Martin vandeVen

Rafts in oligodendrocytes: Evidence and structure–function relationship

The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells exhibits lateral inhomogeneities, mainly containing cholesterol and sphingomyelin, which provide liquid‐ordered microdomains (lipid “rafts”) that segregate membrane components. Rafts are thought to modulate the biological functions of molecules that become associated with them, and as such, they appear to be involved in a variety of processes, including signal transduction, membrane sorting, cell adhesion and pathogen entry. Although still a matter of ongoing debate, evidence in favor of the presence of these microdomains is gradually accumulating but a consensus on issues like their size, lifetime, composition, and biological significance has yet to be reached. Here, we provide an overview of the evidence supporting the presence of rafts in oligodendrocytes, the myelin‐producing cells of the central nervous system, and discuss their functional significance. The myelin membrane differs fundamentally from the plasma membrane, both in lipid and protein composition. Moreover, since myelin membranes are unusually enriched in glycosphingolipids, questions concerning the biogenesis and functional relevance of microdomains thus appear of special interest in oligodendrocytes. The current picture of rafts in oligodendrocytes is mainly based on detergent methods. The robustness of such data is discussed and alternative methods that may provide complementary data are indicated.

Diffusion of intensity-modulated near-infrared light in turbid media

Light propagation in turbid media can be described by photon diffusion. In the frequency domain, sinusoidally intensity-modulated light gives rise to diffusive waves which have a coherent front. In a homogeneous medium, the wave front propagates with a constant phase velocity and the amplitude attenuates exponentially as the diffusional wave advances. We have studied the diffusion approximation to the one-speed linear transport equation with a sinusoidally intensity modulated point source of particles and performed experiments using frequency domain detection methods on homogeneous scattering and absorbing media to test the applicability of the above mentioned transport equation to photon migration in turbid media. We have used the analytical solutions of the linear transport equation in homogeneous, infinite media to determine via a simple analysis of our frequency domain data the linear scattering and absorption coefficients.

Imaging viral infection: studies on Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with the pepper mild mottle tobamovirus

We have studied by kinetic Chl-fluorescence imaging (Chl-FI) Nicotiana benthamiana plants infected with the Italian strain of the pepper mild mottle tobamovirus (PMMoV-I). We have mapped leaf photosynthesis at different points of the fluorescence induction curve as well as at different post-infection times. Images of different fluorescence parameters were obtained to investigate which one could discriminate control from infected leaves in the absence of symptoms. The non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of excess energy in photosystem II (PSII) seems to be the most adequate chlorophyll fluorescence parameter to assess the effect of tobamoviral infection on the chloroplast. Non-symptomatic mature leaves from inoculated plants displayed a very characteristic time-varying NPQ pattern. In addition, a correlation between NPQ amplification and virus localization by tissue-print was found, suggesting that an increase in the local NPQ values is associated with the areas invaded by the pathogen. Changes in chloroplast ultrastructure in non-symptomatic leaf areas showing different NPQ levels were also investigated. A gradient of ultrastructural modifications was observed among the different areas.

Laser Sources for Confocal Microscopy

Laser assisted confocal microscopy has made a lot of progress over the past few years. Laser systems have become more modular and compact. There is an ever-increasing number of available laser excitation lines as well as an improvement in user friendliness and ease of use. At the same time, expansion of Web resources has provided easy access to a wealth of information. Our goal is both to aid the experienced and novice microscopist in quickly locating and sorting through the relevant laser information and to provide a means of avoiding common problems and pitfalls in the use of laser excitation in the various fluorescence techniques such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), optical coherence tomography (OCT), second harmonic generation (SHG), single molecule detection (SMD), and single particle tracking (SPT). In this chapter we describe the characteristic properties of a number of lasers commonly used in fluorescence microscopy.

Pitfalls and their remedies in time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy.

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy in both time and frequency domains provide very useful and accurate information on dynamic processes. Good quality data are essential in obtaining reliable parameter estimates. Distortions of the fluorescence response due to artifacts may have disastrous consequences. We provide here a concise overview of potential difficulties encountered under daily laboratory circumstances in the use of time- and frequency-domain equipment as well as practical remedies against common error conditions, elucidated with several graphs to aid the researcher in visual inspection and quality-control of collected data. A range of artifacts due to sample preparation or to optical and electronic pitfalls are discussed, as are remedies against them. Also recommended data analysis strategies are described.

Structural and optical properties of DNA layers covalently attached to diamond surfaces

Label-free detection of DNA molecules on chemically vapor-deposited diamond surfaces is achieved with spectroscopic ellipsometry in the infrared and vacuum ultraviolet range. This nondestructive method has the potential to yield information on the average orientation of single as well as double-stranded DNA molecules, without restricting the strand length to the persistence length. The orientational analysis based on electronic excitations in combination with information from layer thicknesses provides a deeper understanding of biological layers on diamond. The pi-pi* transition dipole moments, corresponding to a transition at 4.74 eV, originate from the individual bases. They are in a plane perpendicular to the DNA backbone with an associated n-pi* transition at 4.47 eV. For 8-36 bases of single- and double-stranded DNA covalently attached to ultra-nanocrystalline diamond, the ratio between in- and out-of-plane components in the best fit simulations to the ellipsometric spectra yields an average tilt angle of the DNA backbone with respect to the surface plane ranging from 45 degrees to 52 degrees . We comment on the physical meaning of the calculated tilt angles. Additional information is gathered from atomic force microscopy, fluorescence imaging, and wetting experiments. The results reported here are of value in understanding and optimizing the performance of the electronic readout of a diamond-based label-free DNA hybridization sensor.

Topographical and Functional Characterization of the ssDNA Probe Layer Generated Through EDC-Mediated Covalent Attachment to Nanocrystalline Diamond Using Fluorescence Microscopy

The covalent attachment method for DNA on nanocrystalline diamond (NCD), involving the introduction of COOH functionalities on the surface by photoattachment of 10-undecenoic acid (10-UDA), followed by the 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC)-mediated coupling to NH 2-labeled ssDNA, is evaluated in terms of stability, density, and functionality of the resulting biological interface. This is of crucial importance in DNA biosensor development. The covalent nature of DNA attachment will infer the necessary stability and favorable orientation to the ssDNA probe molecules. Using confocal fluorescence microscopy, the influence of buffer type for the removal of excess 10-UDA and ssDNA, the probe ssDNA length, the probe ssDNA concentration, and the presence of the COOH-linker on the density and functionality of the ssDNA probe layer were investigated. It was determined that the most homogeneously dense and functional DNA layer was obtained when 300 pmol of short ssDNA was applied to COOH-modified NCD samples, while H-terminated NCD was resistant for DNA attachment. Exploiting this surface functionality dependence of the DNA attachment efficiency, a shadow mask was applied during the photochemical introduction of the COOH-functionalities, leaving certain regions on the NCD H-terminated. The subsequent DNA attachment resulted in a fluorescence pattern corresponding to the negative of the shadow mask. Finally, NCD surfaces covered with mixtures of the 10-UDA linker molecule and a similar molecule lacking the COOH functionality, functioning as a lateral spacer, were examined for their suitability in preventing nonspecific adsorption to the surface and in decreasing steric hindrance. However, purely COOH-modified NCD samples, patterned with H-terminated regions and treated with a controlled amount of probe DNA, proved the most efficient in fulfilling these tasks.

Fluorescence anisotropy measurements in solution: Methods and reference materials (IUPAC Technical Report)

After recalling the basic relations relevant to both steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence polarization, it is shown how the values of steady-state polarized intensities recorded experimentally usually need to be corrected for systematic effects and errors, caused by instrumentation and sample properties. A list of selected reference values of steady-state fluorescence anisotropy and polarization is given. Attention is also paid to analysis of time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy data obtained by pulse fluorometry or phase and modulation fluorometry techniques. Recommendations for checking the accuracy of measurements are provided together with a list of selected time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy data as reported in the literature.

Diffusion of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in living OLN-93 Cells investigated by raster-scanning image correlation spectroscopy (RICS)

Many membrane proteins and lipids are partially confined in substructures ranging from tens of nanometers to micrometers in size. Evidence for heterogeneities in the membrane of oligodendrocytes, i.e. the myelin-producing cells of the central nervous system, is almost exclusively based on detergent methods. However, as application of detergents can alter the membrane phase behaviour, it is important to investigate membrane heterogeneities in living cells. Here, we report on the first investigations of the diffusion behavior of the myelin-specific protein MOG (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein) in OLN-93 as studied by the recently developed RICS (raster-scanning image correlation spectroscopy) technique. We implemented RICS on a standard confocal laser-scanning microscope with one-photon excitation and analog detection. Measurements on FITC-dextran were used to evaluate the performance of the system and the data analysis procedure.

Parallel acquisition of fluorescence decay using array detectors

Frequency domain fluorometry provides an alternative method for the recording of fluorescence decay kinetics (1), The major advantages of this method are the time resolution and the fast measurement of lifetime values. There are several systems, where a change in lifetime occurs across the emission band. These systems include heterogeneous ground state systems, where species emit at different wavelengths; excited state reactions, with products emitting at different parts of the spectrum; and dipolar relaxation processes, where the emission spectra change with time. To characterize the decay of the systems, it is necessary to collect the emission decay at several wavelengths. Generally, this process is obtained by successive measurements using a monochromator or a series of bandpass filters. For steady-state spectra, optical multichannel analyzers (OMA) are available, which can collect the entire emission spectra at once. By gating the image intensifier, used with some of these analyzers, it is possible to obtain time windows of the order of a few nanoseconds (2), This time resolution is inadequate for most of the fluorescence substances. We have developed a new method based of frequency domain fluorometry which extends the time resolution of an OMA to the picosecond region. The entire emission decay is collected in a few seconds and the lifetime information across the entire emission band is analyzed. The same method can be applied to other array detectors such as TV and CCD cameras used in fluorescence microscopy (3).