Visualization of Polytene Chromatin in Mosquito Cell Nuclei Using Three-Dimensional Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2022 Dec 1;2022(12):599-605. doi: 10.1101/pdb.prot107873.

Abstract

Chromosomes are intricately folded within the cell nucleus and interact with peripheral nuclear proteins. The chromatin architecture has a profound effect on how the genome is organized. 3D-FISH is a powerful technique that can reveal the structural and functional organization of chromosomes in the nuclear space. Here, we present a protocol for visualizing specific genomic regions in whole-mount paraformaldehyde-fixed cell nuclei of Anopheles mosquitoes. This protocol was tested in our laboratories and has been showed to be effective and reliable for visualizing genomic regions of various lengths-from 1-kb gene-scale fragments to chromosome-scale segments of DNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anopheles* / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Chromatin* / metabolism
  • Chromosomes
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / methods

Substances

  • Chromatin