Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T04:05:17.853Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Evaluation of fixatives and autofluorescence reduction treatments for marine bivalve larvae

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2011

S.A. Heaney*
Affiliation:
Centre of Applied Marine Biotechnology (CAMBio), Department of Science, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Port Road, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
A.P. Maloy
Affiliation:
Centre of Applied Marine Biotechnology (CAMBio), Department of Science, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Port Road, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
J.W. Slater
Affiliation:
Centre of Applied Marine Biotechnology (CAMBio), Department of Science, Letterkenny Institute of Technology, Port Road, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: S.A. Heaney, Centre of Applied Marine Biotechnology (CAMBio), Department of Science, Letterkenny Institute of TechnologyPort Road, Letterkenny, County Donegal, Irelandemail:[email protected]

Abstract

Improved understanding of the occurrence and spatio-temporal distribution of bivalve larvae holds significant benefits for ecological studies, shellfisheries management and aquaculture. Morphological methods for identification have proved difficult to develop because of the small size of these larvae and similarities in their shape and colour. Molecular methods based on DNA extraction can confirm the presence of a species in a plankton sample, but without sample sorting and individual larval analysis, provide no estimate of larval abundance and are incapable of providing an estimate of larval growth rate. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using species-specific DNA probes has the potential to resolve these issues. However, utilization of this technique is constrained by the strong autofluorescence, common in marine larvae. Here we evaluate the effect of eight different fixatives on the autofluorescence intensity of bivalve larvae using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Cy3 filters. In addition, fifteen autofluorescence reduction treatments were evaluated and their compatibility with FISH assessed. Relative to fresh larvae, chemically fixed larvae had significantly higher autofluorescence in both filter sets. Larvae preserved by freezing at –80°C exhibited no significant increase in autofluorescence over a 3-year period. Autofluorescence levels were generally lower with the FITC filter set than the Cy3 filter set. For archived larvae preserved in modified saline ethanol and exhibiting fixative-induced autofluorescence, the autofluorescence intensity could be reduced to 20–30% with saturated Sudan Black B and to 30–40% with Chemicon™. Both of these autofluorescence reduction treatments were compatible with subsequent FISH protocols using a FITC-labelled probe.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Amann, R.I., Krumholz, L. and Stahl, D.A. (1990) Fluorescent-oligonucleotide probing of whole cells for determinative, phylogenetic, and environmental studies in microbiology. Journal of Bacteriology 172, 762770.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Amann, R. and Ludwig, W. (2000) Ribosomal RNA-targeted nucleic acid probes for studies in microbial ecology. FEMS Microbiology Reviews 24, 555565.Google Scholar
Andre, C., Lindegarth, M., Jonsson, P.R. and Sundberg, P. (1999) Species identification of bivalve larvae using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD): differentiation between Cerastoderma edule and C. lamarcki. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79, 563565.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baschien, C., Manz, W., Neu, T.R. and Szewzyk, U. (2001) Fluorescence in situ hybridization of freshwater fungi. International Review of Hydrobiology 86, 371381.Google Scholar
Baschong, W., Suetterlin, R. and Laeng, R.H. (2001) Control of autofluorescence of archival formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue in confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 49, 15651571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beisker, W., Dolbeare, F. and Gray, J.W. (1987) An improved immunocytochemical procedure for high-sensitivity detection of incorporated bromodeoxyuridine. Cytometry A. 8, 235239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bell, J.L. and Grassle, J.P. (1998) A DNA probe for identification of larvae of the commercial surfclam (Spisula solidissima). Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 7, 127137.Google ScholarPubMed
