title: The origin of in situ hybridization - A personal history.
abstract: In situ hybridization is the technique by which specific RNA or DNA molecules are detected in cytological preparations. Basically it involves formation of a hybrid molecule between an endogenous single-stranded RNA or DNA in the cell and a complementary single-stranded RNA or DNA probe. In its original form the probe was labeled with (3)H and the hybrid was detected by autoradiography. The first successful experiments in 1968 involved detection of the highly amplified ribosomal DNA in oocytes of the frog Xenopus, followed soon after by the reiterated "satellite DNA" in mouse and Drosophila chromosomes. Fluorescent probes were developed about ten years later.
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States. Electronic address: gall@ciwemb.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Gall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography / Q000266:history* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015342:DNA Probes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000266:history*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000266:history* / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D059007:Polytene Chromosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014316:Tritium / Q000737:chemistry; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D014316:Tritium; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA
keywords: Autoradiography; Gene amplification; In situ hybridization; Nucleolus; Oocyte; Ribosomal RNA