1
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Hilai K, Grubich D, Akrawi M, Zhu H, Zaghloul R, Shi C, Do M, Zhu D, Zhang J. Mechanical evolution of metastatic cancer cells in three-dimensional microenvironment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.27.601015. [PMID: 39005477 PMCID: PMC11244934 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.27.601015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Cellular biomechanics plays critical roles in cancer metastasis and tumor progression. Existing studies on cancer cell biomechanics are mostly conducted in flat 2D conditions, where cells' behavior can differ considerably from those in 3D physiological environments. Despite great advances in developing 3D in vitro models, probing cellular elasticity in 3D conditions remains a major challenge for existing technologies. In this work, we utilize optical Brillouin microscopy to longitudinally acquire mechanical images of growing cancerous spheroids over the period of eight days. The dense mechanical mapping from Brillouin microscopy enables us to extract spatially resolved and temporally evolving mechanical features that were previously inaccessible. Using an established machine learning algorithm, we demonstrate that incorporating these extracted mechanical features significantly improves the classification accuracy of cancer cells, from 74% to 95%. Building on this finding, we have developed a deep learning pipeline capable of accurately differentiating cancerous spheroids from normal ones solely using Brillouin images, suggesting the mechanical features of cancer cells could potentially serve as a new biomarker in cancer classification and detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlin Hilai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Daniil Grubich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Marcus Akrawi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Hui Zhu
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Razanne Zaghloul
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Chenjun Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Man Do
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Dongxiao Zhu
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA
| | - Jitao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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2
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Urbanska M, Guck J. Single-Cell Mechanics: Structural Determinants and Functional Relevance. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:367-395. [PMID: 38382116 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030822-030629] [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: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical phenotype of a cell determines its ability to deform under force and is therefore relevant to cellular functions that require changes in cell shape, such as migration or circulation through the microvasculature. On the practical level, the mechanical phenotype can be used as a global readout of the cell's functional state, a marker for disease diagnostics, or an input for tissue modeling. We focus our review on the current knowledge of structural components that contribute to the determination of the cellular mechanical properties and highlight the physiological processes in which the mechanical phenotype of the cells is of critical relevance. The ongoing efforts to understand how to efficiently measure and control the mechanical properties of cells will define the progress in the field and drive mechanical phenotyping toward clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Urbanska
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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3
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Ivanov IE, Hirata-Miyasaki E, Chandler T, Cheloor-Kovilakam R, Liu Z, Pradeep S, Liu C, Bhave M, Khadka S, Arias C, Leonetti MD, Huang B, Mehta SB. Mantis: high-throughput 4D imaging and analysis of the molecular and physical architecture of cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.19.572435. [PMID: 38187521 PMCID: PMC10769231 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.19.572435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
High-throughput dynamic imaging of cells and organelles is essential for understanding complex cellular responses. We report Mantis, a high-throughput 4D microscope that integrates two complementary, gentle, live-cell imaging technologies: remote-refocus label-free microscopy and oblique light-sheet fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, we report shrimPy, an open-source software for high-throughput imaging, deconvolution, and single-cell phenotyping of 4D data. Using Mantis and shrimPy, we achieved high-content correlative imaging of molecular dynamics and the physical architecture of 20 cell lines every 15 minutes over 7.5 hours. This platform also facilitated detailed measurements of the impacts of viral infection on the architecture of host cells and host proteins. The Mantis platform can enable high-throughput profiling of intracellular dynamics, long-term imaging and analysis of cellular responses to perturbations, and live-cell optical screens to dissect gene regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan E. Ivanov
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | | | - Talon Chandler
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Rasmi Cheloor-Kovilakam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Ziwen Liu
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Soorya Pradeep
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Chad Liu
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Madhura Bhave
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Sudip Khadka
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Carolina Arias
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | | | - Bo Huang
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Shalin B. Mehta
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
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4
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Antonacci G, Vanna R, Ventura M, Schiavone ML, Sobacchi C, Behrouzitabar M, Polli D, Manzoni C, Cerullo G. Birefringence-induced phase delay enables Brillouin mechanical imaging in turbid media. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5202. [PMID: 38898004 PMCID: PMC11187154 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49419-2] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Acoustic vibrations of matter convey fundamental viscoelastic information that can be optically retrieved by hyperfine spectral analysis of the inelastic Brillouin scattered light. Increasing evidence of the central role of the viscoelastic properties in biological processes has stimulated the rise of non-contact Brillouin microscopy, yet this method faces challenges in turbid samples due to overwhelming elastic background light. Here, we introduce a common-path Birefringence-Induced Phase Delay (BIPD) filter to disentangle the polarization states of the Brillouin and Rayleigh signals, enabling the rejection of the background light using a polarizer. We demonstrate a 65 dB extinction ratio in a single optical pass collecting Brillouin spectra in extremely scattering environments and across highly reflective interfaces. We further employ the BIPD filter to image bone tissues from a mouse model of osteopetrosis, highlighting altered biomechanical properties compared to the healthy control. Results herald new opportunities in mechanobiology where turbid biological samples remain poorly characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renzo Vanna
- CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-IFN, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Ventura
- CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-IFN, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Cristina Sobacchi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano (Milano), Italy
- CNR-Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (CNR-IRGB), UOS di Milano, via Fantoli 16/15, 20138, Milano, Italy
| | - Morteza Behrouzitabar
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Dario Polli
- Specto Photonics, Via Giulio e Corrado Venini 18, 20127, Milano, Italy
- CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-IFN, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Cristian Manzoni
- CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-IFN, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-IFN, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milano, Italy
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5
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Möckel C, Beck T, Kaliman S, Abuhattum S, Kim K, Kolb J, Wehner D, Zaburdaev V, Guck J. Estimation of the mass density of biological matter from refractive index measurements. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2024; 4:100156. [PMID: 38718671 PMCID: PMC11090064 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2024.100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The quantification of physical properties of biological matter gives rise to novel ways of understanding functional mechanisms. One of the basic biophysical properties is the mass density (MD). It affects the dynamics in sub-cellular compartments and plays a major role in defining the opto-acoustical properties of cells and tissues. As such, the MD can be connected to the refractive index (RI) via the well known Lorentz-Lorenz relation, which takes into account the polarizability of matter. However, computing the MD based on RI measurements poses a challenge, as it requires detailed knowledge of the biochemical composition of the sample. Here we propose a methodology on how to account for assumptions about the biochemical composition of the sample and respective RI measurements. To this aim, we employ the Biot mixing rule of RIs alongside the assumption of volume additivity to find an approximate relation of MD and RI. We use Monte-Carlo simulations and Gaussian propagation of uncertainty to obtain approximate analytical solutions for the respective uncertainties of MD and RI. We validate this approach by applying it to a set of well-characterized complex mixtures given by bovine milk and intralipid emulsion and employ it to estimate the MD of living zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae trunk tissue. Our results illustrate the importance of implementing this methodology not only for MD estimations but for many other related biophysical problems, such as mechanical measurements using Brillouin microscopy and transient optical coherence elastography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad Möckel
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Timon Beck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sara Kaliman
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Shada Abuhattum
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kyoohyun Kim
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Kolb
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Daniel Wehner
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany; Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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6
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Meneses-Reyes GI, Rodriguez-Bustos DL, Cuevas-Velazquez CL. Macromolecular crowding sensing during osmotic stress in plants. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:480-493. [PMID: 38514274 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.02.002] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Osmotic stress conditions occur at multiple stages of plant life. Changes in water availability caused by osmotic stress induce alterations in the mechanical properties of the plasma membrane, its interaction with the cell wall, and the concentration of macromolecules in the cytoplasm. We summarize the reported players involved in the sensing mechanisms of osmotic stress in plants. We discuss how changes in macromolecular crowding are perceived intracellularly by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in proteins. Finally, we review methods for dynamically monitoring macromolecular crowding in living cells and discuss why their implementation is required for the discovery of new plant osmosensors. Elucidating the osmosensing mechanisms will be essential for designing strategies to improve plant productivity in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- G I Meneses-Reyes
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - D L Rodriguez-Bustos
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - C L Cuevas-Velazquez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico.
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7
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Ibrahim KA, Naidu AS, Miljkovic H, Radenovic A, Yang W. Label-Free Techniques for Probing Biomolecular Condensates. ACS NANO 2024; 18:10738-10757. [PMID: 38609349 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c01534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates play important roles in a wide array of fundamental biological processes, such as cellular compartmentalization, cellular regulation, and other biochemical reactions. Since their discovery and first observations, an extensive and expansive library of tools has been developed to investigate various aspects and properties, encompassing structural and compositional information, material properties, and their evolution throughout the life cycle from formation to eventual dissolution. This Review presents an overview of the expanded set of tools and methods that researchers use to probe the properties of biomolecular condensates across diverse scales of length, concentration, stiffness, and time. In particular, we review recent years' exciting development of label-free techniques and methodologies. We broadly organize the set of tools into 3 categories: (1) imaging-based techniques, such as transmitted-light microscopy (TLM) and Brillouin microscopy (BM), (2) force spectroscopy techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the optical tweezer (OT), and (3) microfluidic platforms and emerging technologies. We point out the tools' key opportunities, challenges, and future perspectives and analyze their correlative potential as well as compatibility with other techniques. Additionally, we review emerging techniques, namely, differential dynamic microscopy (DDM) and interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT), that have huge potential for future applications in studying biomolecular condensates. Finally, we highlight how some of these techniques can be translated for diagnostics and therapy purposes. We hope this Review serves as a useful guide for new researchers in this field and aids in advancing the development of new biophysical tools to study biomolecular condensates.
