Thomas Huser

Quantitative 3D Video Microscopy of HIV Transfer Across T Cell Virological Synapses

The spread of HIV between immune cells is greatly enhanced by cell-cell adhesions called virological synapses, although the underlying mechanisms have been unclear. With use of an infectious, fluorescent clone of HIV, we tracked the movement of Gag in live CD4 T cells and captured the direct translocation of HIV across the virological synapse. Quantitative, high-speed three-dimensional (3D) video microscopy revealed the rapid formation of micrometer-sized “buttons” containing oligomerized viral Gag protein. Electron microscopy showed that these buttons were packed with budding viral crescents. Viral transfer events were observed to form virus-laden internal compartments within target cells. Continuous time-lapse monitoring showed preferential infection through synapses. Thus, HIV dissemination may be enhanced by virological synapse-mediated cell adhesion coupled to viral endocytosis.

Structural changes in fused silica after exposure to focused femtosecond laser pulses

Using in situ Raman scattering in a confocal microscopy setup, we have observed changes in the network structure of fused silica after modifying regions inside the glass with tightly focused 800-nm 130-fs laser pulses at fluences of 5-200 J cm(-2). The Raman spectra show a large increase in the peaks at 490 and 605cm(-1), owing to 4- and 3-membered ring structures in the silica network, indicating that densification occurs after exposure to the femtosecond laser pulses. The results are consistent with the formation of a localized plasma by the laser pulse and a subsequent microexplosion inside the glass.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering on nanoporous Au

Colloidal solutions of metal nanoparticles are currently among the most studied substrates for sensors based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). However, such substrates often suffer from not being cost-effective, reusable, or stable. Here, we develop nanoporous Au as a highly active, tunable, stable, biocompatible, and reusable SERS substrate. Nanoporous Au is prepared by a facile process of free corrosion of AgAu alloys followed by annealing. Results show that nanofoams with average pore widths of ∼250nm exhibit the largest SERS signal for 632.8nm excitation. This is attributed to the electromagnetic SERS enhancement mechanism with additional field localization within pores.

Waveguide fabrication in phosphate glasses using femtosecond laser pulses

We report on the response of glass to focused femtosecond (fs) laser pulses during waveguide fabrication in a commercial sodium aluminum phosphate glass (Schott IOG-1). Single-pass longitudinal translation of IOG-1 glass with respect to the focused laser beam at a rate of 20 μm/s and pulse energies of 3.5 μJ results in the formation of two waveguides located on opposite sides of the laser-exposed region, which itself does not guide light. This behavior is different from that of the more widely studied silica glass system. The precise location of the waveguides in IOG-1 glass depends on the relative tilt of the fs laser beam with respect to the sample translation direction. Fluorescence imaging of the modified glass using a confocal microscope setup reveals the formation of color center defects in the exposed region but not within the waveguides.

Nondestructive Identification of Individual Leukemia Cells by Laser Trapping Raman Spectroscopy

Currently, a combination of technologies is typically required to assess the malignancy of cancer cells. These methods often lack the specificity and sensitivity necessary for early, accurate diagnosis. Here we demonstrate using clinical samples the application of laser trapping Raman spectroscopy as a novel approach that provides intrinsic biochemical markers for the noninvasive detection of individual cancer cells. The Raman spectra of live, hematopoietic cells provide reliable molecular fingerprints that reflect their biochemical composition and biology. Populations of normal T and B lymphocytes from four healthy individuals and cells from three leukemia patients were analyzed, and multiple intrinsic Raman markers associated with DNA and protein vibrational modes have been identified that exhibit excellent discriminating power for cancer cell identification. A combination of two multivariate statistical methods, principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), was used to confirm the significance of these markers for identifying cancer cells and classifying the data. The results indicate that, on average, 95% of the normal cells and 90% of the patient cells were accurately classified into their respective cell types. We also provide evidence that these markers are unique to cancer cells and not purely a function of differences in their cellular activation.

Label-Free Separation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Their Cardiac Derivatives Using Raman Spectroscopy

Self-renewable, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes (CMs), providing an unlimited source of cells for transplantation therapies. However, unlike certain cell lineages such as hematopoietic cells, CMs lack specific surface markers for convenient identification, physical separation, and enrichment. Identification by immunostaining of cardiac-specific proteins such as troponin requires permeabilization, which renders the cells unviable and nonrecoverable. Ectopic expression of a reporter protein under the transcriptional control of a heart-specific promoter for identifying hESC-derived CMs (hESC-CMs) is useful for research but complicates potential clinical applications. The practical detection and removal of undifferentiated hESCs in a graft, which may lead to tumors, is also critical. Here, we demonstrate a nondestructive, label-free optical method based on Raman scattering to interrogate the intrinsic biochemical signatures of individual hESCs and their cardiac derivatives, allowing cells to be identified and classified. By combination of the Raman spectroscopic data with multivariate statistical analysis, our results indicate that hESCs, human fetal left ventricular CMs, and hESC-CMs can be identified by their intrinsic biochemical characteristics with an accuracy of 96%, 98%, and 66%, respectively. The present study lays the groundwork for developing a systematic and automated method for the noninvasive and label-free sorting of (i) high-quality hESCs for expansion and (ii) ex vivo CMs (derived from embryonic or adult stem cells) for cell-based heart therapies.

