1
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Pellegrino M, Orsini P, Tognoni E. Membrane fluctuations of human red blood cells investigated by the current signal noise in scanning ion conductance microscopy. Micron 2024; 181:103635. [PMID: 38554487 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2024.103635] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Human red blood cells show submicron membrane fluctuations (CMFs) that have been mainly studied with optical microscopies. Although the functional role of this phenomenon is still uncertain, the amplitude of membrane fluctuations is considered as an indicator of mechanical resilience to the stress encountered in the capillary beds. We investigate here the membrane fluctuations in red blood cells using the scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), a scanning probe technique that avoids the probe-sample contact. The ion current noise was recorded at a fixed distance from the cell and converted in terms of membrane fluctuation amplitude using as a converting factor the slope of the current-distance curve. We found that CMF amplitude was irreversibly reduced by membrane cross-link. Both whole cell and local increase of membrane tension induced a reduction of CMF amplitude. As for the biochemical regulation of membrane dynamics, we observed that the activation of the noradrenergic transduction pathway, via β-receptors, increased the CMF amplitude. We conclude that the CMFs recorded by SICM and those optically recorded on red blood cells share the main features. In addition SICM provides high spatial and temporal resolution as well as the possibility to apply through the glass pipette acting as probe chemical or physical stimuli to the membrane area where the CMFs are recorded.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pellegrino
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (INO-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - P Orsini
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, via S. Zeno 31, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - E Tognoni
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (INO-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, Pisa 56124, Italy.
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2
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Erythro–Magneto–HA–Virosome: A Bio-Inspired Drug Delivery System for Active Targeting of Drugs in the Lungs. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179893. [PMID: 36077300 PMCID: PMC9455992 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, finding more efficient and selective administration routes has gained significant attention due to its crucial role in the bioavailability, absorption rate and pharmacokinetics of therapeutic substances. The pulmonary delivery of drugs has become an attractive target of scientific and biomedical interest in the health care research area, as the lung, thanks to its high permeability and large absorptive surface area and good blood supply, is capable of absorbing pharmaceuticals either for local deposition or for systemic delivery. Nevertheless, the pulmonary drug delivery is relatively complex, and strategies to mitigate the effects of mechanical, chemical and immunological barriers are required. Herein, engineered erythrocytes, the Erythro–Magneto–Hemagglutinin (HA)–virosomes (EMHVs), are used as a novel strategy for efficiently delivering drugs to the lungs. EMHV bio-based carriers exploit the physical properties of magnetic nanoparticles to achieve effective targeting after their intravenous injection thanks to an external magnetic field. In addition, the presence of hemagglutinin fusion proteins on EMHVs’ membrane allows the DDS to anchor and fuse with the target tissue and locally release the therapeutic compound. Our results on the biomechanical and biophysical properties of EMHVs, such as the membrane robustness and deformability and the high magnetic susceptibility, as well as their in vivo biodistribution, highlight that this bio-inspired DDS is a promising platform for the controlled and lung-targeting delivery of drugs, and represents a valuable alternative to inhalation therapy to fulfill unmet clinical needs.
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3
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Abstract
Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) has emerged as a versatile tool for studies of interfaces in biology and materials science with notable utility in biophysical and electrochemical measurements. The heart of the SICM is a nanometer-scale electrolyte filled glass pipette that serves as a scanning probe. In the initial conception, manipulations of ion currents through the tip of the pipette and appropriate positioning hardware provided a route to recording micro- and nanoscopic mapping of the topography of surfaces. Subsequent advances in instrumentation, probe design, and methods significantly increased opportunities for SICM beyond recording topography. Hybridization of SICM with coincident characterization techniques such as optical microscopy and faradaic electrodes have brought SICM to the forefront as a tool for nanoscale chemical measurement for a wide range of applications. Modern approaches to SICM realize an important tool in analytical, bioanalytical, biophysical, and materials measurements, where significant opportunities remain for further exploration. In this review, we chronicle the development of SICM from the perspective of both the development of instrumentation and methods and the breadth of measurements performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Kaixiang Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Natasha P Siepser
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Lane A Baker
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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4
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Levi DI, Wyrosdic JC, Hicks AI, Andrade MA, Toney GM, Prager-Khoutorsky M, Bourque CW. High dietary salt amplifies osmoresponsiveness in vasopressin-releasing neurons. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108866. [PMID: 33730577 PMCID: PMC8049100 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
High dietary salt increases arterial pressure partly through activation of magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCVP) that secrete the antidiuretic and vasoconstrictor hormone vasopressin (VP) into the circulation. Here, we show that the intrinsic and synaptic excitation of MNCVP caused by hypertonicity are differentially potentiated in two models of salt-dependent hypertension in rats. One model combined salty chow with a chronic subpressor dose of angiotensin II (AngII-salt), the other involved replacing drinking water with 2% NaCl (salt loading, SL). In both models, we observed a significant increase in the quantal amplitude of EPSCs on MNCVP. However, model-specific changes were also observed. AngII-salt increased the probability of glutamate release by osmoreceptor afferents and increased overall excitatory network drive. In contrast, SL specifically increased membrane stiffness and the intrinsic osmosensitivity of MNCVP. These results reveal that dietary salt increases the excitability of MNCVP through effects on the cell-autonomous and synaptic osmoresponsiveness of MNCVP.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I Levi
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, QC H3G1A4, Canada
| | - Joshua C Wyrosdic
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, QC H3G1A4, Canada
| | - Amirah-Iman Hicks
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3644 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G1Y6, Canada
| | - Mary Ann Andrade
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Sciences Centre San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Glenn M Toney
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Sciences Centre San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Masha Prager-Khoutorsky
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3644 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, QC H3G1Y6, Canada.