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8
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La Cavera S, Chauhan VM, Hardiman W, Yao M, Fuentes-Domínguez R, Setchfield K, Abayzeed SA, Pérez-Cota F, Smith RJ, Clark M. Label-free Brillouin endo-microscopy for the quantitative 3D imaging of sub-micrometre biology. Commun Biol 2024; 7:451. [PMID: 38622287 PMCID: PMC11018753 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06126-4] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
This report presents an optical fibre-based endo-microscopic imaging tool that simultaneously measures the topographic profile and 3D viscoelastic properties of biological specimens through the phenomenon of time-resolved Brillouin scattering. This uses the intrinsic viscoelasticity of the specimen as a contrast mechanism without fluorescent tags or photoacoustic contrast mechanisms. We demonstrate 2 μm lateral resolution and 320 nm axial resolution for the 3D imaging of biological cells and Caenorhabditis elegans larvae. This has enabled the first ever 3D stiffness imaging and characterisation of the C. elegans larva cuticle in-situ. A label-free, subcellular resolution, and endoscopic compatible technique that reveals structural biologically-relevant material properties of tissue could pave the way toward in-vivo elasticity-based diagnostics down to the single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore La Cavera
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Veeren M Chauhan
- Advanced Materials & Healthcare Technologies, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - William Hardiman
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Mengting Yao
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Rafael Fuentes-Domínguez
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Kerry Setchfield
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Sidahmed A Abayzeed
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Fernando Pérez-Cota
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Richard J Smith
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Matt Clark
- Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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9
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Romodina MN, Parmar A, Singh K. In vivo measurement of the biomechanical properties of human skin with motion-corrected Brillouin microscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2024; 15:1777-1784. [PMID: 38495685 PMCID: PMC10942711 DOI: 10.1364/boe.516032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Biomechanical testing of human skin in vivo is important to study the aging process and pathological conditions such as skin cancer. Brillouin microscopy allows the all-optical, non-contact visualization of the mechanical properties of cells and tissues over space. Here, we use the combination of Brillouin microscopy and optical coherence tomography for motion-corrected, depth-resolved biomechanical testing of human skin in vivo. We obtained two peaks in the Brillouin spectra for the epidermis, the first at 7 GHz and the second near 9-10 GHz. The experimentally measured Brillouin frequency shift of the dermis is lower compared to the epidermis and is 6.8 GHz, indicating the lower stiffness of the dermis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria N. Romodina
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Asha Parmar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kanwarpal Singh
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Staudtstr. 2, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
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10
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Martinez-Vidal L, Testi C, Pontecorvo E, Pederzoli F, Alchera E, Locatelli I, Venegoni C, Spinelli A, Lucianò R, Salonia A, Podestà A, Ruocco G, Alfano M. Progressive alteration of murine bladder elasticity in actinic cystitis detected by Brillouin microscopy. Sci Rep 2024; 14:484. [PMID: 38177637 PMCID: PMC10766652 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51006-2] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Bladder mechanical properties are critical for organ function and tissue homeostasis. Therefore, alterations of tissue mechanics are linked to disease onset and progression. This study aims to characterize the tissue elasticity of the murine bladder wall considering its different anatomical components, both in healthy conditions and in actinic cystitis, a state characterized by tissue fibrosis. Here, we exploit Brillouin microscopy, an emerging technique in the mechanobiology field that allows mapping tissue mechanics at the microscale, in non-contact mode and free of labeling. We show that Brillouin imaging of bladder tissues is able to recognize the different anatomical components of the bladder wall, confirmed by histopathological analysis, showing different tissue mechanical properties of the physiological bladder, as well as a significant alteration in the presence of tissue fibrosis. Our results point out the potential use of Brillouin imaging on clinically relevant samples as a complementary technique to histopathological analysis, deciphering complex mechanical alteration of each tissue layer of an organ that strongly relies on mechanical properties to perform its function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martinez-Vidal
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy.
