Ultrasensitive and Multiplexed Protein Imaging with Cleavable Fluorescent Tyramide and Antibody Stripping.

Multiplexed single-cell analysis of proteins in their native cellular contexts holds great promise to reveal the composition, interaction and function of the distinct cell types in complex biological systems. However, the existing multiplexed protein imaging technologies are limited by their detection sensitivity or technical demands. To address these issues, here, we develop an ultrasensitive and multiplexed in situ protein profiling approach by reiterative staining with off-the-shelf antibodies and cleavable fluorescent tyramide (CFT). In each cycle of this approach, the protein targets are recognized by antibodies labeled with horseradish peroxidase, which catalyze the covalent deposition of CFT on or close to the protein targets. After imaging, the fluorophores are chemically cleaved, and the antibodies are stripped. Through continuous cycles of staining, imaging, fluorophore cleavage and antibody stripping, a large number of proteins can be quantified in individual cells in situ. Applying this method, we analyzed 20 different proteins in each of ~67,000 cells in a human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tonsil tissue. Based on their unique protein expression profiles and microenvironment, these individual cells are partitioned into different cell clusters. We also explored the cell-cell interactions in the tissue by examining which specific cell clusters are selectively associating or avoiding each other.

Assessment of Lung Eosinophils In Situ Using Immunohistological Staining.

Eosinophils are rare white blood cells that are recruited from circulation to accumulate in the lung in mouse models of allergic respiratory inflammation. In hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stained lungs, eosinophils may be difficult to detect despite their bright eosin staining in the secondary granules. For this reason, antibody-mediated detection of eosinophils is preferable for specific and clearer identification of these cells. Moreover, eosinophils may degranulate, releasing their granule proteins into surrounding tissue, and remnants of cytolysed cells cannot be detected by HE staining. The methods here demonstrate the use of eosinophil-specific anti-mouse antibodies to detect eosinophil granule proteins in formalin-fixed cells both in situ in paraffin-embedded lungs, as well as in cytospin preparations from the lung. These antibody staining techniques enable either colorimetric or fluorescence imaging of eosinophils or their granule proteins with the potential for additional antibodies to be added for detection of multiple molecules.

Highly Sensitive and Multiplexed Protein Imaging With Cleavable Fluorescent Tyramide Reveals Human Neuronal Heterogeneity.

The ability to comprehensively profile proteins in intact tissues in situ is crucial for our understanding of health and disease. However, the existing methods suffer from low sensitivity and limited sample throughput. To address these issues, here we present a highly sensitive and multiplexed in situ protein analysis approach using cleavable fluorescent tyramide and off-the-shelf antibodies. Compared with the current methods, this approach enhances the detection sensitivity and reduces the imaging time by 1-2 orders of magnitude, and can potentially detect hundreds of proteins in intact tissues at the optical resolution. Applying this approach, we studied protein expression heterogeneity in a population of genetically identical cells, and performed protein expression correlation analysis to identify co-regulated proteins. We also profiled >6,000 neurons in a human formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) hippocampus tissue. By partitioning these neurons into varied cell clusters based on their multiplexed protein expression profiles, we observed different sub-regions of the hippocampus consist of neurons from distinct clusters.

Highly multiplexed single-cell in situ RNA and DNA analysis with bioorthogonal cleavable fluorescent oligonucleotides.

The ability to profile transcripts and genomic loci comprehensively in single cells in situ is essential to advance our understanding of normal physiology and disease pathogenesis. Here we report a highly multiplexed single-cell in situ RNA and DNA analysis approach using bioorthogonal cleavable fluorescent oligonucleotides. In this approach, oligonucleotides tethered to fluorophores through an azide-based cleavable linker are used to detect their nucleic acids targets by in situ hybridization. After fluorescence imaging, the fluorophores in the whole specimen are efficiently cleaved in 30 minutes without loss of RNA or DNA integrity. Through reiterative cycles of hybridization, imaging, and cleavage, this method has the potential to quantify hundreds to thousands of different RNA species or genomic loci in single cells in situ at the single-molecule sensitivity. Applying this approach, we demonstrate that different nucleic acids can be detected in each hybridization cycle by multi-color staining, and at least ten continuous hybridization cycles can be carried out in the same specimen. We also show that the integrated single-cell in situ analysis of DNA, RNA and protein can be achieved using cleavable fluorescent oligonucleotides combined with cleavable fluorescent antibodies. This highly multiplexed imaging platform will have wide applications in systems biology and biomedical research.