| | - Charles W Bourque
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, QC H3G1A4, Canada.
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5
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Tognoni E, Orsini P, Pellegrino M. Nonlinear indentation of single human erythrocytes under application of a localized mechanical force. Micron 2019; 127:102760. [PMID: 31614267 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2019.102760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite the accepted notion that erythrocytes are uniquely deformable cells, the apparent Young's modulus values reported in the literature do not differ so much from those of other cells. We devised to measure the local deformability of living immobilized human erythrocytes at a low force, in contact-free mode, using an application of Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) previously developed in our laboratory. Reversible indentations were induced by forces of up to few hundreds pN. The indentation did not grow linearly with the force. The apparent Young's modulus varied from 0.2 to 1.5 kPa applying forces from 20 to 500 pN on a cell surface area of about 0.2 μm2, exhibiting a progressive stiffening at increasing force. Control measurements showed that A549 cells exhibit a constant value of the apparent Young's modulus (about 2 kPa) for forces up to about 800 pN. These findings show that SICM is a suitable tool to investigate cell mechanical properties, when forces in the range of tens of pN are required, in the absence of mechanical contact between probe and sample. The nonlinear deformation of the erythrocyte has to be taken into account in modeling the complex regulation mechanism of the microvascular beds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tognoni
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (INO-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Paolo Orsini
- Dipartimento di Ricerca Traslazionale e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Pisa, via S. Zeno 31, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mario Pellegrino
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (INO-CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124, Pisa, Italy
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6
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Rheinlaender J, Schäffer TE. Mapping the creep compliance of living cells with scanning ion conductance microscopy reveals a subcellular correlation between stiffness and fluidity. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:6982-6989. [PMID: 30916074 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr09428d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Living cells exhibit complex material properties, which play a crucial role in many aspects of cell function in health and disease, including migration, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Various techniques exist to probe the viscoelastic material properties of living cells and a frequent observation is a cell-to-cell correlation between average stiffness and fluidity in populations of cells. However, the origin of this correlation is still under discussion. Here, we introduce an imaging technique based on the scanning ion conductance microscope (SICM) to measure the creep compliance of soft samples, which allowed us to generate images of viscoelastic material properties of living cells with high spatial and temporal resolution. We observe a strong subcellular correlation between the local stiffness and fluidity across the individual living cell: stiff regions exhibit lower fluidity while soft regions exhibit higher fluidity. We find that this subcellular correlation is identical to the previously observed cell-to-cell correlation. The subcellular correlation reversibly vanishes after drug-induced disruption of the cytoskeleton, indicating that the subcellular correlation is a property of the intact cytoskeleton of the living cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Rheinlaender
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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7
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Schierbaum N, Hack M, Betz O, Schäffer TE. Macro-SICM: A Scanning Ion Conductance Microscope for Large-Range Imaging. Anal Chem 2018; 90:5048-5054. [PMID: 29569436 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b04764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The scanning ion conductance microscope (SICM) is a versatile, high-resolution imaging technique that uses an electrolyte-filled nanopipet as a probe. Its noncontact imaging principle makes the SICM uniquely suited for the investigation of soft and delicate surface structures in a liquid environment. The SICM has found an ever-increasing number of applications in chemistry, physics, and biology. However, a drawback of conventional SICMs is their relatively small scan range (typically 100 μm × 100 μm in the lateral and 10 μm in the vertical direction). We have developed a Macro-SICM with an exceedingly large scan range of 25 mm × 25 mm in the lateral and 0.25 mm in the vertical direction. We demonstrate the high versatility of the Macro-SICM by imaging at different length scales: from centimeters (fingerprint, coin) to millimeters (bovine tongue tissue, insect wing) to micrometers (cellular extensions). We applied the Macro-SICM to the study of collective cell migration in epithelial wound healing.