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
| | - Claudia Testi
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Roma, Italy.
| | - Emanuele Pontecorvo
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Roma, Italy
- CrestOptics S.p.A., Via Di Torre Rossa, 66, 00165, Roma, Italy
| | - Filippo Pederzoli
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Alchera
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Locatelli
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Venegoni
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonello Spinelli
- Experimental Imaging Centre, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Lucianò
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Salonia
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Podestà
- Dipartimento Di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli" and CIMAINA, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano- and Neuro-Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento Di Fisica, Universitá Di Roma "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185, Roma, Italy
| | - Massimo Alfano
- Division of Experimental Oncology/Unit of Urology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132, Milan, Italy
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11
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Yang F, Bevilacqua C, Hambura S, Neves A, Gopalan A, Watanabe K, Govendir M, Bernabeu M, Ellenberg J, Diz-Muñoz A, Köhler S, Rapti G, Jechlinger M, Prevedel R. Pulsed stimulated Brillouin microscopy enables high-sensitivity mechanical imaging of live and fragile biological specimens. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1971-1979. [PMID: 37884795 PMCID: PMC10703689 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02054-z] [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: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Brillouin microscopy is an emerging optical elastography technique capable of assessing mechanical properties of biological samples in a three-dimensional, all-optical and noncontact fashion. The typically weak Brillouin scattering signal can be substantially enhanced via a stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) process; however, current implementations require high pump powers, which prohibit applications to photosensitive or live imaging of biological samples. Here we present a pulsed SBS scheme that takes advantage of the nonlinearity of the pump-probe interaction. In particular, we show that the required pump laser power can be decreased ~20-fold without affecting the signal levels or spectral precision. We demonstrate the low phototoxicity and high specificity of our pulsed SBS approach by imaging, with subcellular detail, sensitive single cells, zebrafish larvae, mouse embryos and adult Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, our method permits observing the mechanics of organoids and C. elegans embryos over time, opening up further possibilities for the field of mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Carlo Bevilacqua
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hambura
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ana Neves
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anusha Gopalan
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Koki Watanabe
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matt Govendir
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Bernabeu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Ellenberg
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alba Diz-Muñoz
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simone Köhler
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georgia Rapti
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Rome, Italy
| | - Martin Jechlinger
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- MOLIT Institute for Personalized Medicine gGmbH, Heilbronn, Germany
| | - Robert Prevedel
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Rome, Italy.
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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Kittel Y, Guerzoni LPB, Itzin C, Rommel D, Mork M, Bastard C, Häßel B, Omidinia-Anarkoli A, Centeno SP, Haraszti T, Kim K, Guck J, Kuehne AJC, De Laporte L. Varying the Stiffness and Diffusivity of Rod-Shaped Microgels Independently through Their Molecular Building Blocks. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202309779. [PMID: 37712344 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309779] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Microgels are water-swollen, crosslinked polymers that are widely used as colloidal building blocks in scaffold materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Microgels can be controlled in their stiffness, degree of swelling, and mesh size depending on their polymer architecture, crosslink density, and fabrication method-all of which influence their function and interaction with the environment. Currently, there is a lack of understanding of how the polymer composition influences the internal structure of soft microgels and how this morphology affects specific biomedical applications. In this report, we systematically vary the architecture and molar mass of polyethylene glycol-acrylate (PEG-Ac) precursors, as well as their concentration and combination, to gain insight in the different parameters that affect the internal structure of rod-shaped microgels. We characterize the mechanical properties and diffusivity, as well as the conversion of acrylate groups during photopolymerization, in both bulk hydrogels and microgels produced from the PEG-Ac precursors. Furthermore, we investigate cell-microgel interaction, and we observe improved cell spreading on microgels with more accessible RGD peptide and with a stiffness in a range of 20 kPa to 50 kPa lead to better cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonca Kittel
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Luis P B Guerzoni
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Carolina Itzin
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Dirk Rommel
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Mork
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Céline Bastard
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Häßel
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Abdolrahman Omidinia-Anarkoli
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Silvia P Centeno
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tamás Haraszti
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kyoohyun Kim
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Staudtstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Staudtstraße 2, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexander J C Kuehne
- Institute of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Laura De Laporte
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials e. V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1-2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS), Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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13
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Shi C, Yan Y, Mehrmohammadi M, Zhang J. Versatile multimodal modality based on Brillouin light scattering and the photoacoustic effect. OPTICS LETTERS 2023; 48:3427-3430. [PMID: 37390147 DOI: 10.1364/ol.495361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Multimodal optical techniques are useful for the comprehensive characterization of material properties. In this work, we developed a new, to the best of our knowledge, multimodal technology that can simultaneously measure a subset of mechanical, optical, and acoustical properties of the sample and is based on the integration of Brillouin (Br) and photoacoustic (PA) microscopy. The proposed technique can acquire co-registered Br and PA signals from the sample. Importantly, using synergistic measurements of the speed of sound and Brillouin shift, the modality offers a new approach to quantifying the optical refractive index, which is a fundamental property of a material and is not accessible by either technique individually. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the feasibility of integrating the two modalities and acquired the colocalized Br and time-resolved PA signals in a synthetic phantom made out of kerosene and CuSO4 aqueous solution. In addition, we measured the refractive index values of saline solutions and validated the result. Comparison with previously reported data showed a relative error of 0.3%. This further allowed us to directly quantify the longitudinal modulus of the sample with the colocalized Brillouin shift. While the scope of the current work is limited to introducing the combined Br-PA setup for the first time, we envision that this multimodal modality could open a new path for the multi-parametric analysis of material properties.
