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Huaroto JJ, Capuano L, Kaya M, Hlukhau I, Assayag F, Mohanty S, Römer GW, Misra S. Two-photon microscopy for microrobotics: Visualization of micro-agents below fixed tissue. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289725. [PMID: 37561749 PMCID: PMC10414647 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Optical microscopy is frequently used to visualize microrobotic agents (i.e., micro-agents) and physical surroundings with a relatively high spatio-temporal resolution. However, the limited penetration depth of optical microscopy techniques used in microrobotics (in the order of 100 μm) reduces the capability of visualizing micro-agents below biological tissue. Two-photon microscopy is a technique that exploits the principle of two-photon absorption, permitting live tissue imaging with sub-micron resolution and optical penetration depths (over 500 μm). The two-photon absorption principle has been widely applied to fabricate sub-millimeter scale components via direct laser writing (DLW). Yet, its use as an imaging tool for microrobotics remains unexplored in the state-of-the-art. This study introduces and reports on two-photon microscopy as an alternative technique for visualizing micro-agents below biological tissue. In order to validate two-photon image acquisition for microrobotics, two-type micro-agents are fabricated and employed: (1) electrospun fibers stained with an exogenous fluorophore and (2) bio-inspired structure printed with autofluorescent resin via DLW. The experiments are devised and conducted to obtain three-dimensional reconstructions of both micro-agents, perform a qualitative study of laser-tissue interaction, and visualize micro-agents along with tissue using second-harmonic generation. We experimentally demonstrate two-photon microscopy of micro-agents below formalin-fixed tissue with a maximum penetration depth of 800 μm and continuous imaging of magnetic electrospun fibers with one frame per second acquisition rate (in a field of view of 135 × 135 μm2). Our results show that two-photon microscopy can be an alternative imaging technique for microrobotics by enabling visualization of micro-agents under in vitro and ex ovo conditions. Furthermore, bridging the gap between two-photon microscopy and the microrobotics field has the potential to facilitate in vivo visualization of micro-agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Huaroto
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Luigi Capuano
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Mert Kaya
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Centre Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ihar Hlukhau
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Franck Assayag
- Animal Facility, Technical Medical Centre (TechMed Centre) Infrastructure, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Sumit Mohanty
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Autonomous Matter Department, AMOLF, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gert-willem Römer
- Chair of Laser Processing, Department of Mechanics of Solids, Surfaces & Systems (MS3), Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Sarthak Misra
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Surgical Robotics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Centre Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Grooms NW, Fitzgerald MQ, Zuckerman B, Ureña SE, Weinberger LS, Chung SH. Expression of thioredoxin-1 in the ASJ neuron corresponds with and enhances intrinsic regenerative capacity under lesion conditioning in C. elegans. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:1880-1893. [PMID: 37300530 PMCID: PMC10526644 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A conditioning lesion of the peripheral sensory axon triggers robust central axon regeneration in mammals. We trigger conditioned regeneration in the Caenorhabditis elegans ASJ neuron by laser surgery or genetic disruption of sensory pathways. Conditioning upregulates thioredoxin-1 (trx-1) expression, as indicated by trx-1 promoter-driven expression of green fluorescent protein and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), suggesting trx-1 levels and associated fluorescence indicate regenerative capacity. The redox activity of trx-1 functionally enhances conditioned regeneration, but both redox-dependent and -independent activity inhibit non-conditioned regeneration. Six strains isolated in a forward genetic screen for reduced fluorescence, which suggests diminished regenerative potential, also show reduced axon outgrowth. We demonstrate an association between trx-1 expression and the conditioned state that we leverage to rapidly assess regenerative capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa W.F. Grooms
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Michael Q. Fitzgerald
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Binyamin Zuckerman
- Gladstone/UCSF Center for Cell Circuitry, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Samuel E. Ureña
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Leor S. Weinberger
- Gladstone/UCSF Center for Cell Circuitry, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Samuel H. Chung
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
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Harreguy MB, Tanvir Z, Shah E, Simprevil B, Tran TS, Haspel G. Semaphorin signaling restricts neuronal regeneration in C. elegans. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:814160. [PMID: 36325362 PMCID: PMC9618706 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.814160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular signaling proteins serve as neuronal growth cone guidance molecules during development and are well positioned to be involved in neuronal regeneration and recovery from injury. Semaphorins and their receptors, the plexins, are a family of conserved proteins involved in development that, in the nervous system, are axonal guidance cues mediating axon pathfinding and synapse formation. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes for three semaphorins and two plexin receptors: the transmembrane semaphorins, SMP-1 and SMP-2, signal through their receptor, PLX-1, while the secreted semaphorin, MAB-20, signals through PLX-2. Here, we evaluate the locomotion behavior of knockout animals missing each of the semaphorins and plexins and the neuronal morphology of plexin knockout animals; we described the cellular expression pattern of the promoters of all plexins in the nervous system of C. elegans; and we evaluated their effect on the regrowth and reconnection of motoneuron neurites and the recovery of locomotion behavior following precise laser microsurgery. Regrowth and reconnection were more prevalent in the absence of each plexin, while recovery of locomotion surpassed regeneration in all genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria B Harreguy
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
- Rutgers University, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Zainab Tanvir
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
- Rutgers University, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Esha Shah
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Blandine Simprevil