Bendezu, I.F., Slater, J.W. and Carney, B.F. (2005) Identification of Mytilus spp. and Pecten maximus in Irish waters by standard PCR of the 18S rDNA gene and multiplex PCR of the 16S rDNA gene. Marine Biotechnology 7, 687696.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caceres-Martinez, J. and Figueras, A. (1998) Distribution and abundance of mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk) larvae and post-larvae in the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 229, 277287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clancy, B. and Cauller, L.J. (1998) Reduction of background autofluorescence in brain sections following immersion in sodium borohydride. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 83, 97102.Google Scholar
Daims, H., Lücker, S. and Wagner, M. (2005) ‘daime’, a novel image analysis program for microbial ecology and biofilm research. Environmental Microbiology 8, 200213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Del Castillo, P., Llorente, A.R. and Stockert, J.C. (1989) Influence of fixation, exciting light and section thickness on the primary fluorescence of samples for microfluorometric analysis. Basic and Applied Histochemistry 33, 251257.Google ScholarPubMed
Demers, A., Lagadeuc, Y., Dodson, J.J. and Lemieux, R. (1993) Immunofluorescence identification of early life history stages of scallops (Pectinidae). Marine Ecology Progress Series 97, 8389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Vooys, C.G.N. (1999) Numbers of larvae and primary plantigrades of the mussel Mytilus edulis in the western Dutch Wadden Sea. Journal of Sea Research 41, 189201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dias, P.J., Batista, F.M., Shanks, A.M., Beaumont, A.R., Davies, I.M. and Snow, M. (2009) Gametogenic asynchrony of mussels Mytilus in a mixed-species area: implications for management. Aquaculture 295, 175182.Google Scholar
Frischer, M.E., Danforth, J.M., Tyner, L.C., Leverone, J.R., Marelli, D.C., Arnold, W.S. and Blake, N.J. (2000) Development of an Argopecten specific 18S rRNA targeted genetic probe. Marine Biotechnology 2, 1120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gerard, A., Naciri, Y., Peignon, J.-M., Ledu, C., Phelipot, P., Noiret, C., Peudenier, I. and Grizel, H. (1994) Image analysis: a new method for estimating triploidy in commercial bivalves. Aquaculture Fisheries Management 25, 697708.Google Scholar
Goffredi, S.K., Jones, W.J., Scholin, C.A., Marin III, R. and Vrijenhoek, R.C. (2006) Molecular detection of marine invertebrate larvae. Marine Biotechnology 8, 149160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, B.W. and Larsen, J.B. (2005) Spatial distribution of velichoncha larvae (Bivalvia) identified by SSNM–PCR. Journal of Shellfish Research 24, 561565.Google Scholar
Hare, M.P., Palumbi, S.R. and Butman, C.A. (2000) Single-step identification of bivalve larvae using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Marine Biology 137, 953961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harvey, J.B.J., Hoy, M.S. and Rodriguez, R.J. (2009) Molecular detection of native and invasive marine invertebrate larvae present in ballast and open water environmental samples collected in Puget Sound. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 369, 9399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henzler, C.M., Hoaglund, E.A. and Gaines, S.D. (2010) FISH-CS—a rapid method for counting and sorting species of marine plankton. Marine Ecology Progress Series doi: 10.3354/meps08654.Google Scholar
Hosoi-Tanabe, S. and Sako, Y. (2005) Rapid detection of natural cells of Alexandrium tamarense and A. catenella (Dinophyceae) by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Harmful Algae 4, 319328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hosoi-Tanabe, S. and Sako, Y. (2006) Development and application of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method for simple and rapid identification of the toxic dinoflagellates Alexandrium tamarense and Alexandrium catenella in cultured and natural seawater. Fisheries Science 72, 7782.Google Scholar
Ito, S. (1977) Present techniques and problems on the culture of scallops in Mutsu Bay. Presented at the Fifth Japan–Soviet Joint Symposium on Aquaculture, September 1976, Tokyo and Sapporo.Google Scholar
Kanno, H. (1970) On the relationship between the occurrence of swimming larvae of the scallop at the coast of Okunai and the degree of spat setting at the same place. Aquiculture 17, 121134. [In Japanese.]Google Scholar
Koga, R., Tsuchida, T. and Fukatsu, T. (2009) Quenching autofluorescence of insect tissues for in situ detection of endosymbionts. Applied Entomology and Zoology 44, 281291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsen, J.B., Frischer, M.E., Rasmussen, L.J. and Hansen, B.W. (2005) Single step nested multiplex PCR to differentiate between different bivalve larvae. Marine Biology 146, 11191129.Google Scholar
Launey, S. and Hedgecock, D. (2001) High genetic load in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Genetics 159, 255265.Google Scholar
