1. Extracting Protein Lysate from Prostate Organoids for Western Blot Analysis — TIMING: 2.5-4 H
NOTE: Before collecting organoids for protein lysate extraction, prepare and pre-warm dispase-containing media (Table 1).
- Remove the media from each well by tilting the 24-well plate at a 45° angle and gently removing the existing media from the center of each well using a P1000 pipette while avoiding the matrix gel ring.
- To collect organoids, repeatedly blast the matrix gel by pipetting 1 mL of dispase-containing media directly onto the matrix gel ring until the entire ring is dislodged, and transfer to a 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube.
NOTE: It is critical to avoid direct contact with the Poly-HEMA-coated wells. Direct contact may cause contamination of the collected material with Poly-HEMA, which could negatively impact cell survival.
- Place the 1.5 mL microcentrifuge tube(s) into a 37 °C 5% CO2 incubator for 30 min to 1 h to allow complete digestion of the matrix gel by dispase.
- Pellet down the organoids by centrifugation at 800 x g for 5 min at RT and remove the supernatant using a micropipette.
- Add phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to the organoid pellet and resuspend by gently flicking.
NOTE: Failure to sufficiently resuspend the organoid pellet may result in the contamination of organoid material with residual dispase or matrix gel.
- Pellet the organoids by centrifugation at 800 x g for 5 min at RT and remove the supernatant using a micropipette.
- Fast freeze the organoid pellets by placing each tube into a solution containing dry ice and methanol. Store the tube(s) until future use at -80 °C. Alternatively, extract protein lysate immediately following step 1.6.
- Resuspend the organoid pellets in 100 µL of protein lysis buffer (Table 1) per 10 µL of packed cell volume. Flick to resuspend.
NOTE: If resuming after fast-freezing, ensure protein lysis buffer is thawed before removing samples from -80 °C, as lysis buffer must be added to samples immediately to prevent phosphatase and protease activity.
- Incubate the samples in protein lysis buffer on ice for at least 45 min.
NOTE: It is recommended to sonicate before incubation on ice to increase the efficiency of nuclear protein recovery; however, sonication is not required. If sonication is not performed, proceed to step 1.10.
- To sonicate, submerge tubes in wet ice and gently apply the tip of the sonic dismembrator to the microcentrifuge tube. Sonicate for 40 s at 20 kHz.
- Proceed to Western blot following established protocols.
Table 1: Instructions for the preparation of key solutions
| Recipes |
| Dispase-containing media | 1 mg/mL dispase + 10 µM ROCK inhibitor in advanced DMEM F12. Filter sterilize using 0.22 µm filter. |
| Dissociation media | 10% FBS + 1x Penicillin-Streptomycin in RPMI 1640. Filter sterilize using 0.22 µm filter. |
| Protein lysis buffer | RIPA buffer + phosphatase inhibitors + protease inhibitors |
| Blocking solution | 10% FBS in PBS with 0.2% Triton X-100 |