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8
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Rheinlaender J, Vogel S, Seifert J, Schächtele M, Borst O, Lang F, Gawaz M, Schäffer TE. Imaging the elastic modulus of human platelets during thrombininduced activation using scanning ion conductance microscopy. Thromb Haemost 2017; 113:305-11. [DOI: 10.1160/th14-05-0414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
SummaryPlatelet activation plays a critical role in haemostasis and thrombosis. It is well-known that platelets generate contractile forces during activation. However, their mechanical material properties have rarely been investigated. Here, we use scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) to visualise morphological and mechanical properties of live human platelets at high spatial resolution. We found that their mean elastic modulus decreases during thrombin-induced activation by about a factor of two. We observed a similar softening of platelets during cytochalasin D-induced cytoskeleton depolymerisation. However, thrombin-induced temporal and spatial modulations of the elastic modulus were substantially different from cytochalasin D-mediated changes. We thereby provide new insights into the mechanics of haemostasis and establish SICM as a novel imaging platform for the ex vivo investigation of the mechanical properties of live platelets.
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9
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Rheinlaender J, Schäffer TE. An Accurate Model for the Ion Current–Distance Behavior in Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy Allows for Calibration of Pipet Tip Geometry and Tip–Sample Distance. Anal Chem 2017; 89:11875-11880. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b03871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Rheinlaender
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tilman E. Schäffer
- Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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10
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Characterization of tip size and geometry of the pipettes used in scanning ion conductance microscopy. Micron 2016; 83:11-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Gesper A, Thatenhorst D, Wiese S, Tsai T, Dietzel ID, Happel P. Long-term, long-distance recording of a living migrating neuron by scanning ion conductance microscopy. SCANNING 2015; 37:226-231. [PMID: 25728639 DOI: 10.1002/sca.21200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Bias-free, three-dimensional imaging of entire living cellular specimen is required for investigating shape and volume changes that occur during cellular growth or migration. Here we present fifty consecutive recordings of a living cultured neuron from a mouse dorsal root ganglion obtained by Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM). We observed a saltatory migration of the neuron with a mean velocity of approximately 20 μm/h. These results demonstrate the non-invasiveness of SICM, which makes it unique among the scanning probe microscopes. In contrast to SICM, most scanning probe techniques require a usually denaturating preparation of the cells, or they exert a non-negligible force on the cellular membrane, impeding passive observation. Moreover, the present series of recordings demonstrates the potential use of SICM for the detailed investigation of cellular migration and membrane surface dynamics even of such delicate samples as living neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Gesper
- Department of Biochemisty II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Central Unit for Ionbeams and Radionuclides (RUBION), Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Denis Thatenhorst
- Department of Biochemisty II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience (IGSN), Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stefan Wiese
- Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Teresa Tsai
- Department of Cell Morphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Irmgard D Dietzel
- Department of Biochemisty II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrick Happel
- Central Unit for Ionbeams and Radionuclides (RUBION), Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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12
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Marino A, Desii A, Pellegrino M, Pellegrini M, Filippeschi C, Mazzolai B, Mattoli V, Ciofani G. Nanostructured Brownian surfaces prepared through two-photon polymerization: investigation of stem cell response. ACS NANO 2014; 8:11869-82. [PMID: 25287044 DOI: 10.1021/nn5052426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Nondeterministic phenomena are at the base of plenty of biological processes that comprise physiological signaling, cellular communications, and biological architectures. Among them, natural surface topographies are often characterized by "chaotic" features that are not trivial to be recreated in vitro. Recently, some methods have been proposed to resemble the hierarchical organization of the extracellular microenvironment, through the chemical preparation of randomly rough and self-affine fractal surfaces. Notwithstanding, this approach does not allow the fractal dimension to be modulated at a desired value, being moreover the self-affinity maintained just for one decade of spatial frequencies. Here, we propose the replication of in silico generated Brownian surfaces through a two-photon polymerization technique. As a result of the direct laser writing of the desired patterns, we were able to obtain highly reproducible self-affine (in a range of two spatial frequency decades) structures characterized by the desired predetermined Hurst exponents. Rat mesenchymal stem cells were moreover cultured on the obtained substrates, highlighting interesting phenomena concerning cell adhesion, cytoskeleton conformation, and actin polymerization, strictly depending on the fractal dimension of the surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attilio Marino