Le Goff-Vitry, M.C., Chipman, A.D. and Comtet, T. (2007a) In situ hybridization on whole larvae: a novel method for monitoring bivalve larvae. Marine Ecology Progress Series 343, 161172.Google Scholar
Le Goff-Vitry, M.C., Jacquelin, S. and Comtet, T. (2007b) Towards tracking marine larvae with in situ hybridization. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, 10771080.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Livi, S., Cordisco, C., Damiani, C., Romanelli, M. and Crosetti, D. (2006) Identification of bivalve species at an early developmental stage though PCR–SSCP and sequence analysis of partial 18S rDNA. Marine Biology 149, 11491161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lopez-Pinon, M.J., Insua, A. and Mendez, J. (2002) Identification of four scallop species using PCR and restriction analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region. Marine Biotechnology 4, 495502.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCarthy, U.M., Urquhart, K.L. and Bricknell, I.R. (2008) An improved in situ hybridization method for the detection of fish pathogens. Journal of Fish Diseases 31, 669677.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miething, F., Hering, S., Hanschke, B. and Dressler, J. (2006) Effect of fixation to the degradation of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in different tissues. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 54, 371374.Google Scholar
Mikulski, C.M., Morton, S.L. and Doucette, G.J. (2005) Development and application of LSU rRNA probes for Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico, USA. Harmful Algae 4, 4960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, P.E. and Scholin, C.A. (1998) Identification and enumeration of cultured and wild Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) using species-specific LSU rRNA-targeted fluorescent probes and filter-based whole cell hybridization. Journal of Phycology 34, 371382.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, P.E. and Scholin, C.A. (2000) On detection of Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) species using whole cell hybridization: sample fixation and stability. Journal of Phycology 36, 238250.Google Scholar
Morgan, T.S. and Rogers, A.D. (2001) Specificity and sensitivity of microsatellite markers for the identification of larvae. Marine Biology 139, 967973.Google Scholar
Mosiman, V.L., Patterson, B.K., Canterero, L. and Goolsby, C.L. (1997) Reducing cellular autofluorescence in flow cytometry: an in situ method. Cytometry (Communications in Clinical Cytometry) 30, 151156.Google Scholar
Neumann, M. and Gabel, D. (2002) Simple method for reduction of autofluorescence in fluorescence microscopy. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 50, 437439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patil, J.G., Gunasekera, R.M., Deagle, B.E. and Bax, N.J. (2005) Specific detection of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae in plankton samples using nested polymerase chain reaction. Marine Biotechnology 7, 1120.Google Scholar
Paugam, A., Le Pennec, M., Marhic, A. and Andre-Fontaine, G. (2003) Immunological in situ determination of Pecten maximus larvae and their temporal distribution. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 83, 10831093.Google Scholar
Peperzak, L., Sandee, B., Scholin, C., Miller, P. and Van Nieuwerburgh, L. (2000) Application and flow cytometric detection of antibody and rRNA probes to Gymnodinium mikimotoi (Dinophyceae) and Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries (Bacillariophyceae). In Hallegraeff, G.M., Blackburn, S.I., Bolch, C.J. and Lewis, R.J. (eds) Harmful algal blooms. Paris: IOC UNESCO, pp. 206209.Google Scholar
Phillips, N.E., Wood, A.R. and Hamilton, J.S. (2008) Molecular species identification of morphologically similar mussel larvae reveals unexpected discrepancy between relative abundance of adults and settlers. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 362, 9094.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pradillon, F., Schmidt, A., Peplies, J. and Dubilier, N. (2007) Species identification of marine invertebrate early stages by whole-larvae in situ hybridization of 18S ribosomal rRNA. Marine Ecology Progress Series 333, 103116.Google Scholar
Sako, Y., Hosoi-Tanabe, S. and Uchida, A. (2004) Fluorescence in situ hybridization using rRNA-targeted probes for simple and rapid identification of the toxic dinoflagellates Alexandrium tamarense and Alexandrium catenella. Journal of Phycology 40, 598605.Google Scholar
Santaclara, F., Espiñeira, M. and Vieites, J.M. (2007) Molecular detection of Xenostrobus securis and Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae in Galician coast (Spain). Marine Biotechnology 9, 722732.Google Scholar
