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Guo P, Yu Y, Kang H, Liu Y, Zhu D, Sun C, Xing Z, Tang Z, Chen K, Tan A. GASZ is indispensable for gametogenesis in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38728119 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The prominent role of the P-element induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway in animals is to silence transposable elements and maintain genome stability, ensuring proper gametogenesis in gonads. GASZ (Germ cell protein with Ankyrin repeats, Sterile alpha motif, and leucine Zipper) is an evolutionarily conserved protein located on the outer mitochondrial membrane of germ cells and plays vital roles in the piRNA pathway and spermatogenesis in mammals. In the model insect Drosophila melanogaster, GASZ is essential for piRNA biogenesis and oogenesis, whereas its biological functions in non-drosophilid insects are still unknown. Here, we describe a comprehensive investigation of GASZ functions in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, a lepidopteran model insect, by using a binary transgenic CRISPR/Cas9 system. The BmGASZ mutation did not affect growth and development, but led to sterility in both males and females. Eupyrene sperm bundles of mutant males exhibited developmental defects, while the apyrene sperm bundles were normal, which were further confirmed through double copulation experiments with sex-lethal mutants, which males possess functional eupyrene sperm and abnormal apyrene sperm. In female mutant moths, ovarioles were severely degenerated and the eggs in ovarioles were deformed compared with that of wild type (WT). Further RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that amounts of piRNAs and transposon expression were dysregulated in gonads of mutants. In summary, this study has demonstrated vital roles of BmGASZ in gametogenesis through regulating the piRNA pathway in B. mori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilin Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Ye Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Hongxia Kang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yutong Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Dalin Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Chenxin Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Zhiping Xing
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Ziyue Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Anjiang Tan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Scientific Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, China
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Li F, Xiang R, Liu Y, Hu G, Jiang Q, Jia T. Approaches and challenges in identifying, quantifying, and manipulating dynamic mitochondrial genome variations. Cell Signal 2024; 117:111123. [PMID: 38417637 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria, the cellular powerhouses, possess their own unique genetic system, including replication, transcription, and translation. Studying these processes is crucial for comprehending mitochondrial disorders, energy production, and their related diseases. Over the past decades, various approaches have been applied in detecting and quantifying mitochondrial genome variations with also the purpose of manipulation of mitochondria or mitochondrial genome for therapeutics. Understanding the scope and limitations of above strategies is not only fundamental to the understanding of basic biology but also critical for exploring disease-related novel target(s), as well to develop innovative therapies. Here, this review provides an overview of different tools and techniques for accurate mitochondrial genome variations identification, quantification, and discuss novel strategies for the manipulation of mitochondria to develop innovative therapeutic interventions, through combining the insights gained from the study of mitochondrial genetics with ongoing single cell omics combined with advanced single molecular tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Li
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Run Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guoliang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Quanbo Jiang
- Light, Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies (L2n) Laboratory, CNRS EMR 7004, University of Technology of Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, 10004 Troyes, France
| | - Tao Jia
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; CNRS-UMR9187, INSERM U1196, PSL-Research University, 91405 Orsay, France; CNRS-UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Université Paris Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France.
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Zhong Z, Zhang C, Liu R, He J, Yang H, Cheng Z, Wang T, Shao M, Fang S, Zhang S, Shi H, Xue R, Zou H, Ke Z, Zhang Z, Zhou J. Chirality and frequency measurement of longitudinal rolling of human sperm using optical trap. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1028857. [PMID: 36578507 PMCID: PMC9790903 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1028857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Motility is one of the most critical features to evaluate sperm quality. As longitudinal rolling of human sperm has long been ignored until recently, its detailed dynamics and cellular biological mechanisms are still largely unknown. Here we report an optical-tweezers-based method to evaluate the chirality and frequency of sperm rotation. According to the intensity distribution patterns of off-focus micron-size particles, we established a method to judge the orientation of the sperm head along the optical axis in the optical trap. Together with the rotation direction of the projection of the sperm head, the chirality of longitudinal rolling of sperm can be measured without the application of three-dimensional tracking techniques or complex optical design. By video tracking optically trapped sperm cells from different patients, both rolling chirality and rolling frequency were analyzed. In this study, all the vertically trapped human sperm cells adopt a right-hand longitudinal rolling. The orientation and rolling frequency but not the rolling chirality of sperm in the optical trap are affected by the trap height. The rotation analysis method developed in this study may have clinical potential for sperm quality evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhensheng Zhong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Can Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jun He
