Ex vivo time-lapse confocal imaging of the mouse embryo aorta

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 1792-1805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Charles Boisset ◽  
Charlotte Andrieu-Soler ◽  
Wiggert A van Cappellen ◽  
Thomas Clapes ◽  
Catherine Robin
Author(s):  
Zhipeng Sun ◽  
Luqi Wang ◽  
Lu Han ◽  
Yue Wang ◽  
Yuan Zhou ◽  
...  

Background: Calsequestrins (Casqs), comprising the Casq1 and Casq2 isoforms, buffer Ca 2+ and regulate its release in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of skeletal and cardiac muscle, respectively. Human inherited diseases associated with mutations in CASQ1 or CASQ2 include malignant hyperthermia/environmental heat stroke (MH/EHS) and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. However, patients with an MH/EHS event often suffer from arrhythmia for which the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Methods: Working hearts from conventional ( Casq1 -KO) and cardiac-specific ( Casq1 -CKO) Casq1 knockout mice were monitored in vivo and ex vivo by electrocardiogram and electrical mapping, respectively. MH was induced by 2% isoflurane and treated intraperitoneally with dantrolene. Time-lapse imaging was used to monitor intracellular Ca 2+ activity in isolated mouse cardiomyocytes or neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) with knockdown, over-expression or truncation of the Casq1 gene. Conformational change in both Casqs was determined by crosslinking Western blot analysis. Results: Like MH/EHS patients, Casq1 -KO and Casq1 -CKO mice had faster basal heart rate, and ventricular tachycardia upon exposure to 2% isoflurane, which could be relieved by dantrolene. Basal sinus tachycardia and ventricular ectopic electrical triggering also occurred in Casq1 -KO hearts ex vivo . Accordingly, the ventricular cardiomyocytes from Casq1 -CKO mice displayed dantrolene-sensitive increased Ca 2+ waves and diastole premature Ca 2+ transients/oscillations upon isoflurane. NRVMs with Casq1-knockdown had enhanced spontaneous Ca2+ sparks/transients upon isoflurane, while cells over-expressing Casq1 exhibited decreased Ca2+ sparks/transients that were absent in cells with truncation of 9 amino acids at the C-terminus of Casq1. Structural evaluation showed that most of the Casq1 protein was present as a polymer and physically interacted with RyR2 in the ventricular SR. The Casq1 isoform was also expressed in human myocardium. Mechanistically, exposure to 2% isoflurane or heating at 41ºC induced Casq1 oligomerization in mouse ventricular and skeletal muscle tissues, leading to a reduced Casq1/RyR2 interaction and increased RyR2 activity in the ventricle. Conclusions: Casq1 is expressed in the heart, where it regulates SR Ca 2+ release and heart rate. Casq1 deficiency independently causes MH/EHS-like ventricular arrhythmia by trigger-induced Casq1 oligomerization and a relief of its inhibitory effect on RyR2-mediated Ca 2+ release, thus revealing a new inherited arrhythmia and a novel mechanism for MH/EHS arrhythmogenesis.


BioTechniques ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 703-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Teddy ◽  
Rusty Lansford ◽  
Paul M. Kulesa

2011 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. e53
Author(s):  
Ryosuke Enoki ◽  
Shigeru Kuroda ◽  
Daisuke Ono ◽  
Tetsuo Ueda ◽  
Hasan Mazhir ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Daughtry ◽  
J. L. Rosenkrantz ◽  
N. Lazar ◽  
N. Redmayne ◽  
K. A. Nevonen ◽  
...  