Sawada, H., Saito, H., Hosoi, M. and Toyohara, H. (2008) Evaluation of PCR methods for fixed bivalve larvae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 88, 14411449.Google Scholar
Schnell, S.A., Staines, W.A. and Wessendorf, M.W. (1999) Reduction of lipofuscin-like autofluorescence in fluorescently labeled tissue. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 47, 719730.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scholin, C.A., Miller, P.E., Buck, K., Chavez, F., Harris, P., Haydock, P., Howard, J. and Cangelosi, G. (1997) Detection and quantification of Pseudo-nitzschia australis in cultured and natural populations using LSU rRNA-targeted probes. Limnology and Oceanography 42, 12651272.Google Scholar
Simon, N., Campbell, L., Örnolfsdottir, E., Groben, R., Guillou, L., Lange, M. and Medlin, L. (2000) Oligonucleotide probes for the identification of three algal groups by dot blot and fluorescent whole-cell hybridization. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 47, 7684.Google Scholar
Slater, J.W. (2005) Morphological identification of larval king scallops, Pecten maximus (L.) from natural plankton samples. Journal of Shellfish Research 24, 937949.Google Scholar
Slater, J.W. (2006) Development and application of techniques for prediction of the scallop Pecten maximus (L.) spatfall. Journal of Shellfish Research 25, 795806.Google Scholar
Staughton, T.J., McGillicuddy, C.J. and Weinberg, P.D. (2001) Techniques for reducing the interfering effects of autofluorescence in fluorescence microscopy: improved detection of sulphorhodamine B-labelled albumin in arterial tissue. Journal of Microscopy 201, 7076.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suetterlin, R., Baschong, W. and Laeng, R.H. (2004) Immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy of chronic myeloproliferative disorders on archival formaldehyde-fixed bone marrow. Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry 52, 347354.Google Scholar
Taris, N., Baron, S., Sharbel, T.F., Sauvage, C. and Boudry, P. (2005) A combined microsatellite multiplexing and boiling DNA extraction method for high-throughput parentage analyses in the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Aquaculture Research. 36, 516518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toro, J.E. (1998a) PCR-based nuclear and mtDNA markers and shell morphology as an approach to study the taxonomic status of the Chilean blue mussel, Mytilus chilensis (Bivalvia). Aquatic Living Resources 11, 347353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toro, J.E. (1998b) Molecular identification of four species of mussels from southern Chile by PCR-based nuclear markers: the potential use in studies involving planktonic surveys. Journal of Shellfish Research 17, 12031205.Google Scholar
Toro, J.E., Ojeda, J.A., Vergara, A.M., Castro, G.C. and Alcapan, A.C. (2005) Molecular characterization of the Chilean blue mussel (Mytilus chilensis Hupe 1854) demonstrates evidence for the occurrence of Mytilus galloprovincialis in Southern Chile. Journal of Shellfish Research 24, 11171121.Google Scholar
Tujula, N.A., Holmström, C., Mußmann, M., Amann, R., Kjelleberg, S. and Crocetti, G.R. (2006) A CARD–FISH protocol for the identification and enumeration of epiphytic bacteria on marine algae. Journal of Microbiological Methods 65, 604607.Google Scholar
Vadopalas, B., Bouma, J.V., Jackels, C.R. and Friedman, C.S. (2006) Application of real-time PCR for simultaneous identification and quantification of larval abalone. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 334, 219228.Google Scholar
Viegas, M.S., Martins, T.C., Seco, F. and do Carmo, A. (2007) An improved and cost-effective methodology for the reduction of autofluorescence in direct immunofluorescence studies on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. European Journal of Histochemistry 51, 5966.Google Scholar
Wagner, M., Horn, M. and Daims, H. (2003) Fluorescence in situ hybridisation for the identification and characterisation of prokaryotes. Current Opinions in Microbiology 6, 302309.Google Scholar
Wallner, G., Amann, R. and Beisker, W. (1993) Optimizing fluorescent in situ hybridization with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for flow cytometric identification of microorganisms. Cytometry 14, 136143.Google Scholar
Webster, N.S., Wilson, K.J., Blackall, L.L. and Hill, R.T. (2001) Phylogenetic diversity of bacteria associated with the marine sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile. Applied Environmental Microbiology 67, 434444.Google Scholar
Wood, A.R., Beaumont, A.R., Skibinski, D.O.F. and Turner, G. (2003) Analysis of a nuclear-DNA marker for species identification of adults and larvae in the Mytilus edulis complex. Journal of Molluscan Studies 69, 6166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar