Search Results
Studying the Stoichiometry of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Intact Cells using Correlative Microscopy
2015, Peckys, Diana B., de Jonge, Niels
This protocol describes the labeling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on COS7 fibroblast cells, and subsequent correlative fluorescence microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) of whole cells in hydrated state. Fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) were coupled to EGFR via a two-step labeling protocol, providing an efficient and specific protein labeling, while avoiding label-induced clustering of the receptor. Fluorescence microscopy provided overview images of the cellular locations of the EGFR. The scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) detector was used to detect the QD labels with nanoscale resolution. The resulting correlative images provide data of the cellular EGFR distribution, and the stoichiometry at the single molecular level in the natural context of the hydrated intact cell. ESEM-STEM images revealed the receptor to be present as monomer, as homodimer, and in small clusters. Labeling with two different QDs, i.e., one emitting at 655 nm and at 800 revealed similar characteristic results.
Successful optimization of reconstruction parameters in structured illumination microscopy
2019, Karras, Christian, Smedh, Maria, Förster, Ronny, Deschout, Hendrik, Fernandez-Rodriguez, Julia, Heintzmann, Rainer
The impact of the different reconstruction parameters in super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SIM) on image artifacts is carefully analyzed. These parameters comprise the Wiener filter parameter, an apodization function, zero-frequency suppression and modifications of the optical transfer function. A detailed investigation of the reconstructed image spectrum is concluded to be suitable for identifying artifacts. For this purpose, two samples, an artificial test slide and a more realistic biological system, were used to characterize the artifact classes and their correlation with the image spectra as well as the reconstruction parameters. In addition, a guideline for efficient parameter optimization is suggested and the implementation of the parameters in selected up-to-date processing packages (proprietary and open-source) is depicted. © 2018 The Authors
Local variations of HER2 dimerization in breast cancer cells discovered by correlative fluorescence and liquid electron microscopy
2015, Peckys, Diana B., Korf, Ulrike, de Jonge, Niels
The formation of HER2 homodimers plays an important role in breast cancer aggressiveness and progression; however, little is known about its localization. We have studied the intra- and intercellular variation of HER2 at the single-molecule level in intact SKBR3 breast cancer cells. Whole cells were visualized in hydrated state with correlative fluorescence microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The locations of individual HER2 receptors were detected using an anti-HER2 affibody in combination with a quantum dot (QD), a fluorescent nanoparticle. Fluorescence microscopy revealed considerable differences of HER2 membrane expression between individual cells and between different membrane regions of the same cell (that is, membrane ruffles and flat areas). Subsequent ESEM of the corresponding cellular regions provided images of individually labeled HER2 receptors. The high spatial resolution of 3 nm and the close proximity between the QD and the receptor allowed quantifying the stoichiometry of HER2 complexes, distinguishing between monomers, dimers, and higher-order clusters. Downstream data analysis based on calculating the pair correlation function from receptor positions showed that cellular regions exhibiting membrane ruffles contained a substantial fraction of HER2 in homodimeric state. Larger-order clusters were also present. Membrane areas with homogeneous membrane topography, on the contrary, displayed HER2 in random distribution. Second, HER2 homodimers appeared to be absent from a small subpopulation of cells exhibiting a flat membrane topography, possibly resting cells. Local differences in homodimer presence may point toward functional differences with possible relevance for studying metastasis and drug response.
Improved imaging of magnetically labeled cells using rotational magnetomotive optical coherence tomography
2017, Cimalla, P., Walther, J., Mueller, C., Almedawar, S., Rellinghaus, B., Wittig, D., Ader, M., Karl, M.O., Funk, R.H.W., Brand, M., Koch, E.
In this paper, we present a reliable and robust method for magnetomotive optical coherence tomography (MM-OCT) imaging of single cells labeled with iron oxide particles. This method employs modulated longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields to evoke alignment and rotation of anisotropic magnetic structures in the sample volume. Experimental evidence suggests that magnetic particles assemble themselves in elongated chains when exposed to a permanent magnetic field. Magnetomotion in the intracellular space was detected and visualized by means of 3D OCT as well as laser speckle reflectometry as a 2D reference imaging method. Our experiments on mesenchymal stem cells embedded in agar scaffolds show that the magnetomotive signal in rotational MM-OCT is significantly increased by a factor of ˜3 compared to previous pulsed MM-OCT, although the solenoid's power consumption was 16 times lower. Finally, we use our novel method to image ARPE-19 cells, a human retinal pigment epithelium cell line. Our results permit magnetomotive imaging with higher sensitivity and the use of low power magnetic fields or larger working distances for future three-dimensional cell tracking in target tissues and organs.
Motion artefact detection in structured illumination microscopy for live cell imaging
2016, Förster, Ronny, Wicker, Kai, Müller, Walter, Jost, Aurélie, Heintzmann, Rainer
The reconstruction process of structured illumination microscopy (SIM) creates substantial artefacts if the specimen has moved during the acquisition. This reduces the applicability of SIM for live cell imaging, because these artefacts cannot always be recognized as such in the final image. A movement is not necessarily visible in the raw data, due to the varying excitation patterns and the photon noise. We present a method to detect motion by extracting and comparing two independent 3D wide-field images out of the standard SIM raw data without needing additional images. Their difference reveals moving objects overlaid with noise, which are distinguished by a probability theory-based analysis. Our algorithm tags motion-artefacts in the final high-resolution image for the first time, preventing the end-user from misinterpreting the data. We show and explain different types of artefacts and demonstrate our algorithm on a living cell.
Microfluidic fabrication of polyethylene glycol microgel capsules with tailored properties for the delivery of biomolecules
2017, Guerzoni, Luis P. B., Bohl, Jan, Jans, Alexander, Rose, Jonas C., Koehler, Jens, Kuehne, Alexander J. C., De Laporte, Laura
Microfluidic encapsulation platforms have great potential not only in pharmaceutical applications but also in the consumer products industry. Droplet-based microfluidics is increasingly used for the production of monodisperse polymer microcapsules for biomedical applications. In this work, a microfluidic technique is developed for the fabrication of monodisperse double emulsion droplets, where the shell is crosslinked into microgel capsules. A six-armed acrylated star-shaped poly(ethylene oxide-stat-propylene oxide) pre-polymer is used to form the microgel shell after a photo-initiated crosslinking reaction. The synthesized microgel capsules are hollow, enabling direct encapsulation of large amounts of multiple biomolecules with the inner aqueous phase completely engulfed inside the double emulsion droplets. The shell thickness and overall microgel sizes can be controlled via the flow rates. The morphology and size of the shells are characterized by cryo-SEM. The encapsulation and retention of 10 kDa FITC-dextran and its microgel degradation mediated release are monitored by fluorescence microscopy. © 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Optical Sectioning and High Resolution in Single-Slice Structured Illumination Microscopy by Thick Slice Blind-SIM Reconstruction
2015, Jost, Aurélie, Tolstik, Elen, Feldmann, Polina, Wicker, Kai, Sentenac, Anne, Heintzmann, Rainer, Degtyar, Vadim E.
The microscope image of a thick fluorescent sample taken at a given focal plane is plagued by out-of-focus fluorescence and diffraction limited resolution. In this work, we show that a single slice of Structured Illumination Microscopy (two or three beam SIM) data can be processed to provide an image exhibiting tight sectioning and high transverse resolution. Our reconstruction algorithm is adapted from the blind-SIM technique which requires very little knowledge of the illumination patterns. It is thus able to deal with illumination distortions induced by the sample or illumination optics. We named this new algorithm thick slice blind-SIM because it models a three-dimensional sample even though only a single two-dimensional plane of focus was measured.