintillation vials to match labels on section storage plates (mouse and section series IDs, name, date etc.).
Transfer sections into scintillation vials using a transfer pipette or fine paintbrush.
Pipetting
Remove anti-freeze solution and perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBS at TemperatureRoom temperature with gentle agitation.
  • Slow shaking on an orbital rocker recommended for washes/incubations to ensure even contact with solutions.
  • Use a glass pipette and rubber teat to remove solution during wash changes.
  • Anti-freeze solution must be rinsed off prior to immunostaining.
Incubation
Pipetting
Wash
Remove anti-freeze solution and wash in 1x PBS at TemperatureRoom temperature for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Remove anti-freeze solution and wash in 1x PBS at TemperatureRoom temperature for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Remove anti-freeze solution and wash in 1x PBS at TemperatureRoom temperature for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Antigen retrieval (AR)
Antigen retrieval (AR)
Incubate sections in AR buffer for Duration00:30:00 at Temperature70 °C .
30m
Incubation
Preheat AR buffer to Temperature70 °C prior to addition to sections.
After antigen retrieval, allow sections to cool for Duration00:30:00 before proceeding with staining.
30m
Perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBST with agitation.
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with agitation for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with agitation for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with agitation for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Wash
Quenching step
Quenching step
Incubate sections in quenching solution for Duration00:30:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature with gentle agitation.
30m
Incubation
Perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBST with gentle agitation.
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Wash
Blocking step
Blocking step
Incubate sections in blocking solution for Duration01:00:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature with gentle agitation.
1h
Incubation
Primary antibody step
Primary antibody step
Incubate sections with NCAM (1:20,000) or HNA (1:15,000) primary antibodies diluted in blocking buffer DurationOvernight at Temperature4 °C with gentle agitation.

Incubation
Overnight
Day 2 (~8hrs)
Day 2 (~8hrs)
Perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBST with gentle agitation.
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Wash
Secondary antibody step
Secondary antibody step
Incubate sections in anti-rabbit biotinylated secondary antibody 1:500 diluted in blocking buffer that has been diluted 2-fold for Duration02:00:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature .
2h
Incubation
Perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBST with gentle agitation.
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Wash
Tertiary complex step
Tertiary complex step
Incubate sections in Avidin-Biotin Complex (ABC) kit solution (Vector Laboratories) for Duration02:00:00 at TemperatureRoom temperature .
2h
Incubation
Prepare tertiary complex Duration00:30:00 prior to use according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Amount100 µL A + Amount100 µL B + Amount9800 µL 1x PBS (1:100 A + 1:100 B in 1x PBS).
30m
Perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBST with gentle agitation.
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Wash
Chromogen step
Chromogen step
Perform DAB staining as follows;
Prepare DAB solution by dissolving Amount10 mg DAB tablet into Amount20 mL PBS (Concentration0.5 mg/mL ).
Filter through Whatman paper #1 or 0.22 um syringe filter before use.
Note
NB: DAB is a suspected mutagen and should be handled with care.

Prepare DAB-H2O2 solution immediately prior to use by adding Amount10 µL 30% H2O2 per Amount5 mL DAB solution and mix thoroughly.
Pipetting
Incubate sections with DAB-H2O2 solution for Duration00:08:00 .
8m
Incubation
Perform 3x 7 min washes in 1x PBST with gentle agitation.

Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (1/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (2/3).
7m
Wash
Wash in 1x PBST with gentle agitation for Duration00:07:00 (3/3).
7m
Wash
Mount tissue sections onto super-frost slides pre-coated with gelatin-chrome alum and allow to dry at TemperatureRoom temperature DurationOvernight .

Overnight
Day 3 (2 days later)
Day 3 (2 days later)
33m
33m
Process slide-mounted tissue sections through the following solutions;
dH2O Duration00:03:00 .
3m
50% ethanol Duration00:03:00 .
3m
70% ethanol Duration00:03:00 .
3m
95% ethanol Duration00:03:00 .
3m
100% ethanol Duration00:03:00 .
3m
100% ethanol Duration00:03:00 .
3m
Xylene Duration00:05:00 .
5m
Xylene Duration00:05:00 .
5m
Xylene Duration00:05:00 .
5m
Coverslip slides with DEPEX mounting media and allow to dry in the fume hood DurationOvernight before proceeding with microscopy.

Overnight
Image sections using bright field microscopy for subsequent xenograft characterization.