Synopses & Reviews
Drawing on state-of-the-art cellular and molecular techniques as well as new and sophisticated imaging and information technologies, this comprehensive, three-volume collection of cutting-edge protocols provides readily reproducible methods for studying and analyzing the events of embryonic development. Volume 1 (ISBN: 089603-574-3) contains techniques for establishing and characterizing several widely used experimental model systems, for the study of developmental patterns and morphogenesis, and for the examination of embryo structure and function. There are also step-by-step methods for the analaysis of cell lineage, the production and use of chimeras, and the experimental and molecular manipulation of embryos, including the application of viral vectors. Volume 2 (ISBN: 0-89603-575-1) describes state-of-the-art methods for the study of organogenesis, the analysis of abnormal development and teratology, the screening and mapping of novel genes and mutations, and the application of transgenesis, including the production of transgenic animals and gene knockouts. No less innovative, Volume 3 (ISBN: 0-89603-576-X) introduces powerful techniques for the manipulation of developmental gene expression and function, the analysis of gene expression, the characterization of tissue morphogenesis and development, the in vitro study of differentiation and development, and the genetic analysis of developmental models of diseases. Highly practical and richly annotated, the three volumes of Developmental Biology Protocols describe multiple experimental systems and details techniques adopted from the broadest array of biomedical disciplines.
Review
"We live in a time of rising expectations. Being a developmental biologist at the turn of the millenium demands expertise in embryological manipulation, viral gene expression, in situ hybridization, videomicroscopy, in vitro assays, transgenic embryo production, cell lineage analysis, PCR techniques, and computer-enhanced imaging technology. Rocky Tuan and Cecilia Lo have done the field (and each scientist within it) a wonderful service by collecting and editing the protocols of the masters of each echnique. More than 100 papers spanning these areas (and more) patiently lead one through each method, giving details on what brand of microscope slides to use, what centrifuge tubes work best, and where to purchase each piece of equipment. Copious notes provide details based on the laboratories' experiences of what works and what doesn't. Developmental Biology Protocols is a library in itself and will be essential for every laboratory of developmental biology. This is the collection to get before your next grant application is due."-Scott Gilbert, Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA "The range of techniques, from viral vectors to imaging, and of organisms, from sea urchins to mammals, is comprehensive yet focused. This work should be an invaluable aid to those interested in all aspects of comparative development. This work is logically organized and presents a great opportunity for not only picking up a technique but also placing it in a logical context. Well done!" -Barbara B. Knowles, Director of Research, Jackson Labs, Bar Harbor, ME "Among similar laboratory manuals Developmental Biology Protocols edited by Tuan and Lo impress by their breadth of coverage, timeliness, and scrupulous attention to detail. . .these protocols will be an invaluable aid to every geneticist and developmental biologist."-Davor Solter, Director of Developmental Biology, Max-Planck Institute, Freiburg, Germany
Synopsis
Developmental biology is one of the most exciting and fast-growing fields today. In part, this is so because the subject matter deals with the innately fascinating biological events changes in form, structure, and function of the organism. The other reason for much of the excitement in developmental biology is that the field has truly become the unifying melting pot of biology, and provides a framework that integrates anatomy, physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and cellular and molecular biology, as well as evolutionary biology. No longer is the study of embryonic development merely embryology. In fact, development biology has produced important paradigms for both basic and clinical biomedical sciences. Though modern developmental biology has its roots in experimental embry- ogy and the even more classical chemical embryology, the recent explosive and remarkable advances in developmental biology are critically linked to the advent of the cellular and molecular biology revolution. The impressive arsenal of expe- mental and analytical tools derived from cell and molecular biology, which promise to continue to expand, together with the exponentially developing sophistication in fu- tional imaging and information technologies, guarantee that the study of the devel- ing embryo will contribute one of the most captivating areas of biological research in the next millennium."
Table of Contents
Part I. Introduction. Developmental Biology Protocols: Overview III, Tuan and Lo. Part II. Manipulation of Developmental Gene Expression and Function. Ectopic Expression in Drosophila, Wilder. Clonal Analysis in the Examination of Gene Function in Drosophila, Rooke, Theodosiou, and Xu. Application of Antisense Oligonucleotides in Developing Chicken Embryos, Alexander, Barnes, and Tuan. Application of Functional Blocking Antibodies: N-Cadherin and Chick Embryonic Limb Development, Oberlender and Tuan. Part III. Analysis of Gene Expression. Gene Expression Analyzed by Ribonuclease Protection Assay, Bennett. Relative RT-PCR, Giambernardi and Klebe. Gene Expression Analysis Using Quantitative RT-PCR and a Multispecific Internal Control, Shire and Legoux. In Situ PCR Detection of HIV Expression in the Human Placenta, Sheikh, Polliotti, and Miller. Gene Expression Analysis by In Situ Hybridization: Radioactive Probes, Wawersik and Epstein. Radio-Isotopic In Situ Hybridization on Tissue Sections: Practical Aspects and Quantification, Moorman, De Boer, Hagoort, Franco, and Lamers. mRNA and Protein Colocalization on Tissue Sections by Sequential, Colorimetric In Situ Hybridization and Immunohistochemistry, Tuan. Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization to Study Gene Expression during Mouse Development, Lowe and Kuehn. Multicolor Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization, Hauptmann and Gerster. Methods for Double Detection of Gene Expression: Combined In Situ Hybridization and Immunohistochemistry or Histochemistry, Conlon. Visualization of the Expression of Green Fluorescent (GFP)-Linked Proteins, Ayoob, Jean Sanger, and Joseph Sanger. Part IV. Models of Morphogenesis and Development. Monoclonal Antibodies in the Analysis of Embryonic Development, Bedian. Mesoderm Induction in Xenopus: Oocyte Expression System and Animal Cap Assay, Yao, Kessler. Amphibian Organizer Activity, Niehrs. Improved Techniques for Avian Embryo Culture, Somite Cell Culture, and Microsurgery, Packard, Cox, and Poole. Neural Crest Cell Outgrowth Cultures and the Analysis of Cell Migration, Newgreen and Murphy. The Chimeric Human/Mouse Model of Angiogenesis, Petitclerc, von Schalscha, and Brooks. Analysis of Embryonic Vascular Morphogenesis, Sato and Bartunkova. Epithelial-Mesenchyme Interactions, Hall. Methods for Manipulating the Chick Limb Bud to Study Gene Expression, Tissue Interactions, and Patterning, Ros, Simandl, Clark, and Fallon. Palate Development--In Vitro Procedures, Pisano and Greene. Part V. In Vitro Models and Analysis Differentiation and Development. In Vitro Fertilization Heyner, Tucker. Trophoblast Differentiation: An In Vitro Model for Trophoblast Giant Cell Development, Peters, Chapman, and Soares. Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells, Johnstone and Yoo. Identification, Characterization, and Differentiation of Human Prostate Cells, Mehta, Perez-Stable, Roos, and Nadji. Preparation of Chick Striated Muscle Cultures, DiLullo, George-Weinstein, and Gerhart. Study of Skeletal Myogenesis in Cultures of Unsegmented Somitic Mesoderm, Borycki and Emerson. Embryonic Limb Mesenchyme Micromass Culture as an In Vitro Model for Chondrogenesis and Chondrocyte Maturation, DeLise, Stringa, Woodward, Mello, and Tuan. Electroporation-Mediated DNA Transfection of Embryonic Chick Limb Mesenchymal Cells, DeLise and Tuan. Murine Cells, Haas and Tuan. Skeletogenesis: In Vitro Analysis of Bone Cell Differentiation, Majolagbe and Robey. Studying Early Hematopoiesis Using Avian Blastoderm Cultures, Eisenberg. Isolation and Culture of Mouse Germ Cells, De Miguel and Donovan. Cadherin-Mediated Cell-Cell Interactions, Knudsen and Soler. Analysis of Hyaluronan Using Biotinylated Hyaluronan-Binding Progeins, Underhill and Zhang. Microinjection of Fluorescently Labeled Alpha-Åctinin into Living Cells, Jean Sanger, Danowski, and Joseph Sanger. Pax-3 and Vertebrate Development, Epstein. Genetic-Engineered Models of Skeletal Diseases I. Collagen Type X, Jacenko. Genetic-Engineered Models of Skeletal Diseases II. Targeting Mutations into Transgenic Mice Chondrocytes, Garofalo and Horton. Transgenic Mouse Models of Craniofacial Disorders, Liu, Snead, and Maxson.