Whole-Mount BrdU Staining with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization in Planarians.

Detection of cell proliferation based on the incorporation of 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) has become a standard approach for studying stem cell and progenitor cell populations in developing and adult tissue. In this chapter, we describe three BrdU administration methods for planarians and a staining protocol combining BrdU detection with whole-mount fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Collectively, these protocols enable the combined analysis of BrdU-incorporation and endogenous gene expression, as for example during lineage tracing applications.