Multiplexed stimulated emission depletion nanoscopy(mSTED)for 5-color live-cell long-term imaging of organelle interactome

Stimulated emission depletion microscopy(STED)holds great potential in biological science applications,especially in studying nanoscale subcellular structures.However,multi-color STED imaging in live-cell remains challenging due to the limited excitation wavelengths and large amount of laser radiation.Here,we develop a multiplexed live-cell STED method to observe more structures simultaneously with limited photo-bleaching and photo-cytotoxicity.By separating live-cell fluorescent probes with similar spectral properties using phasor analysis,our method enables five-color live-cell STED imaging and reveals long-term interactions between different subcellular structures.The results here provide an avenue for understanding the complex and delicate interactome of subcellular structures in live-cell.

A GSH-responsive PET-based fluorescent probe for cancer cells imaging

An efficient PET-based probe,in which the ferrocene quencher and the naphthalimide fluorophore are linked by a disulfide bond,has been developed.This probe can be activated by GSH with fluorescence a turn-on response for blocking the PET process.In addition,it was successfully applied for distinguishing cancer cells from normal cells。

A Facile Approach to Fabricate Water-soluble Au-Fe3O4 Nanoparticle for Liver Cancer Cells Imaging

Au-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were widely used as nanoplatforms for biologic applications through readily further functionalization. Dopamine （DA）-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide （SPIO） nanoparticles （DA@Fe3O4） have been successfully synthesized using a one-step process by modified coprecipitation method. Then 2--3 nm gold nanoparticles were easily conjugated to DA@Fe3O4 nanoparticles by the electrostatic force between gold nanoparti- cles and amino groups of dopamine to afford water-soluble Au-Fe3O4 hybrid nanoparticles. A detailed investigation by dynamic light scatting （DLS）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, fourier transform infrared （FT-IR） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） were performed in order to characterize the physicochemical properties of the hybrid nanoparticles. The hybrid nanoparticles were easily functionalized with a targeted small peptide A54 （AGKGTPSLETTP） and fluorescence probe fluorescein isothiocyanate （FITC） for liver cancer cell BEL-7402 imaging. This simple approach to prepare hybrid nanoparticles provides a facile nanoplatform for muti-functional derivations and may be extended to the immobilization of other metals or bimolecular on SPIO surface.

Tracking of iron-labeled human neural stem cells by magnetic resonance imaging in cell replacement therapy for Parkinson＇s disease

Human neural stem cells（h NSCs） derived from the ventral mesencephalon are powerful research tools and candidates for cell therapies in Parkinson＇s disease. However, their clinical translation has not been fully realized due, in part, to the limited ability to track stem cell regional localization and survival over long periods of time after in vivo transplantation. Magnetic resonance imaging provides an excellent non-invasive method to study the fate of transplanted cells in vivo. For magnetic resonance imaging cell tracking, cells need to be labeled with a contrast agent, such as magnetic nanoparticles, at a concentration high enough to be easily detected by magnetic resonance imaging. Grafting of human neural stem cells labeled with magnetic nanoparticles allows cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging without impairment of cell survival, proliferation, self-renewal, and multipotency. However, the results reviewed here suggest that in long term grafting, activated microglia and macrophages could contribute to magnetic resonance imaging signal by engulfing dead labeled cells or iron nanoparticles dispersed freely in the brain parenchyma over time.

In vivo bioluminescence imaging of hyperglycemia exacerbating stem cells on choroidal neovascularization in mice