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Han Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zijie Cheng
- School of Science & Technology City, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tao Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Meng Shao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shu Fang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shengzhao Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hui Shi
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Rufeng Xue
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Huijuan Zou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zeyu Ke
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,*Correspondence: Zhiguo Zhang, ; Jinhua Zhou,
| | - Jinhua Zhou
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China,*Correspondence: Zhiguo Zhang, ; Jinhua Zhou,
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Galler K, Bräutigam K, Große C, Popp J, Neugebauer U. Making a big thing of a small cell--recent advances in single cell analysis. Analyst 2015; 139:1237-73. [PMID: 24495980 DOI: 10.1039/c3an01939j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Single cell analysis is an emerging field requiring a high level interdisciplinary collaboration to provide detailed insights into the complex organisation, function and heterogeneity of life. This review is addressed to life science researchers as well as researchers developing novel technologies. It covers all aspects of the characterisation of single cells (with a special focus on mammalian cells) from morphology to genetics and different omics-techniques to physiological, mechanical and electrical methods. In recent years, tremendous advances have been achieved in all fields of single cell analysis: (1) improved spatial and temporal resolution of imaging techniques to enable the tracking of single molecule dynamics within single cells; (2) increased throughput to reveal unexpected heterogeneity between different individual cells raising the question what characterizes a cell type and what is just natural biological variation; and (3) emerging multimodal approaches trying to bring together information from complementary techniques paving the way for a deeper understanding of the complexity of biological processes. This review also covers the first successful translations of single cell analysis methods to diagnostic applications in the field of tumour research (especially circulating tumour cells), regenerative medicine, drug discovery and immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Galler
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center "Center for Sepsis Control and Care", Jena University Hospital, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany
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5
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Rotational dynamics of optically trapped human spermatozoa. ScientificWorldJournal 2014; 2014:154367. [PMID: 24600321 PMCID: PMC3926395 DOI: 10.1155/2014/154367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Optical trapping is a laser-based method for probing the physiological and mechanical properties of cells in a noninvasive manner. As sperm motility is an important criterion for assessing the male fertility potential, this technique is used to study sperm cell motility behavior and rotational dynamics. Methods and Patients. An integrated optical system with near-infrared laser beam has been used to analyze rotational dynamics of live sperm cells from oligozoospermic and asthenozoospermic cases and compared with controls. Results. The linear, translational motion of the sperm is converted into rotational motion on being optically trapped, without causing any adverse effect on spermatozoa. The rotational speed of sperm cells from infertile men is observed to be significantly less as compared to controls. Conclusions. Distinguishing normal and abnormal sperm cells on the basis of beat frequency above 5.6 Hz may be an important step in modern reproductive biology to sort and select good quality spermatozoa. The application of laser-assisted technique in biology has the potential to be a valuable tool for assessment of sperm fertilization capacity for improving assisted reproductive technology.
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Shojaedini SV, Heydari M. A new method for sperm characterization for infertility treatment: hypothesis testing by using combination of watershed segmentation and graph theory. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SIGNALS AND SENSORS 2014; 4:274-80. [PMID: 25426431 PMCID: PMC4236806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Shape and movement features of sperms are important parameters for infertility study and treatment. In this article, a new method is introduced for characterization sperms in microscopic videos. In this method, first a hypothesis framework is defined to distinguish sperms from other particles in captured video. Then decision about each hypothesis is done in following steps: Selecting some primary regions as candidates for sperms by watershed-based segmentation, pruning of some false candidates during successive frames using graph theory concept and finally confirming correct sperms by using their movement trajectories. Performance of the proposed method is evaluated on real captured images belongs to semen with high density of sperms. The obtained results show the proposed method may detect 97% of sperms in presence of 5% false detections and track 91% of moving sperms. Furthermore, it can be shown that better characterization of sperms in proposed algorithm doesn't lead to extracting more false sperms compared to some present approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Vahab Shojaedini
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran,Address for correspondence: Dr. Seyed Vahab Shojaedini, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran. E-mail:
| | - Masoud Heydari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
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7
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Ravanfar M, Azinfar L, Moradi MH, Fazel-Rezai R. Occlusion Robust Low-Contrast Sperm Tracking Using Switchable Weight Particle Filtering. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.4236/asm.2014.43008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Liu J, Leung C, Lu Z, Sun Y. Quantitative Analysis of Locomotive Behavior of Human Sperm Head and Tail. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2013. [DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2012.2227319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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10
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Veitinger T, Riffell JR, Veitinger S, Nascimento JM, Triller A, Chandsawangbhuwana C, Schwane K, Geerts A, Wunder F, Berns MW, Neuhaus EM, Zimmer RK, Spehr M, Hatt H. Chemosensory Ca2+ dynamics correlate with diverse behavioral phenotypes in human sperm. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:17311-25. [PMID: 21454470 PMCID: PMC3089573 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.211524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2010] [Revised: 03/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In the female reproductive tract, mammalian sperm undergo a regulated sequence of prefusion changes that "prime" sperm for fertilization. Among the least understood of these complex processes are the molecular mechanisms that underlie sperm guidance by environmental chemical cues. A "hard-wired" Ca(2+) signaling strategy that orchestrates specific motility patterns according to given functional requirements is an emerging concept for regulation of sperm swimming behavior. The molecular players involved, the spatiotemporal characteristics of such motility-associated Ca(2+) dynamics, and the relation between a distinct Ca(2+) signaling pattern and a behavioral sperm phenotype, however, remain largely unclear. Here, we report the functional characterization of two human sperm chemoreceptors. Using complementary molecular, physiological, and behavioral approaches, we comparatively describe sperm Ca(2+) responses to specific agonists of these novel receptors and bourgeonal, a known sperm chemoattractant. We further show that individual receptor activation induces specific Ca(2+) signaling patterns with unique spatiotemporal dynamics. These distinct Ca(2+) dynamics are correlated to a set of stimulus-specific stereotyped behavioral responses that could play vital roles during various stages of prefusion sperm-egg chemical communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Veitinger
- From the Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule-Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- the Department of Cellular Physiology, Ruhr-University, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Jeffrey R. Riffell
- the Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Sophie Veitinger
- From the Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule-Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- the Department of Cellular Physiology, Ruhr-University, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Annika Triller
- the Department of Cellular Physiology, Ruhr-University, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | | | - Katlen Schwane
- the Department of Cellular Physiology, Ruhr-University, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Andreas Geerts
- the Bayer Schering Pharma AG Pharma Research Center, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Frank Wunder
- the Bayer Schering Pharma AG Pharma Research Center, 42096 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Michael W. Berns
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0412
- the Beckman Laser Institute, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Eva M. Neuhaus
- the Charité-NeuroScience Research Center, 10117 Berlin, Germany, and
| | - Richard K. Zimmer
- the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Neuroscience Program, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095-1606
| | - Marc Spehr
- From the Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule-Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hanns Hatt
- the Department of Cellular Physiology, Ruhr-University, 44780 Bochum, Germany
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11
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Leung C, Zhe Lu, Esfandiari N, Casper RF, Yu Sun. Automated Sperm Immobilization for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2011; 58:935-42. [DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2010.2098875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Shi LZ, Nascimento J, Botvinick E, Durrant B, Berns MW. An interdisciplinary systems approach to study sperm physiology and evolution. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2011; 3:36-47. [PMID: 21064038 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Optical trapping is a noninvasive biophotonic tool that has been developed to study the physiological and biomechanical properties of cells. The custom-designed optical system is built to direct near-infrared laser light into an inverted microscope to create a single-point three-dimensional gradient laser trap at the microscope focal point. A real-time automated tracking and trapping system (RATTS) is described that provides a remote user-friendly robotic interface. The combination of laser tweezers, fluorescent imaging, and RATTS can measure sperm swimming speed and swimming force simultaneously with mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). The roles of two sources of adenosine triphosphate in sperm motility/energetics are studied: oxidative phosphorylation, which occurs in the mitochondria located in the sperm midpiece, and glycolysis, which occurs along the length of the sperm tail (flagellum). The effects of glucose, oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors, and glycolytic inhibitors on human sperm motility are studied. This combination of photonic physical and engineering tools has been used to examine the evolutionary effect of sperm competition in primates. The results demonstrate a correlation between mating type and sperm motility: sperm from polygamous (multi-partner) primate species swim faster and with greater force than sperm from polygynous (single partner) primate species. In summary, engineering and biological systems are combined to provide a powerful interdisciplinary approach to study the complex biological systems that drive the sperm toward the egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Z Shi
