Takashi Sakurai

Water Secretion Associated with Exocytosis in Endocrine Cells Revealed by Micro Forcemetry and Evanescent Wave Microscopy

It has been a long belief that release of substances from the cell to the extracellular milieu by exocytosis is completed by diffusion of the substances from secretory vesicles through the fusion pore. Involvement of any mechanical force that may be superposed on the diffusion to enhance the releasing process has not been elucidated to date. We tackled this problem in cultured bovine chromaffin cells using direct and sensitive methods: the laser-trap forcemetry and the evanescent-wave fluorescence microscopy. With a laser beam, we trapped a micro bead in the vicinity of a cell (with 1 microm of separation) and observed movements of the bead optically. Electrical stimulation of the cell induced many of rapid and transient movements of the bead in a direction away from the cell surface. Upon the same stimulation, secretory vesicles stained with a fluorescent probe, acridine orange, and excited under the evanescent field illumination, showed a flash-like response: a transient increase in fluorescence intensity associated with a diffuse cloud of brightness, followed by a complete disappearance. These mechanical and fluorescence transients indicate a directional flow of substances. Blockers of the Cl(-) channel suppressed the rates of both responses in a characteristic way but not exocytotic fusion itself. Immunocytochemical studies revealed the presence of Cl(-) and K(+) channels on the vesicle membranes. These results suggest that the externalization of hormones or transmitters upon exocytosis of vesicles is augmented by secretion of water from the vesicle membrane through the widened fusion pore, possibly modulating the rate and reach of the hormone or transmitter release and facilitating transport of the signal molecules in intercellular spaces.

Pattern of rise in subplasma membrane Ca2+ concentration determines type of fusing insulin granules in pancreatic β cells

We simultaneously analyzed insulin granule fusion with insulin fused to green fluorescent protein and the subplasma membrane Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+](PM)) with the Ca2+ indicator Fura Red in rat beta cells by dual-color total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We found that rapid and marked elevation in [Ca2+](PM) caused insulin granule fusion mostly from previously docked granules during the high KCl-evoked release and high glucose-evoked first phase release. In contrast, the slow and sustained elevation in [Ca2+](PM) induced fusion from newcomers translocated from the internal pool during the low KCl-evoked release and glucose-evoked second phase release. These data suggest that the pattern of the [Ca2+](PM) rise directly determines the types of fusing granules.

Evaluation of Silicon Nitride as a Substrate for Culture of PC12 Cells: An Interfacial Model for Functional Studies in Neurons

Silicon nitride is a biocompatible material that is currently used as an interfacial surface between cells and large-scale integration devices incorporating ion-sensitive field-effect transistor technology. Here, we investigated whether a poly-L-lysine coated silicon nitride surface is suitable for the culture of PC12 cells, which are widely used as a model for neural differentiation, and we characterized their interaction based on cell behavior when seeded on the tested material. The coated surface was first examined in terms of wettability and topography using contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy and then, conditioned silicon nitride surface was used as the substrate for the study of PC12 cell culture properties. We found that coating silicon nitride with poly-L-lysine increased surface hydrophilicity and that exposing this coated surface to an extracellular aqueous environment gradually decreased its roughness. When PC12 cells were cultured on a coated silicon nitride surface, adhesion and spreading were facilitated, and the cells showed enhanced morphological differentiation compared to those cultured on a plastic culture dish. A bromodeoxyuridine assay demonstrated that, on the coated silicon nitride surface, higher proportions of cells left the cell cycle, remained in a quiescent state and had longer survival times. Therefore, our study of the interaction of the silicon nitride surface with PC12 cells provides important information for the production of devices that need to have optimal cell culture-supporting properties in order to be used in the study of neuronal functions.

Evaluation of the Effects of Quercetin on Damaged Salivary Secretion

With the aim of discovering an effective method to treat dry mouth, we analyzed the effects of quercetin on salivary secretion and its mechanism of action. We created a mouse model with impaired salivary secretion by exposure to radiation and found that impaired secretion is suppressed by quercetin intake. Moreover, secretion levels were enhanced in quercetin-fed normal mice. To elucidate the mechanisms of these effects on salivary secretion, we conducted an analysis using mouse submandibular gland tissues, a human salivary gland epithelial cell line (HSY), and mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs). The results showed that quercetin augments aquaporin 5 (AQP5) expression and calcium uptake, and suppresses oxidative stress and inflammatory responses induced by radiation exposure, suggesting that quercetin intake may be an effective method to treat impaired salivary secretion.

Label-free characterization of living human induced pluripotent stem cells by subcellular topographic imaging technique using full-field quantitative phase microscopy coupled with interference reflection microscopy

There is a need for a noninvasive technique to monitor living pluripotent stem cell condition without any labeling. We present an optical imaging technique that is able to capture information about optical path difference through the cell and cell adhesion properties simultaneously using a combination of quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) and interference reflection microscopy (IRM) techniques. As a novel application of QPM and IRM, this multimodal imaging technique demonstrated its ability to distinguish the undifferentiated status of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells quantitatively based on the variation of optical path difference between the nucleus and cytoplasm as well as hiPS cell-specific cell adhesion properties.

Intravital oxygen radical imaging in normal and ischemic rat cortex.