AIM： To investigate the influence of hyperglycemia on the severity of choroidal neovascularization（CNV）,especially the involvement of bone marrow-derived cells（BMCs） and underlying mechanisms.·METHODS： BMCs from firefly luciferase（Fluc）/green fluorescent protein（GFP） double transgenic mice were transplanted into C57BL/6J wide-type mice. The recipient mice were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin（STZ） daily for 5 consecutive days to induce diabetes mellitus（DM）, followed by CNV laser photocoagulation.The BMCs recruitment in CNV exposed to hyperglycemia was firstly examined in Fluc/GFP chimeric mice by in vivo optical bioluminescence imaging（BLI） and in vitro Fluc assays. The CNV severity was evaluated by H＆E staining and choroidal flatmount. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor（VEGF） and stromal cell derived factor-1（SDF-1） was detected by Western blot.·RESULTS： BLI showed that the BMCs exerted dynamic effects in CNV model in Fluc/GFP chimeric mice exposed to hyperglycemia. The signal intensity of transplanted Fluc＋GFP＋BMCs in the DM chimeric mice was significantly higher than that in the control chimeric mice with CNV induction at days 5, 7, 14 and 21（121861.67 ±9948.81 vs 144998.33 ±13787.13 photons/second/cm2/sr for control and DM mice, P5d〈0.05; 178791.67±30350.8 vs240166.67 ±22605.3, P7d〈0.05; 124176.67 ±16253.52 vs196376.67 ±18556.79, P14d〈0.05; 97951.60 ±10343.09 vs119510.00 ±14383.76, P21d〈0.05）, which was consistent with in vitro Fluc assay at day 7 [relative light units of Fluc（RLU1）], 215.00±52.05 vs 707.33±88.65, P 〈0.05; RLU1/relative light units of renilla luciferase（RLU2）, 0.90 ±0.17 vs 1.83 ±0.17, P 〈0.05]. The CNVs in the DM mice were wider than those in the control group at days 5, 7, 14 and21（147.83±17.36 vs 220.33±20.17 μm, P5d〈0.05; 212.17 ±24.63 vs 326.83 ±19.49, P7d〈0.05; 163.17 ±18.24 vs265.17 ±20.55, P14d〈0.05; 132.00 ±10.88 vs 205.33 ±12.98,P21d〈0.05）. The average area of CNV in the DM group was larger at 7d（20688.67±3644.96 vs 32218.00±4132.69 μm2,P 〈0.05）. The expression of VEGF and SDF-1 was enhanced in the DM mice.·CONCLUSION： Hyperglycemia promots the vasculo-genesis of CNV, especially the contribution of BMCs,which might be triggered by VEGF and SDF-1 production.

Fluorescent intracellular imaging of reactive oxygen species and pH levels moderated by a hydrogenase mimic in living cells

The catalytic generation of H_(2) in living cells provides a method for antioxidant therapy.In this study,an[FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic[Ru+Fe_(2)S_(2)@F127(80)]was synthesized by self-assembling polymeric pluronic F-127,catalytic[Fe_(2)S_(2)]sites,and photosensitizer Ru(bpy)_(3)^(2+).Under blue light irradiation,hydrated protons were photochemically reduced to H2,which increased the local pH in living cells(HeLa cells).The generated H2 was subsequently used as an antioxidant to decrease reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels in living cells(HEK 293T,HepG2,MCF-7,and HeLa cells).Our findings revealed that the proliferation of HEK 293T cells increased by a factor of about six times,relative to that of other cells(HepG2,MCF-7,and HeLa cells).Intracellular ROS and pH levels were then monitored using fluorescent cell imaging.Our study showed that cell imaging can be used to evaluate the ability of Ru t Fe2S2@F127 to eliminate oxidative stress and prevent ROS-related diseases.

Simultaneous Morphologies and Luminescence Control of NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er Nanophosphors by Surfactants for Cancer Cell Imaging

Hydrophilic rare-earth up-conversion nanophosphors(UCNPs)with small sizes and a strong up-conversion luminescence have attracted much interest.Herein the simultaneous control of morphologies and the up-conversion luminescence intensities was reported for NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors by a facile hydrothermal procedure with different surfactants.With the change of the surfactants from polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)to sodium citrate(CIT),edetate disodium(EDTA)or sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate(SDBS),the morphology of NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors transformed from nanoparticles with a diameter of about 70.0 nm to hexagonal nanoblocks with a thickness of about 125.0 nm and a length of about 240.0 nm,nanorods with a diameter of about 700.0 nm and a length of about 2.6μm,or nanowires with a diameter of 250.0 nm and a length of about 3.2μm.Simultaneously,their up-conversion luminescence intensity went down gradually under laser irradiation at a wavelength of 980 nm due to the increase of photobleaching.PVP-capped NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanoparticles exhibited the smallest size and the strongest up-conversion luminescence intensity.Biological experiment results revealed that NaYF_(4)∶Yb/Er nanophosphors exhibited a high biocompatibility and could be used as biological labels with a perfect signal-to-noise ratio for cancer cell imaging.

Three-dimensional structure of liver vessels and spatial distribution of hepatic immune cells

As the largest internal organ of the human body,the liver has an extremely complex vascularnetwork and multiple types of immune cells.It plays an important role in blood circulation,material metabolism,and immune response.Optical imaging is an effective tool for studying finevascular structure and immunocyte distribution of the liver.Here,we provide an overview of thestructure and composition of liver vessels,the threedimensional(3D)imaging of the liver,andthe spatial distribution and immune function of various cell components of the liver.Especially,we emphasize the 3D imaging methods for visualizing fine structure in the liver.Finally,wesummarize and prospect the development of 3D imaging of liver vesels and immune cells.

