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Bozhok YM, Golovko O, Nikonenko AG. nPAsym: an open-source plugin for ImageJ to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2020; 196:105562. [PMID: 32544781 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2020.105562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The nucleus is a complex and dynamic organelle enclosing the major part of the cell's genome. A growing body of evidence suggests that changes in the shape of this organelle can influence cell activities. The other way around, altered nuclear shape may be indicative of impaired cell function. Symmetry is an important aspect of nuclear shape not receiving the attention it merits. We address this problem by presenting a software tool allowing to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry in light microscopy images. METHODS The software named nPAsym is written in Scala and implemented as a plugin to ImageJ making possible to use it in combination with other ImageJ tools. The plugin works with 8-bit images segmented into black nuclear masks and white background. It performs a number of operations allowing to analyze multiple objects within a single image, removing some segmentation artefacts, filtering out objects incomplete and below a specified size. The feature of interest is quantified using the notion of point asymmetry. The performance of nPAsym was tested in a small-scale study comparing nuclear shapes for cells of nodular goiter, follicular thyroid adenoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. RESULTS We present nPAsym, the ImageJ plugin, that measures nuclear shape asymmetry. It works with digital microscopic images segmented using either a raster graphics editor or built-in ImageJ functions. nPAsym is packaged in a single .jar file and does not require installation as well as configuration. It has proved effective in distinguishing between some of the nuclear shape phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS nPAsym is the user-friendly, platform-independent and open-source software tool allowing to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry in digital images captured from cytologic and histologic preparations. It has a potential to become useful for both experimental research and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y M Bozhok
- Department of Functional Diagnostics, V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vyshgorodska str. 69, 04114, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - O Golovko
- Department of Cytology, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Bogomoletz str. 4, 01024, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - A G Nikonenko
- Department of Cytology, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Bogomoletz str. 4, 01024, Kyiv, Ukraine.
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Lee JS, Kim HG, Jeon CJ. Identification of synaptic pattern of NMDA receptor subunits upon direction-selective retinal ganglion cells in developing and adult mouse retina. Acta Histochem 2017; 119:495-507. [PMID: 28545760 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 04/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Direction selectivity of the retina is a unique mechanism and critical function of eyes for surviving. Direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (DS RGCs) strongly respond to preferred directional stimuli, but rarely respond to the opposite or null directional stimuli. These DS RGCs are sensitive to glutamate, which is secreted from bipolar cells. Using immunocytochemistry, we studied with the distributions of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits on the dendrites of DS RGCs in the developing and adult mouse retina. DS RGCs were injected with Lucifer yellow for identification of dendritic morphology. The triple-labeled images of dendrites, kinesin II, and NMDA receptor subunits were visualized using confocal microscopy and were reconstructed from high-resolution confocal images. Although our results revealed that the synaptic pattern of NMDA receptor subunits on dendrites of DS RGCs was not asymmetric in developing and adult mouse retina, they showed the anatomical connectivity of NMDA glutamatergic synapses onto DS RGCs and the developmental formation of the direction selectivity in the mouse retina. Through the comprehensive interpretation of the direction-selective neural circuit, this study, therefore, implies that the direction selectivity may be generated by the asymmetry of the excitatory glutamatergic inputs and the inhibitory inputs onto DS RGCs.