OBJECTIVEWe examined reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation on cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion by intravital fluorescence imaging. METHODSIn anesthetized adult rats, a fluorescent dye (5 μL), MitoSOX (5 μmol/L) for superoxide radical (·O2−), and hydroxyphenyl fluorescein (20 μmol/L) for hydroxyl radical (·OH), was injected into cortices by a pressurized bolus. Through a closed cranial window, fluorescent images were taken with a confocal microscope on 10-minute forebrain ischemia. Because hemoglobin absorbs excitation and emission lights, ischemia may affect the change in fluorescence intensity (FI) inside the brain. To examine the effects of ischemia on the FI change, fluoromicrospheres (0.2-μm diameter) were used to mimic a dye and FI was analyzed in the same manner as when using ROS indicators. Their FI increased to 129% during ischemia (n = 3/mimicking each dye), and based on the results, FI of ROS indicators was corrected. RESULTSAfter correcting the FI of MitoSOX and hydroxyphenyl fluorescein, they showed no change during ischemia, whereas the raw data showed the increase. In the early period of reperfusion, FI significantly (n = 5/each, P < .01) increased (to 183% in MitoSOX and to 189% in hydroxyphenyl fluorescein), and these increases were significant in the areas adjacent to the arteries. To test the feasibility of our imaging, edaravone (3.0 mg/kg) was used. The treatment completely scavenged ·OH, but did not do so in ·O2− generation. CONCLUSIONROS production increased in the early period of reperfusion but not during ischemia, which was location selective, being significant in the areas adjacent to the arteries. Our method was useful for investigating intracellular in situ ROS production.

Label-free classification of cell types by imaging of cell membrane fluctuations using low-coherent full-field quantitative phase microscopy

Cell membrane motions of living cells are quantitatively measured in nanometer resolution by low-coherent full-field quantitative phase microscopy. Our setup is based on a full-field phase shifting interference microscope with a very lowcoherent light source. The reflection mode configuration and the low-coherent illumination make it possible to differentiate the weak reflection light from the cell membrane from the strong reflection from the glass substrate. Two cell populations are quantitatively assessed by the power spectral density of the cell surface motion and show different trends.

In vivo bioluminescence and reflectance imaging of multiple organs in bioluminescence reporter mice by bundled-fiber-coupled microscopy.

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is used in biomedical research to monitor biological processes within living organisms. Recently, fiber bundles with high transmittance and density have been developed to detect low light with high resolution. Therefore, we have developed a bundled-fiber-coupled microscope with a highly sensitive cooled-CCD camera that enables the BLI of organs within the mouse body. This is the first report of in vivo BLI of the brain and multiple organs in luciferase-reporter mice using bundled-fiber optics. With reflectance imaging, the structures of blood vessels and organs can be seen clearly with light illumination, and it allowed identification of the structural details of bioluminescence images. This technique can also be applied to clinical diagnostics in a low invasive manner.

Inter-cellular exchange of cellular components via VE-cadherin-dependent trans-endocytosis.

Cell-cell communications typically involve receptor-mediated signaling initiated by soluble or cell-bound ligands. Here, we report a unique mode of endocytosis: proteins originating from cell-cell junctions and cytosolic cellular components from the neighboring cell are internalized, leading to direct exchange of cellular components between two adjacent endothelial cells. VE-cadherins form transcellular bridges between two endothelial cells that are the basis of adherence junctions. At such adherens junction sites, we observed the movement of the entire VE-cadherin molecule from one endothelial cell into the other with junctional and cytoplasmic components. This phenomenon, here termed trans-endocytosis, requires the establishment of a VE-cadherin homodimer in trans with internalization proceeding in a Rac1-, and actomyosin-dependent manner. Importantly, the trans-endocytosis is not dependent on any known endocytic pathway including clathrin-dependent endocytosis, macropinocytosis or phagocytosis. This novel form of cell-cell communications, leading to a direct exchange of cellular components, was observed in 2D and 3D-cultured endothelial cells as well as in the developing zebrafish vasculature.

Long-term measurement of spontaneous membrane fluctuations over a wide dynamic range in the living cell by low-coherent quantitative phase microscopy

Surface topography and its dynamic fluctuations in live cultured cells were obtained by low-coherent quantitative phase microscopy (LC-QPM), using a reflection-type interference microscope employing the digital holographic technique with a low-coherent light source. Owing to the low coherency of the light-source, only the light reflected at a specific sectioning height of the sample generates interference fringes on the CCD camera. Because the digital holographic technique enables us to quantitatively measure the intensity and phase of the optical field, a nanometer-scale surface profile of a living cell can be obtained by capturing the light reflected by the cell membrane. The lateral and the vertical spatial resolution was 0.56 microns and 0.93 microns, respectively, and the mechanical stability of the phase measurement was better than 2 nanometers. The measurements were made at fast (21 frames/sec) and slow (2 frames/sec, time-lapse) frame rates and the slow measurements were performed over a period of 10 minutes. The temporal fluctuations of the cell membrane were analyzed by the mean-square-displacement (MSD) as a function of the time-difference τ. By merging the fast and slow data, the MSDs from τ = 50 msec to τ = 300 sec were obtained and wide-dynamic-range measurements of the MSDs from 2 nm2 to over 100000 nm2 were demonstrated. The results show significant differences among different cell types under various conditions.