Application of Image Fusion Methods to Cell Imaging Processing

Aim To fuse the fluorescence image and transmission image of a cell into a single image containing more information than any of the individual image. Methods Image fusion technology was applied to biological cell imaging processing. It could match the images and improve the confidence and spatial resolution of the images. Using two algorithms, double thresholds algorithm and denoising algorithm based on wavelet transform,the fluorescence image and transmission image of a Cell were merged into a composite image. Results and Conclusion The position of fluorescence and the structure of cell can be displyed in the composite image. The signal-to-noise ratio of the exultant image is improved to a large extent. The algorithms are not only useful to investigate the fluorescence and transmission images, but also suitable to observing two or more fluoascent label proes in a single cell.

Recent advances in optical techniques for dynamically probing cellular mechanobiology

Cellular mechanotransduction characterized by the transformation of mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals,represents a pivotal and complex process underpinning a multitude of cellular functionalities.This process is integral to diverse biological phenomena,including embryonic development,cell migration,tissue regeneration,and disease pathology,particularly in the context of cancer metastasis and cardiovascular diseases.Despite the profound biological and clinical significance of mechanotransduction,our understanding of this complex process remains incomplete.The recent development of advanced optical techniques enables in-situ force measurement and subcellular manipulation from the outer cell membrane to the organelles inside a cell.In this review,we delved into the current state-of-the-art techniques utilized to probe cellular mechanobiology,their principles,applications,and limitations.We mainly examined optical methodologies to quantitatively measure the mechanical properties of cells during intracellular transport,cell adhesion,and migration.We provided an introductory overview of various conventional and optical-based techniques for probing cellular mechanics.These techniques have provided into the dynamics of mechanobiology,their potential to unravel mechanistic intricacies and implications for therapeutic intervention.

Synthesis of Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots and Their Application in the Plant Cell Imaging

Carbon quantum dots(CQDs) exhibit tremendous advantages for plant growth study due to its strong fluorescence and good biocompatibility. The fluorescent CQDs were synthesized by the onestep microwave method with the raw materials of citric acid(CA) and urea(UR), and expressed a unique green fluorescence with the optimal excitation wavelength of over 400 nm through adjusting the doping of N elements. It is demonstrated that CQDs can act as deliver media in plant and fluorescent probes for plant cell imaging through directly cultivated in the seedlings of melon and wheat, respectively. Based on the effects of the fluorescent CQDs on plants growth, we can further study the mechanisms of the ions transport in plants.

Novel Bis-β-diketone-type Ligand and Its Copper and Zinc Complexes for Two-photon Biological Imaging

A curcumin derivative ligand,1,7-bis（3-methoxyl-4-oxyethylacetate）phenyl-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-diketone（diethyl acetatecurcumin,abbreviated as HL）,and its Cu（II） and Zn（II） complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses,infrared（IR）,1H NMR and molar conductivity.The experimental results show that the resulting complexes bear strong two-photon excited fluorescence（TPEF） in N,N-dimethyformamide solvent,which has been proven to be potentially useful for two-photon microscopy imaging in living cells.In addition,cytotoxicity tests show that the low-micromolar concentrations of metal-ligand complex（ML2） did not cause significant reduction in cell viability over a period of,at least,24 h and should be safe for further biological studies.

Live imaging of the effects of fucoidan on cell proliferation for laboratory instruction

The aim of this study is to introduce live cell imaging and its applications for the evaluation of the effects of fucoidan, a fucose-enriched sulfated polysaccharide, on the proliferation of cultured cells in vitro. In this study, long-term time- lapse observation （87 h） of the effects of fucoidan was conducted using BioStation CT, an integrated cell culture observation system. In contrast, the effects of heparin, which has a similar structure to fucoidan, were observed to distinguish the differences between the two chemicals. At the same time, the viability of the floating cells detached by fucoidan in the medium was measured by culturing them again in the absence of fucoidan. Finally, total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy （TIRF） was used to confirm when the detachment of the cells by fucoidan occurred. The results indicate that the inhibitory effects of fucoidan on the proliferation of cells are dose-dependent （from 0.125 mg/ml to 1.0 mg/ml）. Fucoidan also causes cell detachment without killing all the cells within 24 hours. The cell detachment did not occur until after half an hour, as observed under the TIRF microscope. Combined with our previous study, the findings suggest that the inhibition of calcium responses by fucoidan may be one of the mechanisms underlying its inhibition of cell proliferation, which is responsible for the death of cancer cells. Cell proliferation can be visualized in the real time and the images can provide important information regarding when and how the cells grow and proliferate.