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
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13
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Thatenhorst D, Rheinlaender J, Schäffer TE, Dietzel ID, Happel P. Effect of Sample Slope on Image Formation in Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy. Anal Chem 2014; 86:9838-45. [DOI: 10.1021/ac5024414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Denis Thatenhorst
- Department
of Biochemistry II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
- International
Graduate School of Neuroscience (IGSN), Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Johannes Rheinlaender
- Institute
of Applied Physics and LISA+, University of Tübingen, Auf
der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tilman E. Schäffer
- Institute
of Applied Physics and LISA+, University of Tübingen, Auf
der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Irmgard D. Dietzel
- Department
of Biochemistry II, Electrobiochemistry of Neural Cells, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrick Happel
- Central
Unit for Ionbeams and Radionuclides (RUBION), Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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14
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Marino A, Ciofani G, Filippeschi C, Pellegrino M, Pellegrini M, Orsini P, Pasqualetti M, Mattoli V, Mazzolai B. Two-photon polymerization of sub-micrometric patterned surfaces: investigation of cell-substrate interactions and improved differentiation of neuron-like cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2013; 5:13012-21. [PMID: 24309089 DOI: 10.1021/am403895k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Direct Laser Writing (DLW) is an innovative tool that allows the photofabrication of high resolution 3D structures, which can be successfully exploited for the study of the physical interactions between cells and substrates. In this work, we focused our attention on the topographical effects of submicrometric patterned surfaces fabricated via DLW on neuronal cell behavior. In particular, we designed, prepared, and characterized substrates based on aligned ridges for the promotion of axonal outgrowth and guidance. We demonstrated that both rat PC12 neuron-like cells and human SH-SY5Y derived neurons differentiate on parallel 2.5 μm spaced submicrometric ridges, being characterized by strongly aligned and significantly longer neurites with respect to those differentiated on flat control substrates, or on more spaced (5 and 10 μm) ridges. Furthermore, we detected an increased molecular differentiation toward neurons of the SH-SY5Y cells when grown on the submicrometric patterned substrates. Finally, we observed that the axons can exert forces able of bending the ridges, and we indirectly estimated the order of magnitude of these forces thanks to scanning probe techniques. Collectively, we showed as submicrometric structures fabricated by DLW can be used as a useful tool for the study of the axon mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attilio Marino
- Center for Micro-BioRobotics @SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy
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15
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Abstract
Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is a scanning probe technique that utilizes the increase in access resistance that occurs if an electrolyte filled glass micro-pipette is approached towards a poorly conducting surface. Since an increase in resistance can be monitored before the physical contact between scanning probe tip and sample, this technique is particularly useful to investigate the topography of delicate samples such as living cells. SICM has shown its potential in various applications such as high resolution and long-time imaging of living cells or the determination of local changes in cellular volume. Furthermore, SICM has been combined with various techniques such as fluorescence microscopy or patch clamping to reveal localized information about proteins or protein functions. This review details the various advantages and pitfalls of SICM and provides an overview of the recent developments and applications of SICM in biological imaging. Furthermore, we show that in principle, a combination of SICM and ion selective micro-electrodes enables one to monitor the local ion activity surrounding a living cell.
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16
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Caldwell M, Del Linz SJL, Smart TG, Moss GWJ. Method for Estimating the Tip Geometry of Scanning Ion Conductance Microscope Pipets. Anal Chem 2012; 84:8980-4. [DOI: 10.1021/ac301851n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Caldwell
- Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences & Experimental Biology, University College London, London, U.K
- Department of Neuroscience,
Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, U.K
| | - Samantha J. L. Del Linz
- Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences & Experimental Biology, University College London, London, U.K
- Department of Neuroscience,
Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, U.K
| | - Trevor G. Smart
- Department of Neuroscience,
Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, U.K
| | - Guy W. J. Moss
- Centre for Mathematics & Physics in the Life Sciences & Experimental Biology, University College London, London, U.K
- Department of Neuroscience,
Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, U.K
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