可用于双色双光子显微成像的新的荧光蛋白对

双色双光子激光扫描显微技术可以用来研究生物组织内两种不同蛋白质的表达、定位和示踪．由于大多数双光子显微镜一次只能提供一种波长的激发光,双色同时成像较难实现．mAmetrine和mKate2作为新发现的荧光蛋白对可以用于双光子双色同时成像,这得益于它们各自的优势：mAmetrine的斯托克斯位移和mKate2的高亮度．在765nm的波长激发时,它们的双光子吸收效率都很高．mAmetrine和mKate2能够很好地用于双色双光子活细胞成像实验．     

综述: 用于神经活动观测的随机扫描双光子显微成像

双光子荧光显微镜是神经科学研究中的重要观测仪器,但是现有的商品化仪器受限于较低的成像速度,难以满足脑功能研究中毫秒量级神经信号检测的需要．基于声光偏转器的快速随机扫描双光子显微成像技术,有望在保持信噪比的同时提高观测速度．本文综述了这一研究的最新进展,从飞秒激光经过角色散器件后的时空演化理论、声光偏转器的色散补偿方法、随机扫描成像仪器及仪器应用到神经成像时钙信号的识别方法四个方面分别进行介绍,最后分析了随机扫描双光子显微成像技术的发展趋势．这项技术的系统深入研究将为神经活动观测提供一种全新的方法,推动脑科学研究的发展．     

记新一代微型化高分辨率双光子显微镜的诞生——程和平院士专访

正在生物医学领域,成像技术是最重要的技术手段之一,它让研究者能够观察到组织和细胞内正在发生的过程,为各项研究提供直接而确切的证据.传统的单光子荧光显微镜用单个光子将荧光分子激发到激发态,进而产生可被观测的荧光,而发明于1990年的双光子显微镜则是用两个光子来激发同一个荧光分子.与单光子显微镜相比,它所使用的激光波长更长(单个光子的能量更小),具备更高的组织穿透性和更小的光毒性.此外,双光子的激发能力与能     

活体细胞内双光子激发的光漂白特性

长波长光的强穿透能力和对活体细胞和生物组织光毒性很小的特性,使得双光子激发荧光显微术已经成为无损伤成像的重要工具.可是双光子激发的高光子密度可能会产生高次光子相互作用, 从而产生更快的光漂白.从实验上研究了离体和活体细胞内的若丹明123和若丹明B分别在单光子激发和双光子激发时的光漂白特性.在体的实验结果与离体的实验结果一致.正如期望的一样,单光子激发时光漂白速率非常近似地随着激发功率的增加而线性增加.可是,双光子激发时的光漂白速率并不是正比于激发功率的平方,而是正比于激发功率的高次方（＞3.5）.对绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）变异体CFP和YFP的实验也得到同样的结果,这就表明高次光漂白可能是双（多）光子激发中的普遍现象.因此多光子的应用可能会受到强光漂白的限制.     

基于双光子激发的荧光相关谱测量

本文利用多光子激发激光扫描显微镜的部分光路和探测器．建立了双光子荧光相关谱系统(Two-Photo Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy．简称TP-FCS)。利用TP-FCS系统观察到了“光子爆发”现象．实现了染料分子的双光子激发,测量出若丹明B染料分子在蔗糖溶液中的扩散系数。实验证明该系统具有操作简便、可靠性高,费用低廉等等点,可实现单分子检测。     

双光子显微镜在生物医学中的应用及其进展

光学显微镜的发展历史是一段不断提高显微镜的分辨率和对比度的历史。双光子显微镜是近30年来非线性显微镜的研究发展的代表。它在分辨率上与共聚焦显微镜相当,但在成像的层析穿透深度上有显著提高,并且大大减少了光毒性与光漂白。由于生物细胞组织中富有各种自家荧光源,因此双光子显微镜被广泛应用于皮肤组织甚至癌组织以及细胞的成像。基于共聚焦扫描显微镜的双光子显微镜可以很容易的与二次谐波显微镜组合,对皮肤组织中的重要成分胶原纤维进行成像。双光子显微镜还可以结合其他非线性光学现象对组织以及细胞进行成像,显示其强大的生命力。将来随着携带方便且廉价的双光子显微镜的出现,双光子显微镜有望在临床医学上发挥其有效的作用。     

双光子显微成像系统群延迟色散的测量和补偿

为了对双光子显微成像系统的群延迟色散进行校正,提高双光子激发效率的目的,采用自相关仪测量的方法在自行搭建的双光子系统光路的四个位置测量飞秒激光的脉冲展宽情况,测量样品位置5个波长下最优的群延迟色散补偿值,由此拟合得到自搭建双光子系统的全波段群延迟色散补偿曲线。实验结果表明在应用此群延迟色散补偿曲线后样品位置的脉冲宽度平均减小95 fs,在两个典型激发波长(750 nm和900 nm)生物样品的荧光强度分别提高了42.7%和76.8%。结论为双光子激发效率与飞秒激光的脉冲宽度成线性反比关系。     

生物光子学应用

生物光子学是光学技术与生命科学的交叉学科,可以在分子水平上研究细胞的功能和结构,包括生物系统的光子辐射以及这些光子携带的信息,用光子及其技术对生物系统进行检测、加工和改造等。激光扫描共焦显微术、双光子荧光显微术、近场光学扫描显微术和光镊等显微技术在生命科学研究中的应用非常重要。     

双光子显微镜检测活体小鼠脑内微循环技术的建立

目的:利用正置双光子显微镜系统和荧光探针标记技术,观察活体小鼠脑内血管的三维立体分布,建立测量单根毛细血管血流速度的新方法。方法:麻醉小鼠,制作活体小鼠颅骨开窗样本,尾静脉注射血浆标记物Texas-Red dextran,利用双光子显微镜z序列扫描检测脑内微循环系统的三维分布;利用线扫描测量毛细血管的血流速度。结果:通过双光子显微镜可以探测到脑内500μm处的血管分布和走向,图像清晰且信噪比高;通过计算单位时间内红细胞的运动距离测得毛细血管(直径≤6μm)的血流速度为(0.59±0.12)mm/s。结论:利用双光子显微镜观察脑内微循环系统技术平台初步建立,为基础研究和医药应用提供了在体实验依据。     

应用双光子显微镜和流式细胞仪定性及定量确定小鼠巨噬细胞的吞噬功能

建立了流式细胞仪和双光子激光共聚焦荧光显微镜进行定性和定量检测小鼠巨噬细胞吞噬鸡红细胞的方法,并同传统光学显微镜细胞化学染色观察方法相比较,探讨其检测巨噬细胞吞噬效应的优越性。常规方法获取小鼠腹腔和脾脏巨噬细胞,制备巨噬细胞悬液。常规制备鸡红细胞,计数并调整活细胞数,用5-二醋酸羧基荧光素琥珀酸单胞菌酯(5-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester,CFSE)染色,与巨噬细胞共温育一定时间后,小鼠巨噬细胞特异性荧光抗体F4/80标记巨噬细胞。应用流式细胞仪检测巨噬细胞中CFSE阳性百分率来表示巨噬细胞吞噬率;应用双光子显微镜观察被吞噬的CFSE阳性鸡红细胞动态分布情况。同时,采用传统光学显微镜吉姆萨染色观察巨噬细胞吞噬百分率。结果显示,流式细胞仪结合双光子显微镜检测巨噬细胞吞噬率与传统的显微镜计数法比较,两者有明显的正相关性。双光子显微镜和流式细胞仪可以定性与定量检测巨噬细胞吞噬功能,该方法具有灵敏、快捷、重复性好以及准确率高的特点,是进行免疫学研究的可行方法。     

Imaging of protein crystals with two-photon microscopy

Second-order nonlinear optical imaging of chiral crystals (SONICC), which portrays second-harmonic generation (SHG) by noncentrosymmetric crystals, is emerging as a powerful imaging technique for protein crystals in media opaque to visible light because of its high signal-to-noise ratio. Here we report the incorporation of both SONICC and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) into one imaging system that allows visualization of crystals as small as ~10 μm in their longest dimension. Using this system, we then documented an inverse correlation between the level of symmetry in examined crystals and the intensity of their SHG. Moreover, because of blue-green TPEF exhibited by most tested protein crystals, we also could identify and image SHG-silent protein crystals. Our experimental data suggest that the TPEF in protein crystals is mainly caused by the oxidation of tryptophan residues. Additionally, we found that unspecific fluorescent dyes are able to bind to lysozyme crystals and enhance their detection by TPEF. We finally confirmed that the observed fluorescence was generated by a two-photon rather than a three-photon process. The capability for imaging small protein crystals in turbid or opaque media with nondamaging infrared light in a single system makes the combination of SHG and intrinsic visible TPEF a powerful tool for nondestructive protein crystal identification and characterization during crystallization trials.     

Enhanced background rejection in thick tissue with differential-aberration two-photon microscopy

When a two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) microscope is used to image deep inside tissue, out-of-focus background can arise from both ballistic and nonballistic excitation. We propose a solution to largely reject TPEF background in thick tissue. Our technique is based on differential-aberration imaging with a deformable mirror. By introducing extraneous aberrations in the excitation beam path, we preferentially quench in-focus TPEF signal while leaving out-of-focus TPEF background largely unchanged. A simple subtraction of an aberrated, from an unaberrated, TPEF image then removes background while preserving signal. Our differential aberration (DA) technique is simple, robust, and can readily be implemented with standard TPEF microscopes with essentially no loss in temporal resolution when using a line-by-line DA protocol. We analyze the performance of various induced aberration patterns, and demonstrate the effectiveness of DA-TPEF by imaging GFP-labeled sensory neurons in a mouse olfactory bulb and CA1 pyramidal cells in a hippocampus slice.     

Attenuation of photobleaching in two-photon excitation fluorescence from green fluorescent protein with shaped excitation pulses

The two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) process of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) for fluorescence signals was adaptively controlled by the phase-modulation of femtosecond pulses. After the iteration of pulse shaping, a twofold increase in the ratio of the fluorescence signal to the laser peak power was achieved. Compared with conventional pulses optimized for peak power, phase-optimized laser pulses reduced the bleaching rate of EGFP by a factor of 4 while maintaining the same intensity of the fluorescence signal. Our method will provide a powerful solution to various problems confronting researchers, such as the photobleaching of dyes in two-photon excitation microscopy.     

生物组织背向SHG和TPEF的影响因素

由于生物组织的复杂性和多样性,以及样品制备等因素的影响,实验观察到的生物组织的背向二次谐波(second harmonic generation,SHG)和双光子激发荧光(two-photon excitation fluorescence,TPEF)效应的差异较大。以鼠尾组织作为实验对象,共40个切片,分为横向和纵向、HE染色和未染色四组,采用飞秒激光器作为激发光,用双光子激光扫描共焦显微镜(two-photon laser scanning confocal microscope,TPLSCM)观察和分析了样品在不同的制备方式、激发波长、激发功率、扫描深度等条件下的背向SHG和TPEF的变化曲线,讨论和比较了生物组织的背向SHG和TPEF的影响因素以及二者之间的异同,并尝试对实验现象做出了一定的解释。     

Three-Dimensional High-Resolution Second-Harmonic Generation Imaging of Endogenous Structural Proteins in Biological Tissues

We find that several key endogenous protein structures give rise to intense second-harmonic generation (SHG)—nonabsorptive frequency doubling of an excitation laser line. Second-harmonic imaging microscopy (SHIM) on a laser-scanning system proves, therefore, to be a powerful and unique tool for high-resolution, high-contrast, three-dimensional studies of live cell and tissue architecture. Unlike fluorescence, SHG suffers no inherent photobleaching or toxicity and does not require exogenous labels. Unlike polarization microscopy, SHIM provides intrinsic confocality and deep sectioning in complex tissues. In this study, we demonstrate the clarity of SHIM optical sectioning within unfixed, unstained thick specimens. SHIM and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) were combined in a dual-mode nonlinear microscopy to elucidate the molecular sources of SHG in live cells and tissues. SHG arose not only from coiled-coil complexes within connective tissues and muscle thick filaments, but also from microtubule arrays within interphase and mitotic cells. Both polarization dependence and a local symmetry cancellation effect of SHG allowed the signal from species generating the second harmonic to be decoded, by ratiometric correlation with TPEF, to yield information on local structure below optical resolution. The physical origin of SHG within these tissues is addressed and is attributed to the laser interaction with dipolar protein structures that is enhanced by the intrinsic chirality of the protein helices.     

Second harmonic and sum frequency generation imaging of fibrous astroglial filaments in ex vivo spinal tissues

Sum frequency generation (SFG) and second harmonic generation (SHG) were observed from helical fibrils in spinal cord white matter isolated from guinea pigs. By combining SFG with coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy, which allows visualization of myelinated axons, these fibers were found to be distributed near the surface of the spinal cord, between adjacent axons, and along the blood vessels. Using 20-microm-thick tissue slices, the ratio of forward to backward SHG signal from large bundles was found to be much larger than that from small single fibrils, indicating a phase-matching effect in coherent microscopy. Based on the intensity profiles across fibrils and the size dependence of forward and backward signal from the same fibril, we concluded that the main SHG signal directly originates from the fibrils, but not from surface SHG effects. Further polarization analysis of the SHG signal showed that the symmetry property of the fibril could be well described with a cylindrical model. Colocalization of the SHG signal with two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) from the immunostaining of glial fibrillary acidic protein demonstrated that SHG arises from astroglial filaments. This assignment was further supported by colocalization of the SHG contrast with TPEF signals from astrocyte processes labeled by a Ca(2+) indicator and sulforhodamine 101. This work shows that a combination of three nonlinear optical imaging techniques--coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, TPEF, and SHG (SFG) microscopy--allows simultaneous visualization of different structures in a complex biological system.     

Optical Biomarkers of Serous and Mucinous Human Ovarian Tumor Assessed with Nonlinear Optics Microscopies

Background

Nonlinear optical (NLO) microscopy techniques have potential to improve the early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer. In this study we showed that multimodal NLO microscopies, including two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF), second-harmonic generation (SHG), third-harmonic generation (THG) and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) can detect morphological and metabolic changes associated with ovarian cancer progression.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We obtained strong TPEF + SHG + THG signals from fixed samples stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) and robust FLIM signal from fixed unstained samples. Particularly, we imaged 34 ovarian biopsies from different patients (median age, 49 years) including 5 normal ovarian tissue, 18 serous tumors and 11 mucinous tumors with the multimodal NLO platform developed in our laboratory. We have been able to distinguish adenomas, borderline, and adenocarcinomas specimens. Using a complete set of scoring methods we found significant differences in the content, distribution and organization of collagen fibrils in the stroma as well as in the morphology and fluorescence lifetime from epithelial ovarian cells.

Conclusions/Significance

NLO microscopes provide complementary information about tissue microstructure, showing distinctive patterns for serous and mucinous ovarian tumors. The results provide a basis to interpret future NLO images of ovarian tissue and lay the foundation for future in vivo optical evaluation of premature ovarian lesions.     

Two-Photon Microscopy for Non-Invasive,Quantitative Monitoring of Stem Cell Differentiation

Background

The engineering of functional tissues is a complex multi-stage process, the success of which depends on the careful control of culture conditions and ultimately tissue maturation. To enable the efficient optimization of tissue development protocols, techniques suitable for monitoring the effects of added stimuli and induced tissue changes are needed.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here, we present the quantitative use of two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) as a noninvasive means to monitor the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) using entirely endogenous sources of contrast. We demonstrate that the individual fluorescence contribution from the intrinsic cellular fluorophores NAD(P)H, flavoproteins and lipofuscin can be extracted from TPEF images and monitored dynamically from the same cell population over time. Using the redox ratio, calculated from the contributions of NAD(P)H and flavoproteins, we identify distinct patterns in the evolution of the metabolic activity of hMSCs maintained in either propagation, osteogenic or adipogenic differentiation media. The differentiation of these cells is mirrored by changes in cell morphology apparent in high resolution TPEF images and by the detection of collagen production via SHG imaging. Finally, we find dramatic increases in lipofuscin levels in hMSCs maintained at 20% oxygen vs. those in 5% oxygen, establishing the use of this chromophore as a potential biomarker for oxidative stress.

Conclusions/Significance

In this study we demonstrate that it is possible to monitor the metabolic activity, morphology, ECM production and oxidative stress of hMSCs in a non-invasive manner. This is accomplished using generally available multiphoton microscopy equipment and simple data analysis techniques, such that the method can widely adopted by laboratories with a diversity of comparable equipment. This method therefore represents a powerful tool, which enables researchers to monitor engineered tissues and optimize culture conditions in a near real time manner.     

Multimodal CARS microscopy determination of the impact of diet on macrophage infiltration and lipid accumulation on plaque formation in ApoE-deficient mice

We characterized several cellular and structural features of early stage Type II/III atherosclerotic plaques in an established model of atherosclerosis—the ApoE-deficient mouse—by using a multimodal, coregistered imaging system that integrates three nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM) contrast mechanisms: coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), second harmonic generation (SHG), and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF). Specifically, the infiltration of lipid-rich macrophages and the structural organization of collagen and elastin fibers were visualized by CARS, SHG, and TPEF, respectively, in thick tissue specimens without the use of exogenous labels or dyes. Label-free CARS imaging of macrophage accumulation was confirmed by histopathology using CD68 staining. A high-fat, high-cholesterol Western diet resulted in an approximate 2-fold increase in intimal plaque area, defined by CARS signals of lipid-rich macrophages. Additionally, analysis of collagen distribution within lipid-rich plaque regions revealed nearly a 4-fold decrease in the Western diet–fed mice, suggesting NLOM sensitivity to increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and decreased smooth muscle cell (SMC) accumulation. These imaging results provide significant insight into the structure and composition of early stage Type II/III plaque during formation and allow for quantitative measurements of the impact of diet and other factors on critical plaque and arterial wall features.