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Lee JS, Kim HJ, Ahn CH, Jeon CJ. Expression of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor α4 and β2 Subunits on Direction-Selective Retinal Ganglion Cells in the Rabbit. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2017; 50:29-37. [PMID: 28386148 PMCID: PMC5374101 DOI: 10.1267/ahc.16024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The direction selectivity of the retina is a distinct mechanism that is critical function of eyes for survival. The direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (DS RGCs) strongly respond to a preferred direction, but rarely respond to opposite direction or null directional visual stimuli. The DS RGCs are sensitive to acetylcholine, which is secreted from starburst amacrine cells (SACs) to the DS RGCs. Here, we investigated the existence and distribution of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α4 and β2 subunits on the dendritic arbors of the DS RGCs in adult rabbit retina using immunocytochemistry. The DS RGCs were injected with Lucifer yellow to identify their dendritic morphology. The double-labeled images of dendrites and nAChR subunits were visualized for reconstruction using high-resolution confocal microscopy. Although our results revealed that the distributional pattern of the nAChR subunits on the dendritic arbors of the DS RGCs was not asymmetric in the adult rabbit retina, the distribution of nAChR α4 and β2 subunits and molecular profiles of cholinergic inputs to DS RGCs in adult rabbit retina provide anatomical evidence for direction selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Seok Lee
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University
| | - Hyun-Jin Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology
| | - Chang-Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University
| | - Chang-Jin Jeon
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University
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Tang JR, Mat Isa NA, Ch’ng ES. Evaluating Nuclear Membrane Irregularity for the Classification of Cervical Squamous Epithelial Cells. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164389. [PMID: 27741266 PMCID: PMC5065206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pap test involves searching of morphological changes in cervical squamous epithelial cells by pathologists or cytotechnologists to identify potential cancerous cells in the cervix. Nuclear membrane irregularity is one of the morphological changes of malignancy. This paper proposes two novel techniques for the evaluation of nuclear membrane irregularity. The first technique, namely, penalty-driven smoothing analysis, introduces different penalty values for nuclear membrane contour with different degrees of irregularity. The second technique, which can be subdivided into mean- or median-type residual-based analysis, computes the number of points of nuclear membrane contour that deviates from the mean or median of the nuclear membrane contour. Performance of the proposed techniques was compared to three state-of-the-art techniques, namely, radial asymmetric, shape factor, and rim difference. Friedman and post hoc tests using Holm, Shaffer, and Bergmann procedures returned significant differences for all the three classes, i.e., negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) versus low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), NILM versus high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and LSIL versus HSIL when the span value equaled 3 was employed with linear penalty function. When span values equaled 5, 7, and 9, NILM versus LSIL and HSIL showed significant differences regardless of the penalty functions. In addition, the results of penalty-driven smoothing analysis were comparable with those of other state-of-the-art techniques. Residual-based analysis returned significant differences for the comparison among the three diagnostic classes. Findings of this study proved the significance of nuclear membrane irregularity as one of the features to differentiate the different diagnostic classes of cervical squamous epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Rui Tang
- Imaging and Intelligent Systems Research Team, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Nor Ashidi Mat Isa
- Imaging and Intelligent Systems Research Team, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Ewe Seng Ch’ng
- Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
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Kwon OJ, Lee JS, Kim HG, Jeon CJ. Identification of Synaptic Patterns of NMDA Receptor Subtypes Upon Direction-Selective Rabbit Retinal Ganglion Cells. Curr Eye Res 2015; 41:832-43. [PMID: 26287656 DOI: 10.3109/02713683.2015.1056378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to identify anisotropies that contribute to the directional preference of direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (DS RGCs) in the rabbit retina. We investigated the distributions of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1), NMDAR2A and NMDAR2B receptor subunits in the dendritic arbors of rabbit DS RGCs. METHODS The distributions of the NMDAR subunits on the DS RGCs were determined using immunocytochemistry. DS RGCs were injected with Lucifer yellow, and the cells were identified by their characteristic morphology. The triple-labeled images of dendrites, kinesin II and NMDARs were visualized using confocal microscopy and were reconstructed from high-resolution confocal images. RESULTS We found no evidence of asymmetry in any of the NMDAR subunits examined on the dendritic arbors of both the ON and OFF layers of DS RGCs. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that direction selectivity appears to lie in the neuronal circuitry afferent to the DS RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oh-Ju Kwon
- a Department of Optometry , Busan Institute of Science and Technology , Busan , South Korea and.,b Department of Biology , School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University , Daegu , South Korea
| | - Jun-Seok Lee
- b Department of Biology , School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University , Daegu , South Korea
| | - Hang-Gu Kim
- b Department of Biology , School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University , Daegu , South Korea
| | - Chang-Jin Jeon
- b Department of Biology , School of Life Sciences, BK21 Plus KNU Creative BioResearch Group, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University , Daegu , South Korea
