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Biomedical subjects

G R Bright

Publications and source records attributed to G R Bright.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Evaluation of algorithms for ratio imaging in fluorescence microscopy.

Ratio imaging in fluorescence microscopy is used in measuring parameters such as pH, pCa, cytoplasmic porosity, and the relative concentration of fluorescent analogs within single cells. The fastest method for ratio imaging is to use lookup tables on special-purpose image processors. Since lookup tables store integers in integer addresses, using a lookup table will generate rounding errors. The magnitude of the error will depend on the transformation performed and on the number of levels used in the lookup table. We examined ratio imaging by lookup table and computed the errors generated by both inversion and log subtraction methods. Both uniformly fluorescing fields and fluorescing cell images were employed to provide data for use in confirming our calculations and illustrating both the magnitude and spatial incidence of errors. It is shown that, through proper design of lookup tables, a significant reduction can be made in the errors generated in comparison with common methods available in most image processors.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1989

Heterogeneity of the changes in cytoplasmic pH upon serum stimulation of quiescent fibroblasts.

Addition of mitogens to quiescent cells results in rapid ionic changes in the cytoplasm, including pH. We studied the changes in cytoplasmic pH in single Swiss 3T3 cells upon serum stimulation using fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy. Quiescence was attained using two approaches, serum deprivation of subconfluent cells and confluence. All measurements were made in the presence of bicarbonate and the absence of other organic buffers. We also used BCECF coupled to dextran to avoid several artifacts associated with using BCECF-AM, including leakage and phototoxicity. Analysis of the changes in cytoplasmic pH demonstrated a dramatic heterogeneity in the responses of single cells. There were six basic classes of responses, 1) a fast alkalinization, reaching a maximum pH in approximately 2-5 min; 2) a slow alkalinization, reaching a maximum pH in 10-20 min; 3) a very slow alkalinization, not reaching a plateau pH within the measurement time; 4) no apparent change in pH during the measurement time; 5) an early transient acidification, followed by either a fast or slow alkalinization; and 6) an acidification, followed by alkalinization and then by a decrease to some intermediate pH. Subconfluent cells exhibited greater heterogeneity in response than confluent cells, with no single dominant class of response. The dominant (55%) response for confluent cells was a gradual alkalinization of approximately 0.01 pH units/min. A larger proportion (52%) of subconfluent cells exhibited an early transient acidification compared to confluent cells (7%). A significant proportion of both types of cells (23% subconfluent, 36% confluent) exhibited no change in cytoplasmic pH upon stimulation. In general, the kinetics of changes in cytoplasmic pH were significantly different from the published results with population averaging methods.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy: temporal and spatial measurements of cytoplasmic pH.

Fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (Tanasugarn, L., P. McNeil, G. Reynolds, and D. L. Taylor, 1984, J. Cell Biol., 98:717-724) has been used to measure the spatial variations in cytoplasmic pH of individual quiescent and nonquiescent Swiss 3T3 cells. Fundamental issues of ratio imaging that permit precise and accurate temporal and spatial measurements have been addressed including: excitation light levels, lamp operation, intracellular probe concentrations, methods of threshold selection, photobleaching, and spatial signal-to-noise ratio measurements. Subcellular measurements can be measured accurately (less than 3% coefficient of variation) in an area of 3.65 microns 2 with the present imaging system. Quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells have a measured cytoplasmic pH of 7.09 (0.01 SEM), whereas nonquiescent cells have a pH of 7.35 (0.01 SEM) in the presence of bicarbonate buffer. A unimodal distribution of mean cytoplasmic pH in both quiescent and nonquiescent cells was identified from populations of cells measured on a cell by cell basis. Therefore, unlike earlier studies based on cell population averages, it can be stated that cells in each population exhibit a narrow range of cytoplasmic pH. However, the mean cytoplasmic pH can change based on the physiological state of the cells. In addition, there appears to be little, if any, spatial variation in cytoplasmic pH in either quiescent or nonquiescent Swiss 3T3 cells. The pH within the nucleus was always the same as the surrounding cytoplasm. These values will serve as a reference point for investigating the role of temporal and spatial variations in cytoplasmic pH in a variety of cellular processes including growth control and cell movement.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Five-parameter fluorescence imaging: wound healing of living Swiss 3T3 cells.

Cellular functions involve the temporal and spatial interplay of ions, metabolites, macromolecules, and organelles. To define the mechanisms responsible for completing cellular functions, we used methods that can yield both temporal and spatial information on multiple physiological parameters and chemical components in the same cell. We demonstrated that the combined use of selected fluorescent probes, fluorescence microscopy, and imaging methods can yield information on at least five separate cellular parameters and components in the same living cell. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial dynamics of each of the parameters and/or components can be correlated with one or more of the others. Five parameters were investigated by spectrally isolating defined regions of the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectrum based on five distinct fluorescent probes. The parameters included nuclei (Hoechst 33342), mitochondria (diIC1-[5] ), endosomes (lissamine rhodamine B-dextran), actin (fluorescein), and the cell volume Cy7-dextran). Nonmotile, confluent Swiss 3T3 cells did not show any detectable polarity of cell shape, or distribution of nuclei, endosomes, or mitochondria. These cells also organized a large percentage of the actin into stress fibers. In contrast, cells migrating into an in vitro wound exhibited at least two stages of reorganization of organelles and cytoplasm. During the first 3 h after wounding, the cells along the edge of the wound assumed a polarized shape, carried the nuclei in the rear of the cells, excluded endosomes and mitochondria from the lamellipodia, and lost most of the highly organized stress fibers. The cell showed a dramatic change between 3 and 7 h after producing the wound. The cells became highly elongated and motile; both the endosomes and the mitochondria penetrated into the lamellipodia, while the nuclei remained in the rear and the actin remained in less organized structures. Defining the temporal and spatial dynamics and interplay of ions, contractile proteins, lipids, regulatory proteins, metabolites, and organelles should lead to an understanding of the molecular basis of cell migration, as well as other cellular functions.

Actins↗