A method for manual and automated multiplex RNAscope in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry on cytospin samples

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 20;13(11):e0207619. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207619. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

In situ analysis of biomarkers is essential for clinical diagnosis and research purposes. The increasing need to understand the molecular signature of pathologies has led to the blooming of ultrasensitive and multiplexable techniques that combine in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry or immunocytochemistry (IHC or ICC). Most protocols are tailored to formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. However, methods to perform such assays on non-adherent cell samples, such as patient blood-derived PBMCs, rare tumor samples, effusions or other body fluids, dissociated or sorted cells, are limited. Typically, a laboratory would need to invest a significant amount of time and resources to establish one such assay. Here, we describe a method that combines ultrasensitive RNAscope-ISH with ICC on cytospin cell preparations. This method allows automated, sensitive, multiplex ISH-ICC on small numbers of non-adherent cells. We provide guidelines for both chromogenic and fluorescent ISH/ICC combinations that can be performed either in fully automated or in manual settings. By using a CD8+ T cells in vitro stimulation paradigm, we demonstrate that this protocol is sensitive enough to detect subtle differences in gene expression and compares well to commonly used methods such as RT-qPCR and flow cytometry with the added benefit of visualization at the cellular level.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / chemistry
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dendritic Cells / chemistry
  • Dendritic Cells / cytology*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • In Situ Hybridization / methods
  • Mice
  • RNA / analysis*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • RNA

Grants and funding

This work was funded by Genentech, Inc. The funder provided support in the form of salaries for all authors and research materials, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of the authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.