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Nikonenko AG, Bozhok YM. Simple computational technique to quantify nuclear shape asymmetry. Cytometry A 2014; 87:309-14. [DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.22612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuriy M. Bozhok
- Department of Functional Diagnostics; Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism; Kiev Ukraine
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Kim HJ, Jeon CJ. Synaptic pattern of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 and β2 subunits on the direction-selective retinal ganglion cells in the postnatal mouse retina. Exp Eye Res 2014; 122:54-64. [PMID: 24631336 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2014.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (DS RGCs) respond strongly to a stimulus that moves in their preferred direction, but respond weakly or do not respond to a stimulus that moves in the opposite or null direction. DS RGCs are sensitive to acetylcholine, and starburst amacrine cells (SACs) make cholinergic synapses on DS RGCs. We studied the distributions of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α7 and β2 subunits on the dendritic arbors of DS RGCs to search for anisotropies that contribute to the directional preferences of DS RGCs. The DS RGCs from the retinas of postnatal mice (postnatal day P5, P10, and P15) were injected with Lucifer yellow, and injected cells were identified by their dendritic morphology. The dendrites of the DS RGCs were labeled with antibodies for either the nAChR α7 or β2 subunit as well as postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95), visualized by confocal microscopy, and reconstructed from high-resolution confocal images. The distribution of nAChR subunits on the dendritic arbors in both the ON and OFF layers of the RGCs revealed an asymmetrical pattern on early postnatal day P5. However, the distributions of nAChR subunits on the dendritic arbors were not asymmetric on P10 and P15. Our results therefore provide anatomical and developmental evidence suggesting that the nAChR α7 and β2 subunits may involve in the early direction-selectivity formation of DS RGCs in the mouse retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jin Kim
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, KNU Creative BioResearch Group (BK21 Plus Program), College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea; Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Kyungpook 790-784, South Korea
| | - Chang Jin Jeon
- Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, KNU Creative BioResearch Group (BK21 Plus Program), College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea.
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Lee JG, Lee KP, Jeon CJ. Synaptic Pattern of KA1 and KA2 upon the Direction-Selective Ganglion Cells in Developing and Adult Mouse Retina. Acta Histochem Cytochem 2012; 45:35-45. [PMID: 22489103 PMCID: PMC3317494 DOI: 10.1267/ahc.11043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of image motion is important to vision. Direction-selective retinal ganglion cells (DS-RGCs) respond strongly to stimuli moving in one direction of motion and are strongly inhibited by stimuli moving in the opposite direction. In this article, we investigated the distributions of kainate glutamate receptor subtypes KA1 and KA2 on the dendritic arbors of DS-RGCs in developing (5, 10) days postnatal (PN) and adult mouse retina to search for anisotropies. The distribution of kainate receptor subtypes on the DS-RGCs was determined using antibody immunocytochemistry. To identify their characteristic morphology, DS-RGCs were injected with Lucifer yellow. The triple-labeled images of dendrites, kinesin II, and receptors were visualized by confocal microscopy and were reconstructed from high-resolution confocal images. We found no evidence of asymmetry in any of the kainate receptor subunits examined on the dendritic arbors of both the On and Off layers of DS-RGCs in all periods of developing and adult stage that would predict direction selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee-Geon Lee
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University
| | - Kyoung-Pil Lee
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University
| | - Chang-Jin Jeon
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, and Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University
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Kwon OJ, Kim MS, Kim TJ, Jeon CJ. Identification of synaptic pattern of kainate glutamate receptor subtypes on direction-selective retinal ganglion cells. Neurosci Res 2007; 58:255-64. [PMID: 17466402 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2007.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2006] [Revised: 03/19/2007] [Accepted: 03/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this article we investigate the distributions of kainate glutamate receptor subtypes GluR5-7 and KA1, 2 on the dendritic arbors of direction-selective (DS) retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of the rabbit retina to search for anisotropies, which might contribute to a directional preference of DS RGCs. The distribution of the kainate receptor subunits on the DS RGCs was determined using antibody immunocytochemistry. DS RGCs were injected with Lucifer yellow and the cells were identified by their characteristic morphology. The double-labeled images of dendrites and receptors were visualized using confocal microscopy and were reconstructed from high-resolution confocal images. We found no evidence of asymmetry in any of the kainate receptor subunits examined on the dendritic arbors of both On and Off layers of DS RGCs. Our results indicate that direction selectivity appears to lie in the neuronal circuitry afferent to the ganglion cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oh-Ju Kwon
- Neuroscience Lab, Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, 1370 Sankyuk-dong, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
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Stephenson TJ. Quantitation of the nucleus. CURRENT TOPICS IN PATHOLOGY. ERGEBNISSE DER PATHOLOGIE 1990; 82:151-213. [PMID: 2186893 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-74668-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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