In vivo fluorescent labeling and tracking of extracellular matrix

Connective tissues are essential building blocks for organ development, repair and regeneration. However, we are at the early stages of understanding connective tissue dynamics. Here, we detail a method that enables in vivo fate mapping of organ extracellular matrix (ECM) by taking advantage of a crosslinking chemical reaction between amine groups and N-hydroxysuccinimide esters. This methodology enables robust labeling of ECM proteins, which complement previous affinity-based single-protein methods. This protocol is intended for entry-level scientists and the labeling step takes between 5 and 10 min. ECM ‘tagging’ with fluorophores using N-hydroxysuccinimide esters enables visualization of ECM spatial modifications and is particularly useful to study connective tissue dynamics in organ fibrosis, tumor stroma formation, wound healing and regeneration. This in vivo chemical fate mapping methodology is highly versatile, regardless of the tissue/organ system, and complements cellular fate-mapping techniques. Furthermore, as the basic chemistry of proteins is highly conserved between species, this method is also suitable for cross-species comparative studies of ECM dynamics.