Materials:
Colcemid (GIBCO: cat #: 15210-040)
Hypotonic solution (pre-warmed 37C): 1:1 0.4% KCl + 0.4% Sodium citrate
Fixative: 3:1 MeOH + Acetic acid (e.g., 15 mL MeOH + 5 mL Acetic acid)
Pasteur transpipet
Procedure:
Grow and harvest cells:
Grow cells to 85% confluence
Add colcemid to cell culture at 10 µl/mL
Incubate for 2 hours (depends on cell cycle: longer cycle = longer treatment; H9 = 30 min.)
Remove and collect growth medium and rinse cells with Hank’s or PBS
Add 2 mL trypsin and reincubate the cells at 37ºC, 5-7 min
Re-add the collected medium from step 4 to stop the trypsin and resuspend cells
Centrifuge the cells down at 1000 RMP, 6 min
Aspirate the medium but leave small amount of fluid
Flick the tube with finger to fully resuspend the cells
Addition of hypotonic solution:
Add 5 drops of pre-warmed hypotonic solution slowly against the side of the tube
Flick the tube with fingers until 1 mL had been added
Bring the volume to about 2 mL with hypotonic solution
Incubate at 37ºC, 7min
Centrifuge the cells down at 1000 RMP, 6 min
Aspirate the medium but leave small amount to resuspend the cells
Fixation:
Add 5 drops of fixative slowly against the side of the tube
Bring the volume to 2 mL with fixative, can vortex if see clumps
“Reverse bubble” to fully mix the cells
Fix the cells at RT, 30 min
Centrifuge, aspirate, and resuspend with finger as before
Remove the clumps (if any) by vacuum from the side of tube
Add fixative to 2 mL
“Reverse bubble” and let stand at RT, 20 min
Centrifuge, aspirate, and resuspend with finger as before
Add fixative to 2 mL
Cells are now ready to be dropped
Slide prepration (optional):
Rinse slide with ice-cold water
Rinse slide with fixative
Drop cells flat on slide (optimal humidity: 50%-60%)
Flood slide with fixative
Dry slide on wet paper towels
Drop the cells onto pre-cleaned slide or treated slide above, rinse with fixative (optional), dry on wet tower papers, and observe for metaphase spreads with a phase-constrast microscope.