Chemical analysis in vivo and in vitro by Raman spectroscopy—from single cells to humans

The gold standard for clinical diagnostics of tissues is immunofluorescence staining. Toxicity of many fluorescent dyes precludes their application in vivo. Raman spectroscopy, a chemically specific, label-free diagnostic technique, is rapidly gaining acceptance as a powerful alternative. It has the ability to probe the chemical composition of biological materials in a non-destructive and mostly non-perturbing manner. We review the most recent developments in Raman spectroscopy in the life sciences, detailing advances in technology that have improved the ability to screen for diseases. Its role in the monitoring of biological function and mapping the cellular chemical microenvironment will be discussed. Applications including endoscopy, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and coherent Raman scattering (CRS) will be reviewed.

Absence of transverse tubules contributes to non-uniform Ca2+ wavefronts in mouse and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Mouse (m) and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) are known to exhibit immature Ca(2+) dynamics such as small whole-cell peak amplitude and slower kinetics relative to those of adult. In this study, we examined the maturity and efficiency of Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release in m and hESC-CMs, the presence of transverse (t) tubules and its effects on the regional Ca(2+) dynamics. In m and hESC-CMs, fluorescent staining and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to detect the presence of t-tubules, caveolin-3, amphiphysin-2 and colocalization of dihydropyridine receptors (DHPRs) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs). To avoid ambiguities, regional electrically-stimulated Ca(2+) dynamics of single ESC-CMs, rather than spontaneously beating clusters, were measured using confocal microscopy. m and hESC-CMs showed absence of dyads, with neither t-tubules nor colocalization of DHPRs and RyRs. Caveolin-3 and amphiphysin-2, crucial for the biogenesis of t-tubules with robust expression in adult CMs, were also absent. Single m and hESC-CMs displayed non-uniform Ca(2+) dynamics across the cell that is typical of CMs deficient of t-tubules. Local Ca(2+) transients exhibited greater peak amplitude at the peripheral than at the central region for m (3.50 +/- 0.42 vs. 3.05 +/- 0.38) and hESC-CMs (2.96 +/- 0.25 vs. 2.72 +/- 0.25). Kinetically, both the rates of rise to peak amplitude and transient decay were faster for the peripheral relative to the central region. Immature m and hESC-CMs display unsynchronized Ca(2+) transients due to the absence of t-tubules and gene products crucial for their biogenesis. Our results provide insights for driving the maturation of ESC-CMs.

Mechanism-based facilitated maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Background—Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be efficiently and reproducibly directed into cardiomyocytes (CMs) using stage-specific induction protocols. However, their functional properties and suitability for clinical and other applications have not been evaluated. Methods and Results—Here we showed that CMs derived from multiple pluripotent human stem cell lines (hESC: H1, HES2) and types (induced pluripotent stem cell) using different in vitro differentiation protocols (embryoid body formation, endodermal induction, directed differentiation) commonly displayed immature, proarrhythmic action potential properties such as high degree of automaticity, depolarized resting membrane potential, Phase 4- depolarization, and delayed after-depolarization. Among the panoply of sarcolemmal ionic currents investigated (INa+/ICaL+/IKr+/INCX+/If+/Ito+/IK1−/IKs−), we pinpointed the lack of the Kir2.1-encoded inwardly rectifying K+ current (IK1) as the single mechanistic contributor to the observed immature electrophysiological properties in hESC-CMs. Forced expression of Kir2.1 in hESC-CMs led to robust expression of Ba2+-sensitive IK1 and, more importantly, completely ablated all the proarrhythmic action potential traits, rendering the electrophysiological phenotype indistinguishable from the adult counterparts. These results provided the first link of a complex developmentally arrested phenotype to a major effector gene, and importantly, further led us to develop a bio-mimetic culturing strategy for enhancing maturation. Conclusions—By providing the environmental cues that are missing in conventional culturing method, this approach did not require any genetic or pharmacological interventions. Our findings can facilitate clinical applications, drug discovery, and cardiotoxicity screening by improving the yield, safety, and efficacy of derived CMs.

Cell-to-Cell Transfer of HIV-1 via Virological Synapses Leads to Endosomal Virion Maturation that Activates Viral Membrane Fusion

HIV-1 can infect T cells by cell-free virus or by direct virion transfer between cells through cell contact-induced structures called virological synapses (VS). During VS-mediated infection, virions accumulate within target cell endosomes. We show that after crossing the VS, the transferred virus undergoes both maturation and viral membrane fusion. Following VS transfer, viral membrane fusion occurs with delayed kinetics and transferred virions display reduced sensitivity to patient antisera compared to mature, cell-free virus. Furthermore, particle fusion requires that the transferred virions undergo proteolytic maturation within acceptor cell endosomes, which occurs over several hours. Rapid, live cell confocal microscopy demonstrated that viral fusion can occur in compartments that have moved away from the VS. Thus, HIV particle maturation activates viral fusion in target CD4+ T cell endosomes following transfer across the VS and may represent a pathway by which HIV evades antibody neutralization.