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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Apr 4.
Published in final edited form as: Neuroscience. 2013 Sep 17;0:186–197. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.09.018

Table 1.

Methods for visualizing evidence of epigenetic change ex vivo

Method Pros Cons
In situ hybridization

  • Detects mRNA at mm scale

  • Determines in which cells a protein is transcribed

  • Does not require antibody

  • Detects mRNA, not protein

  • Binding of oligo-probe can be non-specific

  • Time intense to complete
Reductive immunostain (western, ELISA)

  • Detects protein

  • Measures relative or absolute protein amount

  • High throughput/sensitive

  • Endogenous anatomy destroyed

  • Requires antibody

  • Requires tissue dissection
Immunohistochemistry

  • Potential to multiplex

  • Fast to complete

  • Neuroanatomy remains intact

  • Requires antibody

  • Antibody quality often unknown
Autoradiography

  • Highly sensitive

  • Results are quantifiable

  • Neuroanatomy remains intact

  • Custom radiolabeling expense

  • Ligands are not always specific

  • Long exposures required for finer resolution