A primary contributor to in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure is the presence of unbalanced chromosomes in pre-implantation embryos. Previous array-based and next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies determined that ~50 to 80% of human embryos are aneuploid at the cleavage stage. During early mitotic divisions, many human embryos also sequester mis-segregated chromosomes into micronuclei and concurrently undergo cellular fragmentation. We hypothesised that cellular fragmentation represents a response to mis-segregated chromosomes that are encapsulated into micronuclei. Here, we utilised the rhesus macaque pre-implantation embryo as a model to study human embryonic aneuploidy using a combination of EevaTM time-lapse imaging for evaluating cell divisions, single-cell/-fragment DNA-Sequencing (DNA-Seq), and confocal microscopy of nuclear structures. Results from our time-lapse image analysis demonstrated that there are considerable differences in the timing of the first and third mitotic divisions between rhesus blastocysts and those that arrested before this stage in development (P < 0.01; ANOVA). By examining the chromosome content of each blastomere from cleavage stage embryos via DNA-Seq, we determined that rhesus embryos have an aneuploidy frequency up to ~62% (N = 26) with several embryos exhibiting chromosomal mosaicism between blastomeres (N = 6). Certain blastomeres also exhibited reciprocal whole chromosomal gains or losses, indicating that these embryos had undergone mitotic non-disjunction early in development. In addition, findings of reciprocal sub-chromosomal deletions/duplications among blastomeres suggest that chromosomal breakage had occurred in some embryos as well. Embryo immunostaining for the nuclear envelope protein, LAMIN-B1, demonstrated that fragmented cleavage-stage rhesus embryos often contain micronuclei and that cellular fragments can enclose DNA. Our DNA-Seq analysis confirmed that cellular fragments might encapsulate whole and/or partial chromosomes lost from blastomeres. When embryos were immunostained with gamma-H2AX, a marker of chromatin fragility, we observed distinct foci solely in micronuclei and DNA-containing cellular fragments. This suggests that micronuclei may be ejected from blastomeres through the process of cellular fragmentation and, once sequestered, these mis-segregated chromosomes become highly unstable and undergo DNA degradation. Finally, we also observed that ~10% of embryos prevented cellular fragments or large blastomeres from incorporating into the inner cell mass or trophectoderm at the blastocyst stage (n = 5). Upon confocal imaging, multiple nuclei and intense gamma-H2AX foci were found in a large unincorporated blastomere in one of the blastocysts. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that the rhesus embryo responds to segregation errors by eliminating chromosome-containing micronuclei via cellular fragmentation and/or selecting against aneuploid blastomeres that fail to divide during pre-implantation development with significant implications for human IVF.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 2766-2766
Author(s):  
Eishi Ashihara ◽  
Tatsuya Munaka ◽  
Shinya Kimura ◽  
Masaki Kanai ◽  
Hirohisa Abe ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 2766 γδT cells, which control the innate immune system, are classified into three subtypes on the basis of Vγ chain. Of these subtypes, Vγ2Vδ9 T cells display anti-tumor immunity. We have demonstrated that nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate (N-BP) treatment expands Vγ2Vδ9 T cells ex vivo and that these expanded cells can kill tumor cells in a major histocompatibility complex-unrestricted manner (Sato, Int J Cancer, 2005; Uchida, Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2007; Sato, Cancer Immunol Immunother, 2008.). N-BP inhibits farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase in the mevalonate pathway, resulting in the accumulation of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), which is a stimulatory antigen for Vγ2Vδ9T cells. In the present study, we investigated the chemotactic factors for Vγ2Vδ9T cells by using a micro total analysis system-based microfluidic cellular analysis device (Kanai, Sens Actuators A, 2004; Munaka, Analyst, 2007.). This microchip possesses a minute-volume (240 nL) chamber integrated with a micro-sample injector that permits the injection of a small amount (several nL) of a solute (Figure 1). Because of the minute size of this chamber, a concentration gradient can be maintained free from the influence of fluid convection and stirring, and the solute can consequently spread in a diffusion-dependent manner. Therefore, administration of a humoral factor via the sample injector mimics its release from the cell surface. We first investigated whether the supernatant of RPMI8226 multiple myeloma (MM) cells treated with zoledronic acid (ZOL) induced chemotaxis of γδT cells. We treated RPMI8226 MM cells with ZOL (1 mM) overnight and collected the supernatant. Human γδT cells were obtained by the culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells as previously reported (Uchida, Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2007.), and these cells were cultured in the microchip. After the injection of supernatant, γδT cells migration was observed under a microscope and continuous time-lapse recording was performed for 30 min. γδT cells migrated toward the injector, indicating that the supernatant of ZOL-treated RPMI8226 cells includes a chemoattractant factor for γδT cells. We next applied soluble MICA (sMICA), sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and IPP and examined the migration of γδT cells. Among them, sMICA and IPP were chemoattractive for γδT cells, and the velocity of γδT cell migration was increased by the injection of IPP compared to the solvent control (Figure 2). These observations indicate that IPP, a metabolite of the mevalonate pathway in MM cells, or sMICA is a chemotactic factor for γδT cells when the target MM ells are treated with ZOL. Disclosures: Munaka: Shimadzu Corporation: Employment. Kanai:Shimadzu Corporation: Employment. Abe:Shimadzu Corporation: Employment.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 2302-2302
Author(s):  
Marta Ewa Capala ◽  
Henny Maat ◽  
Francesco Bonardi ◽  
Edo Vellenga ◽  
Jan Jacob Schuringa