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
- City College of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, United States
| | - Tracy S Tran
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
- Rutgers University, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Gal Haspel
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
- Rutgers University, Department of Biological Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
- Mercer University School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Columbus, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Gal Haspel, ,
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Wang YL, Grooms NWF, Chung SH. Transverse and axial resolution of femtosecond laser ablation. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2022; 15:e202200042. [PMID: 35583201 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202200042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Femtosecond lasers are capable of precise ablation that produces surgical dissections in vivo. The transverse and axial resolutions of the laser damage inside the bulk are important parameters of ablation. The transverse resolution is routinely quantified; but the axial resolution is more difficult to measure and is less commonly performed. Using a 1040-nm, 400-fs pulsed laser, and a 1.4-NA objective, we performed ablation inside agarose and glass, producing clear, and persistent damage spots. Near the ablation threshold of both media, we found that the axial resolution is similar to the transverse resolution. We also ablated neuron cell bodies and fibers in Caenorhabditis elegans and demonstrate submicrometer resolution in both the transverse and axial directions, consistent with our results in agarose and glass. Using simple yet rigorous methods, we define the resolution of laser ablation in transparent media along all directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao L Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Noa W F Grooms
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Samuel H Chung
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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A Novel Laser-Based Zebrafish Model for Studying Traumatic Brain Injury and Its Molecular Targets. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081751. [PMID: 36015377 PMCID: PMC9416346 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health problem. Here, we developed a novel model of non-invasive TBI induced by laser irradiation in the telencephalon of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) and assessed their behavior and neuromorphology to validate the model and evaluate potential targets for neuroreparative treatment. Overall, TBI induced hypolocomotion and anxiety-like behavior in the novel tank test, strikingly recapitulating responses in mammalian TBI models, hence supporting the face validity of our model. NeuN-positive cell staining was markedly reduced one day, but not seven days, after TBI, suggesting increased neuronal damage immediately after the injury, and its fast recovery. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) level in the brain dropped immediately after the trauma, but fully recovered seven days later. A marker of microglial activation, Iba1, was elevated in the TBI brain, albeit decreasing from Day 3. The levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (Hif1a) increased 30 min after the injury, and recovered by Day 7, further supporting the construct validity of the model. Collectively, these findings suggest that our model of laser-induced brain injury in zebrafish reproduces mild TBI and can be a useful tool for TBI research and preclinical neuroprotective drug screening.
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Harreguy MB, Tran TS, Haspel G. Neuronal Microsurgery with an Yb-Doped Fiber Femtosecond Laser. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2468:319-328. [PMID: 35320573 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2181-3_17] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Laser microsurgery allows the user to ablate cell bodies or disconnect nerve fibers by using a laser microbeam focused through a microscope. This technique was pioneered in C. elegans where it led to exciting discoveries in the fields of development and neurobiology. All neurons studied so far in C. elegans can regenerate and regrow axons and dendrites after injury, allowing studies of the molecular and cellular basis of neuroregeneration. In this chapter, we describe how to assemble and operate a platform for Yb-doped fiber laser microsurgery. The novel laser setup described here is a more robust, lower cost, and user-friendly alternative to other femtosecond-pulsed laser systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria B Harreguy
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Tracy S Tran
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Gal Haspel
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA.
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Haspel G, Severi KE, Fauci LJ, Cohen N, Tytell ED, Morgan JR. Resilience of neural networks for locomotion. J Physiol 2021; 599:3825-3840. [PMID: 34187088 DOI: 10.1113/jp279214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotion is an essential behaviour for the survival of all animals. The neural circuitry underlying locomotion is therefore highly robust to a wide variety of perturbations, including injury and abrupt changes in the environment. In the short term, fault tolerance in neural networks allows locomotion to persist immediately after mild to moderate injury. In the longer term, in many invertebrates and vertebrates, neural reorganization including anatomical regeneration can restore locomotion after severe perturbations that initially caused paralysis. Despite decades of research, very little is known about the mechanisms underlying locomotor resilience at the level of the underlying neural circuits and coordination of central pattern generators (CPGs). Undulatory locomotion is an ideal behaviour for exploring principles of circuit organization, neural control and resilience of locomotion, offering a number of unique advantages including experimental accessibility and modelling tractability. In comparing three well-characterized undulatory swimmers, lampreys, larval zebrafish and Caenorhabditis elegans, we find similarities in the manifestation of locomotor resilience. To advance our understanding, we propose a comparative approach, integrating experimental and modelling studies, that will allow the field to begin identifying shared and distinct solutions for overcoming perturbations to persist in orchestrating this essential behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Haspel
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Kristen E Severi
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Lisa J Fauci
- Department of Mathematics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA
| | - Netta Cohen
- School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Eric D Tytell
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Jennifer R Morgan
- The Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
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