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14
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Zhang J, Nikolic M, Tanner K, Scarcelli G. Rapid biomechanical imaging at low irradiation level via dual line-scanning Brillouin microscopy. Nat Methods 2023; 20:677-681. [PMID: 36894684 PMCID: PMC10363327 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01816-z] [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: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Brillouin microscopy is a technique for mechanical characterization of biological material without contact at high three-dimensional resolution. Here, we introduce dual line-scanning Brillouin microscopy (dLSBM), which improves acquisition speed and reduces irradiation dose by more than one order of magnitude with selective illumination and single-shot analysis of hundreds of points along the incident beam axis. Using tumor spheroids, we demonstrate the ability to capture the sample response to rapid mechanical perturbations as well as the spatially resolved evolution of the mechanical properties in growing spheroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitao Zhang
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Milos Nikolic
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kandice Tanner
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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15
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Shi C, Yan Y, Mehrmohammadi M, Zhang J. A versatile multimodal optical modality based on Brillouin light scattering and photoacoustic effect. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.10.532144. [PMID: 36945550 PMCID: PMC10028970 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.10.532144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Multimodal optical imaging techniques are useful for various applications, including imaging biological samples for providing comprehensive material properties. In this work, we developed a new modality that can measure a set of mechanical, optical, and acoustical properties of a sample at microscopic resolution, which is based on the integration of Brillouin (Br) and photoacoustic (PA) microscopy. The proposed multimodal imaging technique not only can acquire co-registered Br and PA signals but also allows us to utilize the sound speed measured by PA to quantify the sample’s refractive index, which is a fundamental property of the material and cannot be measured by either technique individually. We demonstrated the colocalization of Br and time-resolved PA signals in a synthetic phantom made of kerosene and CuSO 4 aqueous solution. In addition, we measured the refractive index of saline solutions and validated the result against published data with a relative error of 0.3 %. This multimodal Br-PA modality could open a new way for characterizing biological samples in physiological and pathological conditions.
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16
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Millar SR, Huang JQ, Schreiber KJ, Tsai YC, Won J, Zhang J, Moses AM, Youn JY. A New Phase of Networking: The Molecular Composition and Regulatory Dynamics of Mammalian Stress Granules. Chem Rev 2023. [PMID: 36662637 PMCID: PMC10375481 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Stress granules (SGs) are cytosolic biomolecular condensates that form in response to cellular stress. Weak, multivalent interactions between their protein and RNA constituents drive their rapid, dynamic assembly through phase separation coupled to percolation. Though a consensus model of SG function has yet to be determined, their perceived implication in cytoprotective processes (e.g., antiviral responses and inhibition of apoptosis) and possible role in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia) have drawn great interest. Consequently, new studies using numerous cell biological, genetic, and proteomic methods have been performed to unravel the mechanisms underlying SG formation, organization, and function and, with them, a more clearly defined SG proteome. Here, we provide a consensus SG proteome through literature curation and an update of the user-friendly database RNAgranuleDB to version 2.0 (http://rnagranuledb.lunenfeld.ca/). With this updated SG proteome, we use next-generation phase separation prediction tools to assess the predisposition of SG proteins for phase separation and aggregation. Next, we analyze the primary sequence features of intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) within SG-resident proteins. Finally, we review the protein- and RNA-level determinants, including post-translational modifications (PTMs), that regulate SG composition and assembly/disassembly dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R Millar
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jie Qi Huang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Karl J Schreiber
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Yi-Cheng Tsai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jiyun Won
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Jianping Zhang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Alan M Moses
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada.,Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3A1, Canada.,The Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Ji-Young Youn
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.,Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
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17
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Handler C, Scarcelli G, Zhang J. Time-lapse mechanical imaging of neural tube closure in live embryo using Brillouin microscopy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:263. [PMID: 36609620 PMCID: PMC9823106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural tube closure (NTC) is a complex process of embryonic development involving molecular, cellular, and biomechanical mechanisms. While the genetic factors and biochemical signaling have been extensively investigated, the role of tissue biomechanics remains mostly unexplored due to the lack of tools. Here, we developed an optical modality that can conduct time-lapse mechanical imaging of neural plate tissue as the embryo is experiencing neurulation. This technique is based on the combination of a confocal Brillouin microscope and a modified ex ovo culturing of chick embryo with an on-stage incubator. With this technique, for the first time, we captured the mechanical evolution of the neural plate tissue with live embryos. Specifically, we observed the continuous increase in tissue modulus of the neural plate during NTC for ex ovo cultured embryos, which is consistent with the data of in ovo culture as well as previous studies. Beyond that, we found that the increase in tissue modulus was highly correlated with the tissue thickening and bending. We foresee this non-contact and label-free technique opening new opportunities to understand the biomechanical mechanisms in embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Handler