DNA tetrahedron-based split aptamer probes for reliable imaging of ATP in living cells

Accurate detection and imaging of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)expression levels in living cells is of great value for understanding cell metabolism,physiological activities,and pathologic mechanisms.Here,we developed a DNA tetrahedron-based split aptamer probe(TD probe)for ratiometric fluorescence imaging of ATP in living cells.The TD probe is constructed by hybridizing two split ATP aptamer probes(Apt-a and Apt-b)to a DNA tetrahedron assembled by four DNA oligonucleotides(T1,T2,T3 and T4).In the presence of ATP,the TD probe will alter its structure from the open to closed state,thus bringing the separated donor and acceptor fluorophores into close proximity for high fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET)signals.The TD probe exhibits low cytotoxicity,efficient cell internalization and good biological stability.Moreover,based on the FRET“off”to“on”signal output mode,the TD probe can effectively avoid false-positive signals from complex biological matrices,which is significant for long-term reliable imaging in living cells.In addition,by changing the split aptamers attached to DNA tetrahedron,the proposed strategy may be extended for detecting various intracellular targets.Collectively,this strategy provides a valuable sensing platform for biomarkers analysis in living cells,thus having great potential for early clinical diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation.

Photovoltaic Cell Panels Soiling Inspection Using Principal Component Thermal Image Processing

Intended for good productivity and perfect operation of the solar power grid a failure-free system is required.Therefore,thermal image processing with the thermal camera is the latest non-invasive(without manual contact)type fault identification technique which may give good precision in all aspects.The soiling issue,which is major productivity affecting factor may import from several reasons such as dust on the wind,bird mucks,etc.The efficient power production sufferers due to accumulated soil deposits reaching from 1%–7%in the county,such as India,to more than 25%in middle-east countries country,such as Dubai,Kuwait,etc.This research offers a solar panel soiling detection system built on thermal imaging which powers the inspection method and mitigates the requirement for physical panel inspection in a large solar production place.Hence,in this method,solar panels can be verified by working without disturbing production operation and it will save time and price of recognition.India ranks 3rd worldwide in the usage use age of Photovoltaic(PV)panels now and it is supported about 8.6%of the Nation’s electricity need in the year 2020.In the meantime,the installed PV production areas in India are aged 4–5 years old.Hence the need for inspection and maintenance of installed PV is growing fast day by day.As a result,this research focuses on finding the soiling hotspot exactly of the working solar panels with the help of Principal Components Thermal Analysis(PCTA)on MATLAB Environment.

A NIR ratiometric fluorescent biosensor for sensitive detection and imaging of α-L-fucosidase in living cells and HCC tumor-bearing mice

Detection and imaging of α-L-fucosidase(AFU)is of great value to understand its roles in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and tumor early diagnosis,but ideal assays are still lacking.Herein,a near-infrared(NIR)fluorescent biosensor(α-Fuc-DCM)was elaborately designed and synthesized for rapid and ratiometric detection of AFU activity in cells and HCC tumor mouse models.In the presence of AFU,this biosensor shows an enhancement in NIR emission in a ratiometric manner,which significantly improves the detection accuracy with the limit of detection as low as 4.8 mU/mL.Taking advantage of these merits,the activity of AFU in lysosomes could be visualized using ratiometric and NIR dual modality in living cells.Furthermore,its remarkable application for monitoring of endogenous AFU activity in HCC tumor-bearing mouse model is also demonstrated with bright fluorescence signal,which indicated that the biosensor could clearly monitor the liver tumor in the early stage.Importantly,the α-Fuc-DCM probe can be utilized to detect the AFU in serum from HCC patients.This strategy offers a promising biosensor system for early diagnosis of HCC and studying the roles of AFU in cancers.

A chiral fluorescent probe for molecular recognition of basic amino acids in solutions and cells

A novel and readily available binaphthyl-based fluorescent probe(S)-1 was designed and synthesized.(S)-1 can be used to not only chemoselectively discriminate 3 basic amino acids out of common amino acids,but also enantioselectively recognize histidine.Encouragingly,enantioselective imaging of histidine in cells was achieved for the first time by the probe(S)-1.These performances endowed it potential application in the chiral analysis of basic amino acids in asymmetric synthesis and cell imaging for diagnosis of diseases caused by racemization of histidine.Nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and mass spectrometry investigations suggested that different reaction extent of(S)-1 with L/D-histidine and different product structures generated the observed enantioselective fluorescent response.The molecular structures and thermodynamic stability of the complexes,formed from(S)-1+Zn2+and enantiomers of histidine,were calculated by Gaussian 16 based on density functional theory(DFT)to validate the above action mechanism.