Abstract Abstract 2302 Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) depend on the bone marrow niche to provide signals for their survival, quiescence and differentiation. Many of these microenvironmental signals converge on RAC GTPases. In the hematopoietic system, two members of the RAC family are expressed, RAC1 and RAC2. Although RAC1 and RAC2 share a very high sequence homology, specific functions of these proteins have been suggested. However, little has been revealed about the downstream effectors and molecular mechanisms. In this study, we used multiple approaches to gain insight into the molecular biology of RAC1 and RAC2 in normal and leukemic human HSCs. Firstly, GFP-tagged constructs of RAC1 and RAC2 were used to study localization of these proteins in CD34+/CD38−/Lin− HSCs. Time-lapse confocal imaging of living cells plated on stroma revealed that RAC1 was strongly enriched in the plasma membrane. In contrast, RAC2 localized predominantly in the cytoplasm of both resting and dividing HSCs, whereby localization changed dramatically when cells progressed from S to the G2 phase of the cell cycle. This very distinct localization pattern implied different functions of RAC1 and RAC2. Therefore, we specifically downregulated RAC1 and/or RAC2 to study the effects of their depletion in normal and BCR-ABL-transduced leukemic HSCs. In normal HSCs, simultaneous downregulation of RAC1 and RAC2 resulted in a modest but significant decrease in proliferation and progenitor frequencies in the long term stromal co-cultures. However, in BCR-ABL-transduced HSCs depletion of RAC2 alone, but not RAC1, was sufficient to induce a marked proliferative disadvantage, decreased progenitor frequency, reduced leukemic cobblestone formation and diminished replating capacity. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in the observed phenotypes, we employed an in vivo biotin labeling strategy of Avi-tagged RAC1 and RAC2 followed by pull down and mass-spectrometry to identify specific interaction partners of RAC1 and RAC2 in BCR-ABL-expressing hematopoietic cells. Several of the RAC1-specific interaction partners were annotated as plasma membrane proteins, involved in cell adhesion, cytoskeleton assembly and regulation of endocytosis. In contrast, RAC2-interacting proteins were cytoplasmic and involved in processes such as cell cycle progression, mitosis and regulation of apoptosis. Consistently with these findings, confocal time-lapse imaging of living hematopoietic cells revealed that pharmacological inhibition of RAC2 activity resulted in greatly decreased frequency of cell division. Moreover, the average division time was significantly extended upon RAC2 inhibition. Further functional characterization of RAC1 and RAC2-specific interactions is currently ongoing and will be discussed, but our data clearly indicate that distinct subcellular localization of RAC1 and RAC2 dictates their interaction with specific sets of proteins and consequently their specific functions in hematopoietic cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roa Harb ◽  
Christina Whiteus ◽  
Catarina Freitas ◽  
Jaime Grutzendler

Cerebral function and viability are critically dependent on efficient delivery of oxygen and glucose through the microvasculature. Here, we studied individual microvessels in the intact brain using high-resolution confocal imaging and long-term time-lapse two-photon microscopy across the lifetime of a mouse. In the first postnatal month, we found large-scale sprouting but to our surprise the majority of sprouts underwent pruning and only a small fraction became perfused capillaries. After the first month, microvessel formation and elimination decreased and the net number of vessels stabilized. Although vascular stability was the hallmark of the adult brain, some vessel formation and elimination continued throughout life. In young adult mice, vessel formation was markedly increased after exposure to hypoxia; however, upon return to normoxia, no vessel elimination was observed, suggesting that new vessels constitute a long-term adaptive response to metabolic challenges. This plasticity was markedly reduced in older adults and aging where hypoxia-induced angiogenesis was absent. Our study describes, for the first time in vivo patterns of cerebral microvascular remodeling throughout life. Disruption of the observed balance between baseline turnover and vascular stability may underlie a variety of developmental and age-related degenerative neurological disorders.


2004 ◽  
Vol 189 (7) ◽  
pp. 1313-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Ruthel ◽  
Wilson J. Ribot ◽  
Sina Bavari ◽  
Timothy A. Hoover
Keyword(s):  

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 2026-2032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long-Jun Wu ◽  
Min Zhuo

Microglia are well known for their roles in brain injuries and infections. However, there is no function attributes to resting microglia thus far. Here we performed a combination of simultaneous electrophysiology and time-lapse confocal imaging in green fluorescent protein–labeled microglia in acute hippocampal slices. In contrast to CA1 neurons, microglia showed no spontaneous or evoked synaptic currents. Neither glutamate- nor GABA-induced current/chemotaxis of microglia was detected. Strong tetanic stimulation of Schaffer-collateral pathways that induce CA1 long-term potentiation did not affect microglial motilities. Our results suggest that microglia are highly reserved for neuronal protective function but not synaptic plasticity in the brain.


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