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Fischell Department of Bioengineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- grid.164295.d0000 0001 0941 7177Fischell Department of Bioengineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Jitao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
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18
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Kletter T, Biswas A, Reber S. Engineering metaphase spindles: Construction site and building blocks. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2022; 79:102143. [PMID: 36436307 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2022.102143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In an active, crowded cytoplasm, eukaryotic cells construct metaphase spindles from conserved building blocks to segregate chromosomes. Yet, spindles execute their function in a stunning variety of cell shapes and sizes across orders of magnitude. Thus, the current challenge is to understand how unique mesoscale spindle characteristics emerge from the interaction of molecular collectives. Key components of these collectives are tubulin dimers, which polymerise into microtubules. Despite all conservation, tubulin is a genetically and biochemically complex protein family, and we only begin to uncover how tubulin diversity affects microtubule dynamics and thus spindle assembly. Moreover, it is increasingly appreciated that spindles are dynamically intertwined with the cytoplasm that itself exhibits cell-type specific emergent properties with yet mostly unexplored consequences for spindle construction. Therefore, on our way toward a quantitative picture of spindle function, we need to understand molecular behaviour of the building blocks and connect it to the entire cellular context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kletter
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Abin Biswas
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Max-Planck-Institute for the Science of Light, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simone Reber
- IRI Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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19
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Quinlan RA, Clark JI. Insights into the biochemical and biophysical mechanisms mediating the longevity of the transparent optics of the eye lens. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102537. [PMID: 36174677 PMCID: PMC9638808 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the human eye, a transparent cornea and lens combine to form the "refracton" to focus images on the retina. This requires the refracton to have a high refractive index "n," mediated largely by extracellular collagen fibrils in the corneal stroma and the highly concentrated crystallin proteins in the cytoplasm of the lens fiber cells. Transparency is a result of short-range order in the spatial arrangement of corneal collagen fibrils and lens crystallins, generated in part by post-translational modifications (PTMs). However, while corneal collagen is remodeled continuously and replaced, lens crystallins are very long-lived and are not replaced and so accumulate PTMs over a lifetime. Eventually, a tipping point is reached when protein aggregation results in increased light scatter, inevitably leading to the iconic protein condensation-based disease, age-related cataract (ARC). Cataracts account for 50% of vision impairment worldwide, affecting far more people than other well-known protein aggregation-based diseases. However, because accumulation of crystallin PTMs begins before birth and long before ARC presents, we postulate that the lens protein PTMs contribute to a "cataractogenic load" that not only increases with age but also has protective effects on optical function by stabilizing lens crystallins until a tipping point is reached. In this review, we highlight decades of experimental findings that support the potential for PTMs to be protective during normal development. We hypothesize that ARC is preventable by protecting the biochemical and biophysical properties of lens proteins needed to maintain transparency, refraction, and optical function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy A Quinlan
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road Science Site, Durham, United Kingdom; Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
| | - John I Clark
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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20
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Comprehensive single-shot biophysical cytometry using simultaneous quantitative phase imaging and Brillouin spectroscopy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18285. [PMID: 36316372 PMCID: PMC9622723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23049-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell analysis, or cytometry, is a ubiquitous tool in the biomedical sciences. Whereas most cytometers use fluorescent probes to ascertain the presence or absence of targeted molecules, biophysical parameters such as the cell density, refractive index, and viscosity are difficult to obtain. In this work, we combine two complementary techniques-quantitative phase imaging and Brillouin spectroscopy-into a label-free image cytometry platform capable of measuring more than a dozen biophysical properties of individual cells simultaneously. Using a geometric simplification linked to freshly plated cells, we can acquire the cellular diameter, volume, refractive index, mass density, non-aqueous mass, fluid volume, dry volume, the fractional water content of cells, both by mass and by volume, the Brillouin shift, Brillouin linewidth, longitudinal modulus, longitudinal viscosity, the loss modulus, and the loss tangent, all from a single acquisition, and with no assumptions of underlying parameters. Our methods are validated across three cell populations, including a control population of CHO-K1 cells, cells exposed to tubulin-disrupting nocodazole, and cells under hypoosmotic shock. Our system will unlock new avenues of research in biophysics, cell biology, and medicine.
