Whole mount immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization of larval and adult Zebrafish dental tissues

Abstract

Tooth development is increasingly being studied in a variety of vertebrate model organisms, each contributing its own perspective to our understanding of dental diversity. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry are well-established and frequently used techniques to study the presence of mRNA and protein. Here, we describe a protocol for whole mount immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization that can be applied to all stages of zebrafish development and dissected bony parts. The description of these protocols is followed by the outline of a quick decalcification method and the procedure for embedding in epoxy resin to obtain serial sections with high histological quality. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.