Heterobimetallic lanthanide tetrahedral cages:Synthesis,design and application for potential multimodal imaging contrast agent

The construction and functionalization of lanthanide-organic cages have been a research hotspot in coordination chemistry.Benefiting from the unique luminescent and magnetic properties of lanthanide ions,the potential applications of lanthanide-organic cages in biological imaging applications are promising,but only a few corresponding explorations have been reported.He rein,we introduced a series of lanthanide tetrahedral cages,(Eu_(n)Gd_(4-n)L_(4))(sol)_8(n=0,1,2,3 and 4,where L=(4,4',4"-tris(4,4,4-trifluoro-1,3-dioxobutyl)-triphenylamine,and sol=dimethyl sulfoxide and methanol),with potential applications in biological imaging.Given the good luminescent and magnetic properties of Eu^(3+) and Gd^(3+) ions,Eu_(4)L_(4) and Gd_(4)L_(4) complexes show a high luminescence quantum yield of 29% in DMSO and large longitudinal relaxivity(r_(1)) of 11.4(mmol/L)^(-1)/s at 0.5 T in water containing 1 vol% DMSO,respectively.The heterobimetallic Eu-Gd complexes achieve a dual imaging mode by combining luminescent and magnetic centers in one cage.When the Gd:Eu ratio increases from 1:3 to 3:1,the r_(1) values increases from 5.33 to 8.64(mmoI/L)^(-1)/s,higher than that of commercial contrast agent Gd-DOTA(3.23(mmol/L)^(-1)/s).Owing to their low toxicity and good cell imaging ability toward ECA 109 cells,the selfassembled Eu-Gd heterobimetallic tetrahedral cages could be potential candidates for the multimodal imaging contrast agent.

Fluorine-doped carbon quantum dots with deep-red emission for hypochlorite determination and cancer cell imaging

As a type of new carbon-based nanomaterials,carbon dots(CDs)possess exceptional optical properties,making them highly desirable for use in fluorescent sensors.However,the CDs with deep-red(DR)or near-infrared(NIR)emission have rarely been reported.In this work,we prepared deep-red emissive fluorine-doped carbon quantum dots(F-CDs)by introducing a precursor simultaneously containing fluorine and amidogen.The synergistic effect of nitrogen doping and D-π-A pattern production contributed to the maximum emission of F-CDs at 636 nm with an absolute quantum yield of 36.00%±0.68%.Moreover,we designed an F-CDs-based fluorescence assay to determine the content of hypochlorite(ClO^(-)),with a limit of detection(LOD)as low as 15.4 nmol/L,indicating the high sensitivity of F-CDs to ClO^(-).In real samples,the F-CDs-based fluorescent sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity and selectivity in the detection of ClO^(-),with an error below 2%,suggesting their great potential in daily life.In cancer cell imaging,the F-CDs not only demonstrated high sensitivity to ClO^(-)but also exhibited excellent mitochondria targeting,as evidenced by the high Pearson's correlation coefficient(PCC)of 0.93 in colocalization analysis.The work presented here suggests the great potential of replacing commercial dyes with F-CDs for highly specific mitochondria labeling and cell imaging.

Luminescent terphen[3]arene sulfate-activated FRET assemblies for cell imaging

Multicharged supramolecular assemblies based on luminescent macrocycle play an important role in extending their optical properties and functions.Herein,we reported macrocyclic supramolecular assemblies based on luminescent terphen[3]arene sulfate(TP[3]AS)and tetraphenylethylene pyridinium(TPE-4Py)through electrostatic interactions,host-guest encapsulation andπ-πstacking interactions.F?rster resonance energy transfer(FRET)process from TP[3]AS to TPE-4Py was achieved with the energy transfer efficiency of 99.9%,accompanied by TPE-4Py fluorescence emission bathochromic shifted of 15 nm and enhanced by 1.68 times in PBS solution.In contrast,other non-luminescent sulfato-β-cyclodextrin and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin only can enhance the fluorescence intensity of TPE-4Py without bathochromic shift.Due to the strong fluorescence and good stability of TPE-4Py@TP[3]AS,it can be used for optical imaging in living cells,which provided an effective approach for the construction of assembling-confined luminescent biomaterials.