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21
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Nikolić M, Scarcelli G, Tanner K. Multimodal microscale mechanical mapping of cancer cells in complex microenvironments. Biophys J 2022; 121:3586-3599. [PMID: 36059196 PMCID: PMC9617162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanical phenotype of the cell is critical for survival following deformations due to confinement and fluid flow. One idea is that cancer cells are plastic and adopt different mechanical phenotypes under different geometries that aid in their survival. Thus, an attractive goal is to disrupt cancer cells' ability to adopt multiple mechanical states. To begin to address this question, we aimed to quantify the diversity of these mechanical states using in vitro biomimetics to mimic in vivo two-dimensional (2D) and 3D extracellular matrix environments. Here, we used two modalities Brillouin microscopy (∼GHz) and broadband frequency (7-15 kHz) optical tweezer microrheology to measure microscale cell mechanics. We measured the response of intracellular mechanics of cancer cells cultured in 2D and 3D environments where we modified substrate stiffness, dimensionality (2D versus 3D), and presence of fibrillar topography. We determined that there was good agreement between two modalities despite the difference in timescale of the two measurements. These findings on cell mechanical phenotype in different environments confirm a correlation between modalities that employ different mechanisms at different temporal scales (Hz-kHz versus GHz). We also determined that observed heterogeneity in cell shape is more closely linked to the cells' mechanical state. Moreover, individual cells in multicellular spheroids exhibit a lower degree of mechanical heterogeneity when compared with single cells cultured in monodisperse 3D cultures. The observed decreased heterogeneity among cells in spheroids suggested that there is mechanical cooperativity between cells that make up a single spheroid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Nikolić
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Maryland Biophysics Program, IPST, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Maryland Biophysics Program, IPST, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland; Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Kandice Tanner
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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22
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Nguyen TL, Pradeep S, Judson-Torres RL, Reed J, Teitell MA, Zangle TA. Quantitative Phase Imaging: Recent Advances and Expanding Potential in Biomedicine. ACS NANO 2022; 16:11516-11544. [PMID: 35916417 PMCID: PMC10112851 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c11507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is a label-free, wide-field microscopy approach with significant opportunities for biomedical applications. QPI uses the natural phase shift of light as it passes through a transparent object, such as a mammalian cell, to quantify biomass distribution and spatial and temporal changes in biomass. Reported in cell studies more than 60 years ago, ongoing advances in QPI hardware and software are leading to numerous applications in biology, with a dramatic expansion in utility over the past two decades. Today, investigations of cell size, morphology, behavior, cellular viscoelasticity, drug efficacy, biomass accumulation and turnover, and transport mechanics are supporting studies of development, physiology, neural activity, cancer, and additional physiological processes and diseases. Here, we review the field of QPI in biology starting with underlying principles, followed by a discussion of technical approaches currently available or being developed, and end with an examination of the breadth of applications in use or under development. We comment on strengths and shortcomings for the deployment of QPI in key biomedical contexts and conclude with emerging challenges and opportunities based on combining QPI with other methodologies that expand the scope and utility of QPI even further.
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23
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Hauck N, Beck T, Cojoc G, Schlüßler R, Ahmed S, Raguzin I, Mayer M, Schubert J, Müller P, Guck J, Thiele J. PNIPAAm microgels with defined network architecture as temperature sensors in optical stretchers. MATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 3:6179-6190. [PMID: 35979502 PMCID: PMC9342673 DOI: 10.1039/d2ma00296e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Stretching individual living cells with light is a standard method to assess their mechanical properties. Yet, heat introduced by the laser light of optical stretchers may unwittingly change the mechanical properties of cells therein. To estimate the temperature induced by an optical trap, we introduce cell-sized, elastic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) microgels that relate temperature changes to hydrogel swelling. For their usage as a standardized calibration tool, we analyze the effect of free-radical chain-growth gelation (FCG) and polymer-analogous photogelation (PAG) on hydrogel network heterogeneity, micromechanics, and temperature response by Brillouin microscopy and optical diffraction tomography. Using a combination of tailor-made PNIPAAm macromers, PAG, and microfluidic processing, we obtain microgels with homogeneous network architecture. With that, we expand the capability of standardized microgels in calibrating and validating cell mechanics analysis, not only considering cell and microgel elasticity but also providing stimuli-responsiveness to consider dynamic changes that cells may undergo during characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Hauck
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Timon Beck
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Gheorghe Cojoc
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Raimund Schlüßler
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Saeed Ahmed
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Ivan Raguzin
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Martin Mayer
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Jonas Schubert
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Paul Müller
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Julian Thiele
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
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24