- The Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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Lee HJ, Roberts SJ, Drake KA, Dawkins MS. Prediction of feather damage in laying hens using optical flows and Markov models. J R Soc Interface 2010; 8:489-99. [PMID: 20659929 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2010.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Feather pecking in laying hens is a major welfare and production problem for commercial egg producers, resulting in mortality, loss of production as well as welfare issues for the damaged birds. Damaging outbreaks of feather pecking are currently impossible to control, despite a number of proposed interventions. However, the ability to predict feather damage in advance would be a valuable research tool for identifying which management or environmental factors could be the most effective interventions at different ages. This paper proposes a framework for forecasting the damage caused by injurious pecking based on automated image processing and statistical analysis. By frame-by-frame analysis of video recordings of laying hen flocks, optical flow measures are calculated as indicators of the movement of the birds. From the optical flow datasets, measures of disturbance are extracted using hidden Markov models. Based on these disturbance measures and age-related variables, the levels of feather damage in flocks in future weeks is predicted. Applying the proposed method to real-world datasets, it is shown that the disturbance measures offer improved predictive values for feather damage thus enabling an identification of flocks with probable prevalence of damage and injury later in lay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoung-joo Lee
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Abstract
In the last decade optical manipulation has evolved from a field of interest for physicists to a versatile tool widely used within life sciences. This has been made possible in particular due to the development of a large variety of imaging techniques that allow detailed information to be gained from investigations of single cells. The use of multiple optical traps has high potential within single-cell analysis since parallel measurements provide good statistics. Multifunctional optical tweezers are, for instance, used to study cell heterogeneity in an ensemble, and force measurements are used to investigate the mechanical properties of individual cells. Investigations of molecular motors and forces on the single-molecule level have led to discoveries that would have been difficult to make with other techniques. Optical manipulation has prospects within the field of cell signalling and tissue engineering. When combined with microfluidic systems the chemical environment of cells can be precisely controlled. Hence the influence of pH, salt concentration, drugs and temperature can be investigated in real time. Fast advancing technical developments of automated and user-friendly optical manipulation tools and cross-disciplinary collaboration will contribute to the routinely use of optical manipulation techniques within the life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Ramser
- Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
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15
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Eichorst JP, Lu S, Xu J, Wang Y. Differential RhoA dynamics in migratory and stationary cells measured by FRET and automated image analysis. PLoS One 2008; 3:e4082. [PMID: 19114999 PMCID: PMC2603592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2008] [Accepted: 11/26/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically-encoded biosensors based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) have been widely applied to study the spatiotemporal regulation of molecular activity in live cells with high resolution. The efficient and accurate quantification of the large amount of imaging data from these single-cell FRET measurements demands robust and automated data analysis. However, the nonlinear movement of live cells presents tremendous challenge for this task. Based on image registration of the single-cell movement, we have developed automated image analysis methods to track and quantify the FRET signals within user-defined subcellular regions. In addition, the subcellular pixels were classified according to their associated FRET signals and the dynamics of the clusters analyzed. The results revealed that the EGF-induced reduction of RhoA activity in migratory HeLa cells is significantly less than that in stationary cells. Furthermore, the RhoA activity is polarized in the migratory cells, with the gradient of polarity oriented toward the opposite direction of cell migration. In contrast, there is a lack of consistent preference in RhoA polarity among stationary cells. Therefore, our image analysis methods can provide powerful tools for high-throughput and systematic investigation of the spatiotemporal molecular activities in regulating functions of live cells with their shapes and positions continuously changing in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Paul Eichorst
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Shaoying Lu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yingxiao Wang
- Center of Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Nascimento JM, Shi LZ, Tam J, Chandsawangbhuwana C, Durrant B, Botvinick EL, Berns MW. Comparison of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation as energy sources for mammalian sperm motility, using the combination of fluorescence imaging, laser tweezers, and real-time automated tracking and trapping. J Cell Physiol 2008; 217:745-51. [PMID: 18683212 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.21549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The combination of laser tweezers, fluorescent imaging, and real-time automated tracking and trapping (RATTS) can measure sperm swimming speed and swimming force simultaneously with mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). This approach is used to study the roles of two sources of ATP in sperm motility: oxidative phosphorylation, which occurs in the mitochondria located in the sperm midpiece and glycolysis, which occurs along the length of the sperm tail (flagellum). The relationships between (a) swimming speed and MMP and (b) swimming force and MMP are studied in dog and human sperm. The effects of glucose, oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors and glycolytic inhibitors on human sperm motility are examined. The results indicate that oxidative phosphorylation does contribute some ATP for human sperm motility, but not enough to sustain high motility. The glycolytic pathway is shown to be a primary source of energy for human sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn M Nascimento
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92039, USA.
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