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Wassie AT, Zhao Y, Boyden ES. Expansion microscopy: principles and uses in biological research. Nat Methods 2018; 16:33-41. [PMID: 30573813 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0219-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Many biological investigations require 3D imaging of cells or tissues with nanoscale spatial resolution. We recently discovered that preserved biological specimens can be physically expanded in an isotropic fashion through a chemical process. Expansion microscopy (ExM) allows nanoscale imaging of biological specimens with conventional microscopes, decrowds biomolecules in support of signal amplification and multiplexed readout chemistries, and makes specimens transparent. We review the principles of how ExM works, advances in the technology made by our group and others, and its applications throughout biology and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmamaw T Wassie
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yongxin Zhao
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,McGovern Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Koch Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Center for Neurobiological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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52
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Li Q, Li QQ, Jia JN, Liu ZQ, Zhou HH, Mao XY. Targeting gap junction in epilepsy: Perspectives and challenges. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 109:57-65. [PMID: 30396092 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junctions (GJs) are multiple cellular intercellular connections that allow ions to pass directly into the cytoplasm of neighboring cells. Electrical coupling mediated by GJs plays a role in the generation of highly synchronous electrical activity. Accumulative investigations show that GJs in the brain are involved in the generation, synchronization and maintenance of seizure events. At the same time, GJ blockers exert potent curative potential on epilepsy in vivo or in vitro. This review aims to shed light on the role of GJs in epileptogenesis. Targeting GJs is likely to be served as a novel therapeutic approach on epileptic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Qiu-Qi Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Ji-Ning Jia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Zhao-Qian Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Hong-Hao Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Mao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Central South University, Changsha 410078, Hunan, China.
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Alon S, Huynh GH, Boyden ES. Expansion microscopy: enabling single cell analysis in intact biological systems. FEBS J 2018; 286:1482-1494. [PMID: 29938896 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
There is a need for single cell analysis methods that enable the identification and localization of different kinds of biomolecules throughout cells and intact tissues, thereby allowing characterization and classification of individual cells and their relationships to each other within intact systems. Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a technology that physically magnifies tissues in an isotropic way, thereby achieving super-resolution microscopy on diffraction-limited microscopes, enabling rapid image acquisition and large field of view. As a result, ExM is well-positioned to integrate molecular content and cellular morphology, with the spatial precision sufficient to resolve individual biological building blocks, and the scale and accessibility required to deploy over extended 3-D objects like tissues and organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahar Alon
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA.,McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Grace H Huynh
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA.,McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Microsoft Research, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA.,McGovern Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Koch Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
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54
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Potassium dynamics and seizures: Why is potassium ictogenic? Epilepsy Res 2018; 143:50-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Jha MK, Jo M, Kim JH, Suk K. Microglia-Astrocyte Crosstalk: An Intimate Molecular Conversation. Neuroscientist 2018; 25:227-240. [PMID: 29931997 DOI: 10.1177/1073858418783959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 341] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Microglia-astrocyte crosstalk has recently been at the forefront of glial research. Emerging evidence illustrates that microglia- and astrocyte-derived signals are the functional determinants for the fates of astrocytes and microglia, respectively. By releasing diverse signaling molecules, both microglia and astrocytes establish autocrine feedback and their bidirectional conversation for a tight reciprocal modulation during central nervous system (CNS) insult or injury. Microglia, the constant sensors of changes in the CNS microenvironment and restorers of tissue homeostasis, not only serve as the primary immune cells of the CNS but also regulate the innate immune functions of astrocytes. Similarly, microglia determine the functions of reactive astrocytes, ranging from neuroprotective to neurotoxic. Conversely, astrocytes through their secreted molecules regulate microglial phenotypes and functions ranging from motility to phagocytosis. Altogether, the microglia-astrocyte crosstalk is fundamental to neuronal functions and dysfunctions. This review discusses the current understanding of the intimate molecular conversation between microglia and astrocytes and outlines its potential implications in CNS health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mithilesh Kumar Jha
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Brain Science & Engineering Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.,2 Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Myungjin Jo
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Brain Science & Engineering Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.,3 Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hong Kim
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Brain Science & Engineering Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoungho Suk
- 1 Department of Pharmacology, Brain Science & Engineering Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
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56
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Karagiannis ED, Boyden ES. Expansion microscopy: development and neuroscience applications. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 50:56-63. [PMID: 29316506 PMCID: PMC5984670 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many neuroscience questions center around understanding how the molecules and wiring in neural circuits mechanistically yield behavioral functions, or go awry in disease states. However, mapping the molecules and wiring of neurons across the large scales of neural circuits has posed a great challenge. We recently developed expansion microscopy (ExM), a process in which we physically magnify biological specimens such as brain circuits. We synthesize throughout preserved brain specimens a dense, even mesh of a swellable polymer such as sodium polyacrylate, anchoring key biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids to the polymer. After mechanical homogenization of the specimen-polymer composite, we add water, and the polymer swells, pulling biomolecules apart. Due to the larger separation between molecules, ordinary microscopes can then perform nanoscale resolution imaging. We here review the ExM technology as well as applications to the mapping of synapses, cells, and circuits, including deployment in species such as Drosophila, mouse, non-human primate, and human.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward S Boyden
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Freifeld L, Odstrcil I, Förster D, Ramirez A, Gagnon JA, Randlett O, Costa EK, Asano S, Celiker OT, Gao R, Martin-Alarcon DA, Reginato P, Dick C, Chen L, Schoppik D, Engert F, Baier H, Boyden ES. Expansion microscopy of zebrafish for neuroscience and developmental biology studies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E10799-E10808. [PMID: 29162696 PMCID: PMC5740639 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706281114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion microscopy (ExM) allows scalable imaging of preserved 3D biological specimens with nanoscale resolution on fast diffraction-limited microscopes. Here, we explore the utility of ExM in the larval and embryonic zebrafish, an important model organism for the study of neuroscience and development. Regarding neuroscience, we found that ExM enabled the tracing of fine processes of radial glia, which are not resolvable with diffraction-limited microscopy. ExM further resolved putative synaptic connections, as well as molecular differences between densely packed synapses. Finally, ExM could resolve subsynaptic protein organization, such as ring-like structures composed of glycine receptors. Regarding development, we used ExM to characterize the shapes of nuclear invaginations and channels, and to visualize cytoskeletal proteins nearby. We detected nuclear invagination channels at late prophase and telophase, potentially suggesting roles for such channels in cell division. Thus, ExM of the larval and embryonic zebrafish may enable systematic studies of how molecular components are configured in multiple contexts of interest to neuroscience and developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limor Freifeld
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Iris Odstrcil
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Dominique Förster
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Alyson Ramirez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - James A Gagnon
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Owen Randlett
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Emma K Costa
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Shoh Asano
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Orhan T Celiker
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Ruixuan Gao
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Paul Reginato
- Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Cortni Dick
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Linlin Chen
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139
- Neuroscience Program, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481
| | - David Schoppik
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York NY 10016
| | - Florian Engert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Herwig Baier
- Department Genes-Circuits-Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Edward S Boyden
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139;
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Center for Neurobiological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139
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