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Rix J, Uckermann O, Kirsche K, Schackert G, Koch E, Kirsch M, Galli R. Correlation of biomechanics and cancer cell phenotype by combined Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy of U87-MG glioblastoma cells. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, INTERFACE 2022; 19:20220209. [PMID: 35857926 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The elucidation of biomechanics furthers our understanding of brain tumour biology. Brillouin spectroscopy is a new optical method that addresses viscoelastic properties down to subcellular resolution in a contact-free manner. Moreover, it can be combined with Raman spectroscopy to obtain co-localized biochemical information. Here, we applied co-registered Brillouin and Raman spectroscopy to U87-MG human glioblastoma cells in vitro. Using two-dimensional and three-dimensional cultures, we related biomechanical properties to local biochemical composition at the subcellular level, as well as the cell phenotype. Brillouin and Raman mapping of adherent cells showed that the nucleus and nucleoli are stiffer than the perinuclear region and the cytoplasm. The biomechanics of the cell cytoplasm is affected by culturing conditions, i.e. cells grown as spheroids are stiffer than adherent cells. Inside the spheroids, the presence of lipid droplets as assessed by Raman spectroscopy revealed higher Brillouin shifts that are not related to a local increase in stiffness, but are due to a higher refractive index combined with a lower mass density. This highlights the importance of locally defined biochemical reference data for a correct interpretation of the Brillouin shift of cells and tissues in future studies investigating the biomechanics of brain tumour models by Brillouin spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rix
- Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ortrud Uckermann
- Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany.,Division of Medical Biology, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Kirsche
- Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gabriele Schackert
- Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Edmund Koch
- Clinical Sensoring and Monitoring, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Matthias Kirsch
- Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany.,Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Asklepios Kliniken Schildautal, Karl-Herold-Strasse 1, D-38723 Seesen, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Roberta Galli
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, D-01307 Dresden, Germany
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25
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Riquelme-Guzmán C, Beck T, Edwards-Jorquera S, Schlüßler R, Müller P, Guck J, Möllmert S, Sandoval-Guzmán T. In vivo assessment of mechanical properties during axolotl development and regeneration using confocal Brillouin microscopy. Open Biol 2022; 12:220078. [PMID: 35728623 PMCID: PMC9213112 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In processes such as development and regeneration, where large cellular and tissue rearrangements occur, cell fate and behaviour are strongly influenced by tissue mechanics. While most well-established tools probing mechanical properties require an invasive sample preparation, confocal Brillouin microscopy captures mechanical parameters optically with high resolution in a contact-free and label-free fashion. In this work, we took advantage of this tool and the transparency of the highly regenerative axolotl to probe its mechanical properties in vivo for the first time. We mapped the Brillouin frequency shift with high resolution in developing limbs and regenerating digits, the most studied structures in the axolotl. We detected a gradual increase in the cartilage Brillouin frequency shift, suggesting decreasing tissue compressibility during both development and regeneration. Moreover, we were able to correlate such an increase with the regeneration stage, which was undetected with fluorescence microscopy imaging. The present work evidences the potential of Brillouin microscopy to unravel the mechanical changes occurring in vivo in axolotls, setting the basis to apply this technique in the growing field of epimorphic regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Riquelme-Guzmán
- CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany,Department of Internal Medicine 3, Center for Healthy Aging, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Timon Beck
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany,Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sandra Edwards-Jorquera
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Center for Healthy Aging, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Raimund Schlüßler
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paul Müller
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany,Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany,Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Möllmert
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany,Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tatiana Sandoval-Guzmán
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Center for Healthy Aging, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany,Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden, Helmholtz Centre Munich, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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26
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Kim K, Gade VR, Kurzchalia TV, Guck J. Quantitative imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larvae during cryptobiotic transition. Biophys J 2022; 121:1219-1229. [PMID: 35192842 PMCID: PMC9034246 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon starvation or overcrowding, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans enters diapause by forming a dauer larva, which can then further survive harsh desiccation in an anhydrobiotic state. We have previously identified the genetic and biochemical pathways essential for survival-but without detailed knowledge of their material properties, the mechanistic understanding of this intriguing phenomenon remains incomplete. Here we employed optical diffraction tomography (ODT) to quantitatively assess the internal mass density distribution of living larvae in the reproductive and diapause stages. ODT revealed that the properties of the dauer larvae undergo a dramatic transition upon harsh desiccation. Moreover, mutants that are sensitive to desiccation displayed structural abnormalities in the anhydrobiotic stage that could not be observed by conventional microscopy. Our advance opens a door to quantitatively assessing the transitions in material properties and structure necessary to fully understand an organism on the verge of life and death.
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